"Christmas at Grand Valley" is set in a fictitious town in Wyoming, but was filmed mostly at Killarney Mountain Lodge in Killarney, Ontario, Canada. The aerial scenes of the small town nestled in the mountains resembles a number of places in the Rocky Mountains from New Mexico to Canada. That scene wouldn't have been of Killarney itself, because it sits along the north shore of Georgian Bay off Lake Huron. One can find pictures of the lodge with the teepee-shaped and light-topped building to the left, online.
This is the usual Christmas romance film, with just enough variation and cast to make it watchable. While there isn't great chemistry in romance at the end, there is more than the usual witty and funny dialog in places. And, some of the supporting characters add nicely to the film. Among those are Dan Lauria as Frank. He is Kelly's dad. And the two children of Leo, who will be Kelly's romantic partner by the end, are very good in their roles, with some good lines in their performances. Gage Graham-Arbuthnot plays Max and Hattie Kragten plays Emma.
Danica McKellar is fair as Kelly, and Brennan Elliott's Leo is just far too aloof for most of the film. Even though he has a wittiness to his nature, he seems too wooden far too long into the film. Chad Connell is okay as Mike, and the rest of the cast are okay. The plot is a good enough one, but the screenplay just doesn't have the life that this story should have.
When aspiring artist Kelly has painters block and fails to get her own show in Chicago, she decides to go home for Christmas to Grand Valley, Wyoming. Her dad owns Frank's Diner, and her cousin, Mike, has just been promoted to manager of the lodge. But there's concern that the lodge may be closed and sold by the big corporation that owns it. And, for a small town of this size, the lodge is everything. So, while she's home, Kelly agrees to help Mike by running a Christmas camp for kids at the lodge, which includes teaching art.
On the other end of the story, Leo is a top staff member of a large resort and property investment firm. It owns the Grand Valley lodge and is considering dumping it because it hasn't done well of late. But the head of the company wants one of the top staff to go and check it out. Leo volunteers because he is familiar with the place, having gone there with his parents as a child. And, he plans to make a real vacation out of it as well by taking his children, Max and Emma.
All movie fans who watch these films know how they will end from the romance and love angle. This one has a couple of twists at the end that are nice but not hard to figure out after a while. It's a bit annoying when the all too obvious for the audience doesn't seem to dawn on Kelly or Leo about changes in their lives besides their romance.
Some people may find this film too slow and the weak screenplay a turnoff. I think the wittiness and the inclusion of some of the characters give it enough spark to make it fair entertainment. It's not a holiday keeper or repeat, but a good enough film to watch once. Here are some favorite lines from this film.
Sylvia, Kelly's agent, "When inspiration strikes, I know, you'll be ready."
Leo, to his son, Max, "It's gonna be a real vacation, not a virtual one."
Kelly, "Here's an idea. Pretend you're having as much fun as your kids." Leo, "I don't need to pretend."
Leo, on their dinner date, "Okay, you know, let's take the pressure off and think of each other as friends." Kelly, "I spent half an hour on my hair. Friends get five minutes."
Leo, "Grand Valley's like a time out from the rest of the world." Kelly, 'Yeah. That's why I like it. That's the magical part."
Frank, "I never wear a tie. It clashes with the apron."
This is the usual Christmas romance film, with just enough variation and cast to make it watchable. While there isn't great chemistry in romance at the end, there is more than the usual witty and funny dialog in places. And, some of the supporting characters add nicely to the film. Among those are Dan Lauria as Frank. He is Kelly's dad. And the two children of Leo, who will be Kelly's romantic partner by the end, are very good in their roles, with some good lines in their performances. Gage Graham-Arbuthnot plays Max and Hattie Kragten plays Emma.
Danica McKellar is fair as Kelly, and Brennan Elliott's Leo is just far too aloof for most of the film. Even though he has a wittiness to his nature, he seems too wooden far too long into the film. Chad Connell is okay as Mike, and the rest of the cast are okay. The plot is a good enough one, but the screenplay just doesn't have the life that this story should have.
When aspiring artist Kelly has painters block and fails to get her own show in Chicago, she decides to go home for Christmas to Grand Valley, Wyoming. Her dad owns Frank's Diner, and her cousin, Mike, has just been promoted to manager of the lodge. But there's concern that the lodge may be closed and sold by the big corporation that owns it. And, for a small town of this size, the lodge is everything. So, while she's home, Kelly agrees to help Mike by running a Christmas camp for kids at the lodge, which includes teaching art.
On the other end of the story, Leo is a top staff member of a large resort and property investment firm. It owns the Grand Valley lodge and is considering dumping it because it hasn't done well of late. But the head of the company wants one of the top staff to go and check it out. Leo volunteers because he is familiar with the place, having gone there with his parents as a child. And, he plans to make a real vacation out of it as well by taking his children, Max and Emma.
All movie fans who watch these films know how they will end from the romance and love angle. This one has a couple of twists at the end that are nice but not hard to figure out after a while. It's a bit annoying when the all too obvious for the audience doesn't seem to dawn on Kelly or Leo about changes in their lives besides their romance.
Some people may find this film too slow and the weak screenplay a turnoff. I think the wittiness and the inclusion of some of the characters give it enough spark to make it fair entertainment. It's not a holiday keeper or repeat, but a good enough film to watch once. Here are some favorite lines from this film.
Sylvia, Kelly's agent, "When inspiration strikes, I know, you'll be ready."
Leo, to his son, Max, "It's gonna be a real vacation, not a virtual one."
Kelly, "Here's an idea. Pretend you're having as much fun as your kids." Leo, "I don't need to pretend."
Leo, on their dinner date, "Okay, you know, let's take the pressure off and think of each other as friends." Kelly, "I spent half an hour on my hair. Friends get five minutes."
Leo, "Grand Valley's like a time out from the rest of the world." Kelly, 'Yeah. That's why I like it. That's the magical part."
Frank, "I never wear a tie. It clashes with the apron."