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One Royal Holiday – Hallmark Channel – Starring Laura Osnes (Cinderella and Bonnie and Clyde on Broadway), Aaron Tveit (Moulin Rouge and Catch Me If You Can on Broadway), Victoria Clark (Cinderella and A Light in the Piazza on Broadway) – Written by Julie Sherman Wolfe and Directed by Dustin Rikert
NOW THAT’S WHAT I’M TALKING ABOUT HALLMARK! Best holiday movie so far and I’m curious if any other movie can rise to the level of One Royal Holiday. In the vein of full transparency, I am a Broadway nut. My heart is broken over the lack of live theater and that Broadway will be shut down through at least June of 2021 but that’s another post of another time. I wasn’t sure if my love for this movie stemmed from seeing Laura Osnes, Aaron Tveit, Victoria Clark, and Krystal Joy Brown live on Broadway before so maybe my judgement was certainly skewed. But after re-watching One Royal Holiday, I realized that it wasn’t skewed at all. This has everything you want in a Hallmark Christmas movie…romance, meet cutes, royalty, humor, gorgeous sets, gorgeous people, real chemistry, hot cocoa, some tears and a little surprise twist.
Anna (Osnes) is a cardiac care nurse in MA and is heading back to her family’s Inn in Connecticut for the holidays. She stops for some coffee and bumps into James, or Prince James of Galwick (Tveit), and offers him her free Chrismas Cruller. Meet Cute!!! She meets the rest of the crew which includes the Queen Gabriella of Galwick (Victoria Clark) and James’ best friend and head of security, Christopher (Bradley Rose.) Their flights have been canceled and the hotels are booked so they have nowhere to go. Enter Anna to the rescue since her family owns a charming Inn and the royal family can stay there. Of course the Uber driver won’t dare leave MA for CT so they all cram into Anna’s Subaru and off they go!
When we get to CT, we meet Ed, Anna’s dad (Tom McGowan) and her best friend who was just elected mayor, Sara (Krystal Joy Brown.). Instantly you see the googley eyes between Christopher and Sara. Ah, love is all around in CT! For some reason, James wanted to keep their identities a secret. I’m not sure why for two reasons. One, does anyone even know who these people are in the US? Everyone knows the British royal family. But could you tell me who the royal family of Denmark is? Even if Queen Margrethe of Denmark (yes I had to look that up) and her family were visiting Boston because of the care the King received while in the US, it would be the 18th story on the 6pm news. A footnote. We’re not talking about the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge (that’s Prince William and Kate for you US Weekly people) here. So were they really THAT worried about being recognized? However, maybe they are super popular, which bring me to reason number two. If you are a very popular royal couple who was just stranded in the US with an urgency to return to Galwick immediately because you have to make a national address that will define the state of the monarchy for years to come, don’t you think people will find out who you are eventually? Why hide it?
They get settled in and then head downstairs for some dinner. This is where we get the first glimpse into why James and Gabriella are the way they are. At first glance, James is a stuffy, pretentious, bore. Gabriella is delightful, gracious, and a “go with the flow” kind of gal. Not your typical disposition of a Queen. When Anna offers to get the Queen her plate and her serve her, Gabriella, tells her how that’s not necessary. We learn Gabriella married into the monarchy so before she was queen, she was just a girl from Galwick who could take care of herself. I love this! I loved her even more when she wanted to meet the chef, Diane (Geraldine Leer), and compliment her fantastic dinner. Diane curtsies and calls her HRH to which Gabriella immediately says, “No. Gabriella, please.” That is one down to earth royal! When I first see the charming nature of Gabriella and how she’s willing to just jump into a car with a strange American, I thought to myself, no one would do that…especially not the Queen of Galwick who is also traveling with the next King of Galwick. But the writers did a terrific job of making this seem absolutely believable because we got to see that little peek behind the curtain of Gabriella’s upbringing and how this journey to CT is bringing her back to that time. With James, it takes us a little longer to get through those layers but Gabriella lets Anna know that he has a lot of stress on him as his first speech after his beloved father passed away, went very poorly. So there is a lack of confidence James can fill his father’s shoes. As such, parliament is trying to use this as a reason to end the monarchy and take over the full running of Galwick. Ok so I’m going to give James a break.
The next morning they still can’t get out of town so they get roped into learning more about the town and it’s traditions. Gabriella and Christopher are having the time of their lives. James is about as comfortable as a hooker at Sunday mass. While the bubbly delight that is Anna, is doing everything she can to make his time there more enjoyable and comfortable. Again, great job with the writers building off the amazing chemistry Osnes and Tveit have. It certainly doesn’t feel like love at first sight, but there is a gradual bond forming and understanding of why they are who they are. As each of them come to appreciate the other’s differences, it opens up their hearts like never before in a way neither expected. It’s why James starts to feel comfortable opening up to Anna about what he has to deal with at home and the unbelievable pressure he’s putting on himself to fill his father’s role as King. The beauty of how Anna responds, is that she doesn’t always try to fix it for him. Sometimes she just listens and gives him a safe space to let his guard down a bit, which may be all he needs. You get the feeling, other than Christopher, who now works for him, James doesn’t really have people he can trust or be vulnerable with. So having someone with no expectation of him to really talk to, is what gets him moving from stick in the mud to warm and lovely. We start seeing a side of James he doesn’t let anyone see. You go Anna!
Fast forward a bit, or we’ll be here until next Christmas reading this, the town is getting ready for it’s annual Christmas Pajama Party. Can I just say, I LOVE that idea. Yes I love getting dressed up in dresses and jewels and having a 5 piece orchestra play gorgeous music. But if I can go to a party in PJs and slippers? I’m all in! And this party was Anna’s mom’s creation so she wants to keep that spirit (and her mom’s spirit) alive. However, the venue is no longer viable and they have no place to hold the event. Whatever will they do??? James to the rescue….have the event at the Inn! After much back and forth they agree. But, they are now changing it from a PJ party to a regal ball. Anna’s not buying into this at all. I don’t blame you. Who’s want to cram into uncomfortable Jimmy Choos when you can be wearing your Uggs! No, it’s because this was her mom’s idea. Ed let’s her know, it used to be a formal event and your mother loved it. But she changed it after Anna was born and because she was going through her terrible twos, mom decided to change it to a Pajama Party because she was too tired to get ready and it stuck. So Anna relents and convinces James to help her with the planning.
One of my favorite parts of the movie, is when James, Gabriella, and Christopher would come down every morning they were planning to leave and ask, with giddy glee, if there was a reason they couldn’t. Ed would come up with a reason and they would be “stuck” again in town. It was something so simple but so delightful! Anna and James are finishing up decorating the ballroom, which looks stunning, and she realizes, as they talk about the Christmas Waltz being both of their favorite Christmas song, that she can’t waltz. Well, my impression of her dropped 20% because seriously sister, you don’t know how to waltz? What’s wrong with you? If only you had a real life prince to teach….oh look, you do! As they begin, to waltz, she just has to tell him how she feels. I might be combining two different waltz scenes but I’m going for it. When she starts to tell him, his phone rings. He must take the call because, you know, when Parliament calls, you answer. The picture of them singing at the tree lighting has made it’s way to Galwick and his fellow countrymen and women are beside themselves at their prince having a better time in America than being home with them. Ok, so this can’t really be a thing. If I’m James I’d be all, “you know what, you people don’t like it when I’m happy, good luck to you. P of G out!” But this clearly affects an already fragile James and Anna can see it. When James wants to get back to their conversation, she tells him she was going to say that he should return to Galwick. To which James says, I call bullshit. FINALLY. How many times in these movies does the person say, ok see ya. I’m so glad James said, nope that’s not what you were going to say. But Anna insists that he go and he eventually relents.
James, Gabriella, and Christopher leave to get home to Galwick and the Christmas Ball continues with everyone looking beautiful. Including Diane in that stunning dress Gabriella so kindly left her. Ed notices too and I sense some sunshine and rainbows happening for them as well. Anna talks to Sara about why she isn’t so sad the Christopher left and she said, because she booked a flight to Galwick to be with him for New Year’s Eve. You find a way to make it work, she wisely tells her friend. Anna realizes she has to get to James and really tell him how she feels this time. However, I have no idea when the fictional country of Galwick is, but it’s not like he’s in New Haven. Thankfully, she doesn’t have to figure out those crazy Christmas Eve travel plans because guess who already flew back? JIMMY!!!!!! After his speech won his countrymen and women over and a lovely chat with his mum, he had to get back to Anna. They declare their love for each and a commitment to make this thing work. They kiss and role credits.
We’re almost 2,000 words into this thing and I know some of you are thinking, I can’t believe she didn’t mention the connection Anna had with the King. Or, what was the surprise twist she referred to in the beginning? Well, remember when I said the royal family was in Boston? They were there to donate money to the hospital where they took care of the King when he was in town. He was staying at the hospital under a pseudonym and when he spoke to James and Gabriella about his wonderful care, he mentioned his nurse AJ in particular. She was so terrific with him and treated him like a king not knowing he was a king. Turns out, his nurse AJ was Anna. James showed her a picture of him and said yes, that’s the man I cared for. She was wearing a different name tag as there was another Anna on that floor hence why they didn’t know it was Anna who was directly responsible for treating him. She told James how proud his dad was of him and how much loved him. He talked about James non stop. It was a twist I so should have seen coming but I didn’t and loved that little piece of connection the writers added in.
This was the PERFECT Hallmark holiday movie. The writing, castings, acting, scenery, everything was fabulous. I will be watching this one over and over during the next few months and I highly recommend you do as well and make One Royal Holiday, part of your Christmas movie rotation. Love to hear your thoughts as well!
Rating: 10 out of 10
Re-watch Chances: Can I get a hell yeah!
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