A Brilliant Conflict

If the ambition is to provide two hours of instantly forgettable, popcorn-munching escapism, it succeeds.

One of the most extraordinary films you will see this year. Take that as you want.

Through painfully honest and emotional moments, the movie becomes irresistibly relatable

I love a cheesy Christmas movie. I collect them on DVD and watch all of them every year along with family and friends. I even enjoy many Hallmark movies. I bought this one last year and was looking forward to seeing it, but this was unwatchable. And let me just say that my standards for Christmas movies are very low.The "Morlvera" review hit this on the head. The characters were so sad. Most of the people I know who live in the country, farm and hunt, would be offended by the way they are portrayed in this movie. The characters are charmless, rude and celebrate ignorance.I wanted to enjoy this, but I found the stereotypes offensive. There was no character in this movie who was believable enough to care about. I'm glad to know there was a happy ending, but 10 minutes into the movie, I just didn't care. One reviewer complained that there was too much emphasis on the acting. I didn't even notice the acting for the very poor script.Simple, old-fashioned and cliché are all fine with me, especially at Christmas. Even so, I don't think it's too much to ask for a screen play that is at least professional. I have seen original church Christmas plays with better character development and a more nuanced story line. I think a Christmas movie should do one or more of three things:1)make me feel warm and fuzzy, 2)make me laugh,or 3)make me think. This movie did none of those things.

He is a high powered attorney being offered a 6 figure partnership in an esteemed firm. She is an M.D. They've got it all but does that all change when he goes to meet her family. The latter live in a small western town and are made up of a father, who acts like John Wayne, and his 3 adult non-attending college sons who are cowboys just like their widowed father. Obviously, the father takes an immediate dislike to our hero and a series of snafus by him certainly does not help the situation.As a single aunt, Sally Struthers has certainly put on a ton of weight since her "All in the Family" days.Naturally, there is the M.D.'s western beau who will resort to anything to discredit our attorney.The ending is typical Hallmark where all come together to praise our hero, even his competition for his beloved.

One thing nice about watching a Hallmark movie on TV, you know there won't be any bad language and very little, if any, violence. This one holds true to that expectation.Jeremy London is James, a Los Angeles attorney. Pretty, young Dorie Barton is his girlfriend, Sadie Ryder, who is a doctor in L.A. They go to her small town home, to meet the family. It doesn't say where they actually are, but it looks like the mountains and high plains of Colorado, Wyoming, or Montana. That probably means it was filmed in Canada!Veteran actor James Gammon is Karl Ryder, Sadie's dad. He hasn't quite been the same since his wife of 30+ years died, and he doesn't take very kindly to the prospects of this city slicker wanting to take his little girl away. He is one of the local ranchers who don't like change. Sadie also has three brothers.The movie is about James trying to fit in, and to win over the Ryder family so that he and Sadie can get married with their blessings. Things happen, James is challenged a number of times, but he always lands on his feet, eventually.Good family movie.SPOILERS: James finally wins Karl over when, some distance away from home, James shoots and kills a wolf that is threatening the injured Karl. Back home for Christmas time (no snow on the ground) James announces he and Sadie are getting married, have Karl's blessing, and they both will make that small community their home instead of going back to the big city.

Obviously some people care more about the acting than the whole point of the movie.This is a VERY positive movie showing that one does NOT have to be set in their ways and can change. The father DID NOT like Sadie's boyfriend until he saved him from a wolf and survived outside overnight in the cold mountains.The theme of people being able to change is a theme which is positive and is more important than how great the acting was. I didn't care to observe the acting critically because I was drawn into the movie.After all I thought that's what good acting was .. being able to draw your audience into your story. At least that is what our director told us...a director who does this for a living.I recommend this highly for those who are fed up with the normal Hollywood fare and want a movie that your whole family could watch and admire.