A Christmas Detour

Candace Cameron Bure is a sweetheart and even a better actress. Her on screen chemistry with her leading man Paul Greene also worked charmingly. What I had a hard time swallowing was the amount of air time in this movie that Paul Greene who plays Dylan Smith spent trying to convince Ms. Bure who plays Paige Summerlind if she was sure that she was marrying the man of her dreams, or the man who exists only on paper. In fact it is Paige Summerlind who has written one of those itemized lists in a popular women's magazine on 100 ways to ensure you have the right partner.

Mrs. Shullivan and I liked the theory of an unexpected road trip romance, but the constant bantering between Ms. Bure and Paul Greene became quite tiring until the films last 30 minutes kind of redeemed itself as the love/hate/love/hate/love relationship ended with a heartwarming climax.

I give this Christmas romance a 6 out of 10 IMDB rating mainly on the strong performances of the two (2) lead actors Candace Cameron Bure and Paul Greene.

A high-strung writer gets hooked up with an irreverent laid back fellow and a seemingly happily married couple on the way to visit their families on Christmas. They are thrown together when a snow-storm cancels their flight and they decide to share an automobile to get to their destinations. The Candace Cameron character is traveling to the Hamptons to meet her fiancée's family for the first time. It is a road movie in which romance blossoms, true character is revealed, and secrets are uncovered. The fiancé and his parents are deliciously evil, Cameron-Bure, while always reliable, is quite likable and funny, and the married couple and the hero are well played, interesting, and nice to look at.

What I really want to address, and this movie is a perfect example, is Hallmarks penchant for casting 40 year-olds in the roles of 20 or early thirty year-olds. Aren't there any promising young actors and actresses out there?. I am tired of seeing the same faces over and over. It is particularly absurd in this one. The older experienced couple who have a 20 year relationship and a daughter old enough to have a beautiful old home, are played by actors who are the same age, if not younger, than the couple they are meant to be mentoring!

This was an absolutely fine Christmas rom-com. Granted I can't remember anything about it 2 days after watching it, but it worked perfectly as atmosphere and background noise while I was making cookies a couple of days before Xmas.

It stars Candace Cameron-Bure as an optimistic (and fairly annoying) woman on her way to New York to meet her future in laws for the first time when a snow storm grounds her flight. Seated next to her is Paul, he's going home for the first time in years since his brother hooked up with his then girlfriend and crushed his heart. Now stranded in Buffalo the mismatched pair decide to share a rental car to get to their destinations. Also long for the ride are Frank & Maxine, a long married, barb-exchanging couple who steal just about every scene they're in. These guys were funny and interesting.

The story then turns into a sort of road trip mishap adventure, where secrets are revealed and romance blooms. I did warm to Candace's character as things progressed and she shared decent chemistry with (the very nice looking) Paul Greene, although both of them felt wooden in their roles which I put down to the director. This was also very obviously not filmed in December or any other winter month due to the amount of fake snow and people sweating in winter jackets.

Despite my bitter sounding review this was an okay movie, Oh and I found out that this was shot during a heat wave in Langley, BC (Canada subbing as Buffalo) 12/22/15

I sometimes wonder why certain people choose to watch certain movies.....do not believe the negative reviews of this movie. This is a lovely Christmas romance movie, with good acting and realistic characters. I have certainly met and know people like these characters, even the parents of the husband to be....so I am confused by some of the reviews saying the characters are not believable. My husband and I enjoyed watching this together. You will too.

I Have Reviewed OVER 400 Christmas MOVIES.

On all Christmas movies BEWARE OF FAKE REVIEWS & REVIEWERS. Many reviewers have only have ONE REVIEW. When it's a POSITIVE REVIEW chances are that the reviewer was involved with the production. If its a negative review then they may have a huge grudge against the film for whatever reason. I am fare about these films. The only reason why I review them is to keep track of what "I have seen".

In this film

Two New York City-bound travelers find themselves inextricably linked when a snowstorm reroutes them to an airport hotel in Buffalo. Ever the eternal optimist and hopeless romantic, Paige desperately needs to find a way back home to meet her fiancee's parents before her forthcoming wedding. And it's somehow up to fellow passenger Dylan MacKenzie, who is permanently soured on romance following a recent heartbreak.

Candace limited acting range is very limited but she does a good job here. She doesn't have to stretch too hard for this film. However as much as I did enjoy this I think the film would have been much better had of cast "Alicia Witt" in this one.

Family safe but kids and most men will hate this.