Holiday in Handcuffs
Published December 22, 2023
Film info
- Title Holiday in Handcuffs
- Director Ron Underwood
- Year 2007
- Run time 1hr 30m
- Genres Romance, Family, Comedy
- Tagline This Christmas, get carried away
After blowing an interview for a 'real' job - disappointing her parents yet again - and getting dumped by her boyfriend, Trudie suffers a nervous breakdown during her shift as a waitress. Stressed about having to go home alone for the holidays, she kidnaps a customer to bring along, planning to introduce him to her family as 'The One'.
Live blog
| Time | Comment |
|---|---|
| 1:03 | She’s so cute, but I expect she is crazy despite her protests. |
| 4:51 | That pink car is a statement. |
| 7:13 | “I have nothing to offer these people…” Her parents. |
| 7:42 | Chronic bitchitis. |
| 12:42 | Whilst I knew the title of the movie, the kidnapping is still shocking. |
| 18:17 | How can you guess someone’s golfing handicap? |
| 29:07 | “You can’t keep him, he’s not a puppy.” |
| 31:59 | Gertrude! |
| 39:36 | She’s so destructive to the poor cell phones. |
| 48:32 | Trying to get my head around making an ice rink on a patio. |
| 51:44 | “I gotta give it to you, you’re pretty scrappy.” Compliment, I think? |
| 54:17 | You can’t undo in chess! Better to lose and play again, surely? |
| 1:05:43 | “It’s not her fault. It’s MEN.” |
| 1:13:39 | Is this the worst Christmas dinner ever? |
| 1:24:44 | That’s a really nice dress she’s wearing. The rest of the fashion has been more questionable. |
Thoughts
I love Melissa Joan Hart, mostly from nostalgia of kids shows, and this TV movie has been in my sights for a few years now but it’s taken until now to find the time and the streaming to get it watched. I’m not sure if it wouldn’t have better to stay unwatched as it’s not that great! MJH and Mario López are both fun and have good chemistry, and they do the best with what they’ve got, but it’s not a great movie.
The premise is entirely implausible and even if you go with it then it’s a kind of dark tale of kidnapping and stockholm syndrome, and an overbearing family that drove her to it. But the holiday romance sheen is there so if you can go with it, it’s entertaining enough, and a bonus point for Melissa.
Rating: 2 / 5
