Noël dans la prairie

7.8 stars

'Christmas on the Range' is my favorite Hallmark ranch adventure thus far. Maybe not my favorite romance on a ranch, but for farm and cowboy themes, this takes the cake. The reason for it is because there is actual drama and tension and it's more authentic than most.

First of all, you have a son who has been estranged from his father for years because of a feud between two families. His father is apparently the "villain" of the story. This is beyond standard Hallmark conflict and adrenaline. For Hollywood this would be considered light drama and action, and is obviously blunted for the Hallmark audience. There is even a physical altercation, almost nonexistent for the average family oriented "romance". However, this is not a romance film by any means. That aspect is downplayed, but still sweet with the limited amount afforded us. They certainly make up for the lack in the last 7 minutes, but it should've have come sooner.

The primary story is about a long history of anger and resentment that Clint's (Gonzalez) father Brick (Martinez) has harbored toward Kendall's (Cahill) family for decades. The cause is not immediately shown and we have to stick around for about 90 minutes before it's revealed. At the start, Clint and Kendall begin a shaky friendship based on misconceptions and bitterness due to the feud between their families. Eventually they discover there is much more to this squabble than they realized and immediately get to work figuring out how to mend fences. With the help of Clint's mom (Wagner) and the townsfolk, maybe it will work itself out, but Brick is a tougher nut to crack than anticipated.

The actors are at their best, this is a first-rate campaign featuring a cowgirl vs the ranch baron.