"Once upon a time, in a land called Buffalo, there lived a little girl named Jules Daly, who dreamt of traveling to far-away places, where people sang and danced on a whim. Where houses were filled with musical boxes, mechanical dolls and cuckoo clocks."
(It sounds wonderful, doesn't it? A place where people sing and dance on a whim? It makes me sigh...)
Christmas is a rough time for Jules Daly. She's young, but already responsible for a 13-year-old boy - Milo - and a little girl - Maddie -, her nephew and niece, who's been with her since their parents' death, around Christmas time, nearly a year ago. Jules was the baby sister of the kids' mother, and she's been looking after them ever since. Milo is rebellious, Maddie is wild, and things get really desperate when Jules loses her job at the antique store near Christmas time because the owner is struggling financially. It's in the middle of this mess that Paisley Winterbottom knocks on her door.Mr. Winterbottom (great name!) is the butler of the children's paternal grandfather, duke Edward, a man who neglected his grandchildren all their lives because he disapproved of his son's choice of wife. The duke has had a change of heart, Winterbottom says, and his health is not going well, which is why he sent an invitation for the children to spent Christmas with him, at his palace. Jules still holds a grudge at the man for sneering at her sister, but eventually, she decides to go, for the children's sake, so they can meet their grandfather.
The Duke is as unpleasant as Jules had anticipated, and he seems to regret the invitation as soon as the children arrive. Fortunately, however, his younger son, Ashton, is a much more pleasant man, and much more welcoming to their guests. The kids remind him of his brother, whom he misses dearly, and he sympathizes with their plight since the duke was never particularly affectionate towards him either, in spite of the fact that he is now the duke's only living son.
Duke Edward, in a very Grinch-like manner, seems to abhor the idea of Christmas, and Jules concentrates her efforts on turning the situation around, bringing the spirit of the Holidays into the house, and making sure the children have a very merry Christmas. The story is one of the old man rediscovering the meaning of Christmas and family and opening his heart one more time. While he goes through that journey, Jules and Ashton - a prince on his mother's side - fall in love.
There are some of the usual elements that usually make an appearance in movies like this... Ashton has a girlfriend, a woman much more suitable than Jules to his title and status. Eventually, Jules overhears a conversation and misunderstands the meaning, triggering a series of errors that culminated in her nearly missing the Christmas ball... Typical things... but in spite of these elements - long overused by now - this is a wonderful story, the characters are very engaging, and it's worth watching whenever Christmas comes around. It's worth noticing also that this is one of the oldest movies in this playlist: it's from 2011, so, in many ways, this type of story had not yet become cliche.
The Princess of this movie deserves special consideration. Jules is one of my favorite female protagonists in this year's playlist. She's young and brave, and incredibly determined to do her best, despite being handed a horrible hand in life. She's young, too young indeed to have a teenage son, but she embraced the task of raising her niece and nephew putting her own dreams on hold. And she has dreams... Jules dreamed of traveling to faraway lands and meeting new people with different and exotic customs but this dream seems farther and farther away as she tries to get by, one day at a time. I found myself admiring her for it...
Despite being admirable, however, Jules isn't some idealized version of a girl. Sometimes she's scared, she cries when she's all alone, thinking of her sister, whom she misses so much, and asks for some guidance. That only adds to what makes her character special. She never loses her faith in the spirit of Christmas, no matter how bad things get.
Furthermore, although she clearly comes from a less-than-royal background, she fits nicely in the palace... Sometimes these movies overdo the comedic element of the common girl who can't curtsy or figure out which forks to use for dinner, but this doesn't happen here. Jules makes mistakes, sure, but her expertise in antiques means she understands and appreciates the treasures in the palace. And yet, she never loses her own personality in futile attempts to become "more royal than the royals". She even manages to bring out Ashton's funky side in a dance scene that was one of the most fun moments in the movie.
It's no accident that I left this one for the final week of the Marathon... It's a sweet and romantic little Christmas piece, and I definitely recommend it.
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