"The National Tree" is the sort of movie which whilst being at times mildly charming is also damn right annoying with a whole list of issues which cause it to border on being laughably bad. Now some may say that with it being a Hallmark movie that what else do you expect, but Hallmark do make good movies, it's just this isn't one of them. The trouble is that the storyline is forced and so is much of the acting but it is also that the drama is manufactured, the ending is obvious and it almost feels like it doesn't really have a point.

When Rock Burdock (Evan Williams) was born his father Corey (Andrew McCarthy - The Hollywood Mom's Mystery) planted a tree to mark the event, now 17 years later and Corey raising Rock on his own a decision presents itself. Following the National tree being hit by lightening Rock entered his in a competition to replace it and it was the one picked which doesn't make Corey that happy as the tree will be uprooted and transported across country to Washington. But he agrees on the provision that he and Rock drive it across country in the hope he will be able to bond with his son who will be off to Uni within a year. The journey is littered with drama as well as romance as Rock meets one of his cyber buddies Katie (Paula Brancati) along the way and Rock and PR agent Faith (Kari Matchett) become close.

Now I'm not an American and so am not up on what is what when it comes to National symbols but as far as I'm aware America's National Tree is the Oak and it is not a single Oak but the Oak as a collective. So the fact that "The National Tree" has this set up of the existing National tree being struck by lightning and a new one being sourced is more fiction than fact. Ironically if they had called this "The National Christmas Tree" then maybe it would have made more sense.

Anyway with the line between fact and fiction completely destroyed what "The National Tree" is really about is a road trip where a father hopes to bond with his son as they transport their tree across country to become the next National tree. And with any road trip movie there is a series of dramas such as a brush with a forest fire, over zealous fans who turn out for the regular publicity stops and a climax which is full of drama. Add to this not one but two romantic subplots as Rock hooks up with Katie, a friend he met online and his father Corey hooking up with Faith, the PR woman who works for a toy company funding the road trip. But here is the thing as a movie which is meant to mainly be about a father and son bonding there is very little bonding going on despite a new found respect for each other by the time the credits roll.

Part of the issue is that all the drama is very forced and as the drama is supposed to tie in with Rock and Corey bonding it doesn't really work. The drama of them driving through the heart of a forest fire is a perfect example of how forced it is, feeling choreographed to the point of being cringe worthy with macho BS dialogue to make it even more cringe worthy. And that is not the worst of it as every single moment of drama feels unnatural because it's all over emphasised as is the case of the romantic subplots.

Forced is what you have to say about the performances with Andrew McCarthy seriously struggling to play Corey who struggles to connect with his son Rock. Those looks he gives of being frustrated are poor as are his attempts to show awkwardness when it comes to asking Faith out to dinner, it just feels wrong. And sadly the same can be said of Evan Williams who plays Rock, Kari Matchett as Faith and Paula Brancati as Katie as all the drama is over acted by one and all.

It's not all bad and in amongst various issues the wonderful scenery is a plus point as we follow the National tree go from state to state. And the whole aspect of Rock running a blog and broadcasting the journey via podcasts whilst a little cheesy also highlights the power of the Internet for something to become viral. But these are minor points in a movie which seems to miss its point which is the emotional underbelly of the father and son relationship. You sort of expect some sort of dual symbolism as Corey planted the tree when Rock was born yet what there is is weak and so is the fact that with Rock heading off to Uni in a year the fear of life without him never really manifests itself. It almost feels like director Graeme Campbell tried to turn what could have been an emotional drama about a father and son into a different sort of drama and in doing so missed the point.

What this all boils down to is that "The National Tree" is sadly another disappointment which seems to focus on the wrong things. What it sounds like it should be is an emotional father and son bonding movie but instead it is a dull road trip movie punctuated by forced drama and a couple of romantic subplots.