Image: GAC Family Media
The Winter Palace Plot Summary
A novelist takes the opportunity to care for an empty winter chateau and uses the isolation to finish her book--until the prince who owns the property arrives.
Starring: Danica McKellar and Neal Bledsoe
My Movie Rating: A-
McKellar & Bledsoe Create Sparks
You may remember seeing McKellar and Bledsoe in Hallmark's 2017 Coming Home for Christmas and GAF's Christmas at the Drive-In in 2022. Both actors generate the wonderful, on-screen chemistry viewers love.
As in many royal romcoms, Emily (McKellar) isn't unduly intimidated by Henry's (Bledsoe) social status. She manages to show respect to his position while still treating him like an ordinary person, and it's one of the things that attracts him to her. She's open and refreshingly honest because she's not trying to "get" anything from him, like many people he's accustomed to encountering.
One of the funniest scenes is when Emily is forced to get creative in order to ensure Henry receives a daily copy of his preferred newspaper, The London Concord. She finds the paper online, prints it off, and tapes it together to simulate a regular newspaper. It looks tacky and disastrous, but it's the best she can do.
Henry is supposed to be on vacation to prepare his uncle's chateau for sale, but he works around the clock on royal duties he's not passionate about but feels obligated to attend to. Emily teaches him to tap into the things that genuinely interest him and learn to have a little fun.
Ms. Tilson keeps a watchful eye on Prince Henry, and when she suspects he's becoming too distracted, she calls his father to speed up the sale of the chateau.
When Emily reads the tabloids that claim Henry is engaged to another royal, Beatrix, she decides not to be a roadblock to his kingly destiny and returns home. Once Emily realizes she's left her idea journal behind that contains outlines of new books she plans to write, she backtracks to the chateau, assuming everyone is gone. She walks in on the coronation ceremony in the chateau's chapel, and she is surprised by what she sees. The best part--the final kiss does NOT disappoint.
Overused Plots
One of the most overused plots on romcom networks is that of a writer stuck in a creative rut who escapes to a different location to seek inspiration. There are so many other occupations to choose from, script writers--stop recycling the same plot!
When it comes to penning stories for royal movies, there is almost always a betrothal to another aristocrat for the sake of uniting kingdoms. The Winter Palace is no different. Although Henry isn't really engaged to Beatrix, rumors of it create the plot tension.
Another common theme also includes either a prince who doesn't really want to become king or a royal who has to find a way around convention to marry a commoner.
If there's anyone who needs a change of scenery to spark new story ideas, it's the writers for these romance movie networks. Creative writers need to write creative stories. If they are beating the same ideas into the ground, they aren't good at what they do.
Another Plot Faux Pas
Another blunder on behalf of the script writers is making Emily the chateau's caretaker. A caretaker is responsible for gardening, lawn care, maintenance, housekeeping, and any other service needed to maintain a property. Clearly, Emily is not equipped for the job. A better title for her while filling in during the caretaker's absence would be house sitter. Such a title would lower the viewer's bar of expectations.
Emily is staying the week at the chateau to hole up and write, and she's not expecting visitors. For the occasion, she would most likely pack cozy clothes, like sweats and jeans with sweaters. Yet, when the royal staff arrives, we see her wardrobe consists of pretty dresses, not casual attire. This doesn't track.
Bledsoe's European Accent is FAKE?
Many actors for royal movies manage to speak with an English accent because the role demands it to make the story authentic. Sometimes, the accent is obviously fake, and other times, it appears natural. Bledsoe's European accent sound so convincing, you might be shocked to learn it's contrived. Although Bledsoe was born in Canada, he grew up in Seattle, but he earns my vote for the best English accent in a royal movie!
Many Familiar Faces in The Winter Palace
McKellar has an aresenal of Hallmark movies to her credit despite migrating to Great American Family, and you may remember Bledsoe from Hallmark's 2020 movie, The Christmas Carousel, where he plays the Prince of Ancadia.
Interestingly, Tom Rooney plays the King in both The Winter Palace and The Christmas Carousel, opposite Bledsoe.
Jonelle Gunderson, who plays Henry's sister, Edwina, might also look familiar. She is Duchess Adriana in Hallmark's 2021 movie, A Royal Queens Christmas.
Zarrin Darnell-Martin (Emily's BFF, Becca) has appeared in supporting roles for Hallmark movies too, such as A Song for Christmas, Christmas at Grand Valley (with McKellar), and Christmas Comes Twice.
The town baker tasked with making doughnuts look like croissants is Jenni Burke. She also has a supporting role in GAF's An Autumn Romance.
Unless they have signed an exclusive contract, it's not unusual to see the same faces across multiple networks, and the familiarity is comforting.
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