Nov 13

Nov 13 'Countdown to Christmas' movie review: 'Christmas Getaway'

Wonderfully uncomplicated, "Christmas Getaway" (airing throughout Hallmark Channel's Countdown to Christmas) is what every Hallmark holiday movie should aspire to be: watching two lovely people fall in love during an immersive winter escape.

In short: Travel writer Emory (Bridget Regan) spends the holidays with widower Scott (Travis Van Winkle) and his daughter when the two parties are double booked in the same mountain lodge.

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"Getaway" doesn't get tripped up on superfluous story threads or b-plots that feel like filler - this romance is refreshingly streamlined, and it's all the better for its direct plot. The best Hallmark movies have a clear intention, and leverage all their assets to connect with the best parts of the holidays and love. And "Getaway" accomplishes the rare feat of finding the heart of holiday warmth and getting two strangers to fall in love over just a few days.

It starts with just how simple the story is: Emory is assigned to write about holiday traditions, when she's unexpectedly booked in the same lodge as a father and daughter with their own list of traditions to tackle. After some gentle bristling between Emory and Scott, it's obvious there's sparks between the worldly writer and doting single father. If "Getaway" is, at its core, the romance between Emory and Scott, then it works beautifully because every other aspect of the movie supports the main story.

For the first time since the passing of his wife, Scott is able to once again rediscover Christmas joy with his daughter. Emory has spent years abroad during the holidays - and she finally gets to spend a traditional Christmas surrounded by all the trappings of a picturesque Christmas. This, in turn, finally inspires Emory to genuinely write about the holidays - and renews her interest in writing a book rather than gallivant around the globe.

But not everything is smooth sailing for Emory and Scott, and "Getaway" finds an excellent way to use the "romantic rival" plot device. Both Alice (Sarah Smyth) and Scott are single parents whose children attend the same school - and she even suggest that Scott and his daughter spend Christmas in the idyllic mountain town of Pine Grove. Alice is sweet, generous and a great foil for Emory. Other movies have made romantic rivals petty and shallow -- which makes them easy to root against. Alice is a totally reasonable, if safe, romantic alternative for Scott -- at least in Emory's eyes.

Final verdict: "Getaway" is a pitch perfect holiday escape, steeped in a meet-cute romance and Christmas traditions. There's no fat on this charming romance - its direct plot invests its plot in allowing Emory and Scott to discover the "best Christmas ever" and find an unexpected and enchanting relationship along the way.