Christmas on TV: A Bride for Christmas

Hallmark Channel Christmas Movie 2012 #7

Easily the most notable aspect of this film is the cast. Some newcomers, some familiar faces, all combining to keep you watching this Christmas version of Runaway Bride.

First, there's the bride herself, Dean's sometimes wife from Gilmore Girls. It's refreshing to see her in a leading role where I don't feel obligated to either hate or pity her character. The writers gave her a dream job--interior designer--in a dream city--San Francisco--so I'm hooked from the beginning.

But actually, that hooked feeling stems more from seeing Buzz McNabb from Psych waiting for Mrs. Dean Gilmore Girls at the altar in the opening scene. Naturally, she runs, partially because the script calls for it, and partially because Buzz struts through this movie looking like a young and greasy Alfred Molina. He even works as a plumber, which feels like a deliberate attempt to make him seem like less of a catch.

But the real clincher of my interest is a new guy who looks like he just quit his Abercrombie modeling gig to make a Hallmark movie. Here's hoping he makes a few more before he goes the way of Bradley Cooper and becomes the sexiest man alive.

The bride and her Abercrombie model–turned financial advisor boyfriend share a cute love story that also features dogs which don't annoy me because they actually act like dogs instead of playing matchmaker and providing narration over the action. In the end, I believe that she would take the plunge and finally get married at the end of the movie, though I had a harder time believing he would change his feelings about women and marriage in such a short period of time. But he looks good in a suit, so I don't really care.