Release Date: Saturday November 27 - 8pm
Movie: Royally Wrapped For Christmas
Network: GAC Family
Starring: Jen Lilley, Brendan Fehr
Synopsis: Lindsay Peterson (Lilley) of Brooklyn, New York, heads up one of the most successful chapters of the Festive Heart Foundation, a philanthropic organization dedicated to underserved children, which will celebrate its centennial this holiday. Founded by the Royal Family of Veronia, Lindsay is summoned to the kingdom as one of the world’s three most successful foundation organizers to plan the Gala’s 100th year. Before she embarks to Veronia, Lindsay meets the charity’s President, Willard, and a pleasant man, Aidan (Fehr), who Lindsay mistakenly believes is the organization’s accountant. Willard persuades Lindsay to join him and two other organizers from the global charity in Veronia. It is there Lindsay discovers the “accountant” is really PRINCE Aidan who is to ascend the throne after his mother, Queen Rayna. Committed to the mission to imagine the next 100 years of the charity, Lindsay leans into a tradition she learned from her grandmother: each Christmas, two gifts must be given. One to keep, one to give. Veronia’s Parliament enthusiastically accepts Lindsay’s idea for the charity, vowing to change the world in the kindest way. Now Prince Aidan must decide if the commoner from New York who has helped so many may have just stolen his heart.
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐
WARNING: This review may contain spoilers
Review:
This is a hard one for me. Hard because I really like Jen Lilley, so I was so excited when news broke that she was going to be in a "Royal" movie. You see one of my favorite plot points for these types of movies involves "royal type" themes. I love it all. Commoner meets and marries a prince or king? LOVE IT. So I was super excited because a new "royal" movie was in the works. Then I heard who her Prince co-star was, and my thoughts quickly changed. You see I really don't like Brendan Fehr. Sorry but it's true. There's something about his look, his delivery, his performances, that I just don't like. I've seen him in numerous movies and I always have come to the same conclusion. It's not like he gives a bad performance, but there's just something that doesn't appeal to me when he is on screen. So needless to say I did not have high hopes for his performance or this movie.
Sadly my original thoughts didn't change. Jen Lilley (Lindsay) was still charming as ever. She played a sweet thoughtful woman who worked for a charity. Because she is so good at her work she is summoned to the palace to plan the gala's 100th celebration. While there she comes into contact with Prince Aidan (Fehr) whom she met back in her hometown and mistakenly thought he was an accountant. She works with two other people also there to help with the gala and who, we find out later, are competing with Lindsay to take over the charity president's role. Lilley had a solid performance albeit it wasn't her best to date. Fehr, I'm probably being to hard on the guy but honestly I just don't like him. Even in this role...his obvious fake accent that faded in and out. The way he squints his eyes. No thanks. Nothing about him screams "he's a Prince."
The overall plot I enjoyed. As I mentioned before she was thrust into the path of the prince as she was there to plan the 100th gala. It so happens that she ends up working with the prince a lot. Not sure why a prince needed to participate so much in the planning of a charity gala but OK. Lindsay is clearly the best suited for the role with her original ideas, and her love of her job. She of course has the winning bid for taking over the new role, although she declines, due to her original and tradition idea of giving two gifts instead of one. I actually really like the idea of giving two gifts to a loved one - one to keep and one to give. It's something that I think I may adopt with my own boys. It really shows that Christmas or gift giving in general, is not all about you, but spreading kindness and love to those around you too. This theme throughout the movie was something I really liked. Right down to the last two gifts given to her by the prince - cookies and an engagement ring.
Chemistry? ZERO! Absolutely no sparks or anything between Lilley and Fehr. They didn't really have any depth to their relationship, and to propose marriage after knowing her for a few seconds just didn't do it for me. Other Hallmark or GAC movies where characters confess their love after 3 minutes I can buy into for some silly reason, but I just didn't feel it here. He is a Prince, soon to be a King. Shouldn't a little more consideration be put into who is going to become the future Queen?
So an ok movie but a weak male lead. Not something I will ever watch again.
Did you watch this movie? Tell me your thoughts in the comments.