Normally, when people are asked about their favorite Christmas movie, The Polar Express, Elf, The Grinch Who Stole Christmas, Home Alone, and National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation are very popular answers. While I do thoroughly enjoy these movies, as I'm an avid Christmas movie fanatic, my all-time favorite Christmas movie is one that a lot of people have probably never heard of before, Holiday in Handcuffs.
It originally premiered on ABC Family Channel ( I refuse to call it FreeForm), in 2007 and the leading actors are Melissa Joan Hart and Mario Lopez. Already, what's there not to love about it?!
Anyway, the whole premise of the movie is about a woman, named Trudie (Hart), who receives a call from her boyfriend, who breaks up with her on Christmas Eve. She was supposed to bring her beau to Christmas dinner to meet her family, (who already think she's kind of a screw up) so naturally she's in a bind, and the first thing that comes to her mind is to kidnap a handsome customer at the diner where she works and bring him to her family dinner.
I know this seems strange, but stay with me; it's worth it, I promise. Anyway, she eventually decides to carry out her plan and does in fact kidnap a customer. She steals his cell phone, and forces him to spend the Christmas holiday with her family. Although David (Lopez) immediately reacts by telling her whole family that he's been kidnapped and that their daughter is crazy, they just respond by laughing.
As the movie progresses, David begins to understand why Trudie felt the need to kidnap someone in the first place, as it is obvious that she's not the 'favorite child.' The two begin to get closer through ice skating, drinking hot chocolate, and writing Christmas letters to Santa Clause.
Eventually, David's fiancee finds out where he's been and sends the police, so Trudie and her family are imprisoned for kidnapping. They are released, because David does not press charges, and David and Trudie go their separate ways. Right before David is supposed to marry his fiancee, however, he decides to chase after Trudie, and the two live happily ever after.
I know this movie probably seems cheesy, but my review doesn't do it nearly enough justice, so if you're looking for a new Christmas movie to watch, definitely check it out!!
