This is a Bramble Jam podcast.

Welcome to Girls Gone Hallmark, a Hallmark review podcast.

Him Megan and I'm a longtime Hallmark fan.

I'm Wendy.

I'm a former Hallmark hater.

Five years later, we are here kicking off the start of the countdown to Christmas season with our first movie review, A Royal Montana Christmas, which originally aired on Saturday, October eighteenth and is currently available to stream on Hallmark Plus.

Can you hear the excitement in our voices right now?

I am pumped?

You're pumped because it's finally countdown to Christmas season?

Or yeah, yeah, I gotta tell you, like there's a little bit of like whimsy in the air, Like I'm excited that we're all in on Christmas movies now.

I have seen some chatter online about like people are like, no, not until November.

Yeah, And I'm kind of surprised by that.

I think that's all.

You know, some people are purists one holiday at a time.

We've got to get through Halloween, which I understand, but unfortunately the Hallmark calendar doesn't allow us to do that.

Also, in our house, Christmas decorations go up No.

Number eighth, so you know, we do not respect the timelines around here.

I think what I'm feeling is, I'm really excited about the holiday season right now.

For some reason.

It's because this year's been crazy, and that's why.

Yeah, right, I need like the coziness and the warmth and tradition.

Yeah.

Yeah, Wendy and I were just talking about this year.

We both cried a little bit, so it has been a weird year.

Also, I'm feeling this kind of renewed sense of excitement about our business and doing this and sitting here and talking to you about these movies.

Yeah, it's not like we haven't talked about Hallmark movies all year long, but I just think, I think because we haven't had as many new movies this year, it feels this year's felt different in terms of Hallmark.

So yes, I'm excited too.

I'm excited.

Well, we want you to come along on this count on a Christmas ride with us.

We want to be your go to resource for Hallmark news and reviews, and there's several places you can find us.

We are on both Instagram and TikTok as Girls Gone Homework.

Yeah, there's different content over there.

Sometimes it crosses over, but there are two totally unique platforms we loved on Instagram.

This weekend we launched in our feed first impression posts for both movies, and thank you to everyone who participated in those.

It was so fun to see your first impressions of those new movies flowing in in real time.

Agreed, I loved it.

So if you aren't following us yet, come on over to Girls Gone Hallmark and join the comversation there, and our website will remain your go to resource for Hallmark news all season long, Girls Gone Hallmark dot com.

You know, a week from today, as we're recording this, the Finding Mister Christmas season drops.

Yes, and I'm wondering, is it your plan to write those Killder synopsis posts?

I?

Yeah, it's my plan.

That was such a joy last year.

I love that show so much and I love just digging in with Truly, those posts were like my first reaction as you were watching.

Yes, I love it, I hope so yes, I'm going to write review posts for it this year.

We will be reviewing it, of course on the podcast.

If you hadn't read Wendy's recap and review posts, those are still on our website from Finding Mister Christmas Season one.

They're an absolutely I recommend them, especially if you are rewatching or watching season one for the first time.

I love that show.

I cannot wait for that show to come back.

Game so excited.

Hey, we have a Facebook group if you are looking to chat with people who really know their Hallmark movies.

And I'm talking these people know their stuff.

Come join us.

We are girls Gone Hallmark in Facebook groups.

That's right.

We're gonna jump right into A Royal Montana Christmas with a synopsis.

Princess Victoria of Zelarnia is ready for a change of pace.

Looking to decompress in the days leading up to Christmas, she decides to take a vacation to Peaceful Pines Ranch in Montana.

Peter Benson directed A Royal Montana Christmas.

Peter is booked and busy this holiday season as he will also direct Christmas Above the Clouds and The More the Merrier.

Peter will also appear as an actor in The More the Merrier.

Oh really, that's a nice addition, right.

I always enjoy seeing him pop up in our movies.

Mark fa mcleetti and Michael test Duh wrote A Royal Montana Christmas.

This is the first Hallmark movie for both writers.

I feel like I hear you snickering over there over my pronunciation of I'm not doing anything.

Warren Christy stars as Huntley.

Warren was recently in the fall movie Home Turf, as well as last year's Our Holiday Story with Nikki de Loach.

His other Hallmark appearances include Crashing through the Snow and Holiday Road.

Fiona Googleman plays Princess Victoria of Zolarnia.

Am I seeing Zalarnia correctly?

Yes, ma'am.

Fiona was last seen on Hallmark in Tis this season.

To be irish, she's been busy for the last several years on the series The Good Doctor.

David Ka plays Gabriel with eighty eight acting credits.

He was last on Hallmark and Christmas under the Lights.

He's also appeared in The Wedding Contract and Wedding of a Lifetime.

Eric keenly Side plays Huntley's dad slash ranch owner.

On IMDb, he is listed as ranch owner.

He had a name well.

To be fair, Linda Boyd wasn't even credited on IMDb.

The Lovely Linda Boyd, who plays Huntley's mother.

Okay.

This movie marks Eric's two hundred and second acting credit.

He was last seen as Mac in the Wish Swap earlier this season.

Rebby Martholer plays Sam Remy was last scene in Science You'll Delivered To the Moon and Back.

She's the older sister of Miles Marthaller of the Three Wiseman franchise.

Julia Benson plays Shelby.

Julia has made a number of appearances on Hallmark, including Hannah Swinson, Aurora Ta Guarded and Curious Caterer Mysteries.

Her resume also includes BH nine O two one zero and to All the Boys I've Loved before.

Let's take a quick breay can come right back with our first impressions.

Hey, Wendy, what is your first impression of a royal Montana Christmas?

The kisses were hot, but the plot was ice cold.

Oh no, well to quote Girls Gone Hallwark Facebook group member Steven Peter Benson pulled a rabbit out of his hat with this one.

Oh Wow, House divided Friends, first movie out of the gate.

You liked it?

Oh boy, let's talk likes Okay, let me start Okay.

I think this was a solid outing for our first movie of the season.

Interesting.

I found it cozy, I found it warm.

I am acknowledging that there is a little bit of first movie glow on this movie.

I was excited to sit down with a warm drink and a blanket and let it wash over me.

I actually thought there was a lot to like about this movie.

Well, even behind the scenes.

You and I were texting while watching the Night Yet Saturday night.

It was Saturday night.

We were texting, right, and I was like, both of us were like, well, I don't hate it so far that it fell apart for you.

Yeah, it did.

I do have a lot of likes though.

Okay, let's hear him.

Well.

First of all, I thought Fiona and Warren were great.

I thought they had great chemistry.

They had a lot of energy, Like I was truly believing, like, okay, these two were into each other, like there was no forcing that by any means.

I thought, Okay, I can see these two naturally, like have feelings for each other.

They had solid kisses.

I'm sure we're going to talk more about that.

Warren and a cowboy hat approved.

I love that.

I love this rough cowboy.

Can I interrupt you and tell you that?

Listener Michelle messages and asked if Warren Christie has achieved wowie zowie status.

Oh, no doubt, Yes, no doubt.

I also I thought their characters were totally likable.

And here's what I really liked about this movie.

I thought we were gonna get this fish out of water princess who you know that typical trophe.

Sure, I thought this is exactly what we were gonna get.

We did not know and were in her element on the ranch.

I was pleasantly surprised by that.

That was a good thing for me, speaking of pleasant surprises.

Our conflict in the movie is not contrived.

It's not rooted in anything silly or frustrating to watch.

It's just rooted in the reality of life.

They're different people with different life priorities, and it was believable that she would leave after their kiss.

Put an asterisk by that.

Yes, I agree.

I'm not saying the whole movie was believe okay, but I thought her I thought that was very real.

They had this moment.

They clearly like each other.

There's no need to throw a wrench in the system other than she's got to go home and take over.

She's got responsibilities.

She's a reluctant royal.

Right.

Additional likes, if I may Yes, I loved our assistant Gabriel.

I loved his wardrobe.

I loved Wendy's shaking her head No, I'm shaking my head a good way, yes, snapping snappings.

David Kay was a scene stiller in this movie.

Agree.

I loved his wardrobe.

I liked his quibie one liners.

I liked his sidekick bestie energy.

I thought that was a great choice for her sidekick, for her sounding board, for her second her sidekick.

Looking for another word there that I can't pull out of the depths of my brain.

I really was touched by Victoria reliving the memories of her father.

I love like the kids in those scenes, but I thought her visiting this ranch and finding joy in the memories and reliving how connected she felt to her dad on this trip.

I really liked that.

And I really loved our supporting cast, Lynda Boyd, Eric Keenley side.

They just brought a lot to this movie.

Gabriel, of course, Danny Kay.

I just I David Kay, David K Danny Kay, it's the wrong guy.

I think they leveled up the movie.

I would agree with that.

I thought I like I said, I thought it was solid, And again I don't know if I was just in the right mood for the first movie of the season, but I felt the coziness of this movie come through on the screen.

Back to David Kay for a second.

I his role easily could have been a bigger role.

Yes, I thought he had some of the best lines throughout this movie, Right at the top when they're talking about him going to this ranch with her and he goes the only ranch I know is ranch dressing.

I mean I laughed out loud.

I thought it was hilarious.

He was so good.

I was like, put this man I wanted.

I just wanted more from him, Like easily could have been a bigger role, so good.

I Also what I liked about this movie is I don't love a Royal movie because I don't like the shenanigans that go along with it.

So I was so happy that this one was void of those.

Like we didn't have.

She wasn't hiding her identity.

There wasn't any sort of like Papa Razzi looking for her, you know, like those kind of tropes that we see in the royal storyline.

I think it was real that nobody knew who she was because nobody knows who these second tier royals are of these tiny little countries growing she the royal.

How many royals do you know outside of the British None?

Could you identify any of those other royals?

Nope, no, neither could I, And I think the vast majority of people can't either.

And that's real.

And she was able to be anonymous because that's rooted in reality.

Exactly exactly.

One last like and it's a personal one to me.

When they did the light walk, I really like that because they're reminded me of the one that we did in Kansas City.

The Oh yeah, I did think about that too.

I liked that lightwalk.

I find that whimsical, which is one of my daughter's favorite words.

Right now, she's bearing into whimsy.

Oh, I like that.

Pretty cute, very whimsical.

Yeah, the light walk was really pretty.

It's set a tone.

It's set a tone.

Well, what did you wish for?

I thought the script was a little lifeless to me because it lacked conflict.

There was no conflict in this movie.

It's all internal other than like he was struggling with like his identity of I was once a baseball player and now I'm not, and now I'm trying to figure out who I am and what value is in my life.

Right, and then she was like, ah, I gotta do this job.

I'm not really fit for it.

So was it that it's too rooted in reality and there wasn't enough Because to me, when you say that, I'm like, yeah, that feels more like real life, that there's not all of this external conflict.

Yea, and I like movies that are rooted in real life.

But there was just no there was.

Maybe it's because it wasn't what I expected.

Maybe if I went back at a second look and watched it from that point of view of like, oh, this is in real life, this is how these conversations would happen in real life with real people, I might appreciate it more.

Maybe I went into it with meeting like oh I need some silly misunderstanding and some crazy royal meltdown.

I don't know.

Maybe I maybe I'm disappointed by it.

I don't know.

Okay, I don't know.

I just thought I there was no for me, there was nothing mattered other than what was internal.

Yeah, I hear you, you know saying that.

Now I don't want to.

I don't want to.

What's the word on diminish.

That's the word.

I don't want to diminish it because I do find value in that, an internal struggle, human conflict, so finding yourself.

Yeah, like I appreciate all that stuff.

So okay, all right, I am.

I can say maybe I didn't hate it as much I thought I hated it.

Interesting, gone, what are your wishes?

I have nothing but love for Fiona Googleman.

But my question, when we're making movies about royals from fake countries, why do they all have to sound British?

Why if okay, this country is set in Europe, so she's got to have an accent, I suppose, But I just wonder if there's something to be gained by not forcing our actors to have a fake British accent, because many I and many other viewers found that the accent took us out of the movie.

It was the single most distracting piece for me.

And I think no accent would have been preferable and would have added to the movie for me.

You think I think no accent would have would I wouldn't have noticed it, I think Anna I was constantstantly aware of it, constantly aware of the accent, got it it?

Bothered me a little bit, but I wasn't hung up on it.

I mean shout out to Fiona, like I can't do an accent.

Well, I can't either, And I don't think it's I don't think she did a bad job of it, Like when I'm like, that sounds like a British accent, but I don't.

I can't put my finger on what I felt bothered by, but I did find it distract Did you watch with subtitles?

I must have.

I know some people said, like the dialect was rough, like they couldn't understand some of the words that she was saying.

Oh.

Interesting, I can't understand people say even when they're not speaking in it exactly.

That's why I asked if you want those subtitles, because that's all every show.

I have a question.

Think back to Double Scoop, which we recently reviewed, starring front of the show Jaqueline Collier.

The daughter around that movie makes a ton of cow jokes constantly because they're on a dairy farm.

The cowjokes in that movie, the horse metaphors in this one.

What are you voting for?

Oh, the horse metaphors?

Yeah?

I liked him.

From Eric Keiley's side.

Yeah, it was like dad joke adjacent.

Yeah, yeah, I just maybe it's a teenager delivering punny jokes that greats on me.

I don't know.

I was not bothered at all.

Did you wish for anything else?

No?

One, one one.

How do you feel?

It's more of a question, how do you feel about let's put a Christmas dance at the plot line, like we're planning this look I like a plan in a movie, like a montage of setting up all the things.

I'm not bothered by that storyline whatsoever.

How did you well, I don't know how it makes money.

Yeah, I don't or enough to be helpful, but I don't mind it.

It gives us something to do.

It gives us.

You know, it had multiple purposes, right it They brought back this dance that was important to her, But it was also important to hunt Lee because they it kind of the end of the dance had marked the end of his career.

But it also served the purpose of being a fundraiser.

It gave us something to do.

It brought the Christmas elements into the movie with the decorps.

You know, provided action in the movie.

I'm not sure where else the action would have come from right.

So I enjoyed the Christmas Dance.

Yeah, I like it too.

My only criticism is sometimes I feel Hallmark writers, especially new ones, feel like this is the formula we have to follow, like we need an event.

Yeah.

Yeah, I'm glad it was on the nineteenth and not the twenty fourth.

I'll tell you that much.

I'm going to talk about that in my wishes.

Okay, this is our wishes.

No, I'm sorry, and my did you see that?

Well, let's do did you see that?

Who?

This is more of a question, but do you go to a dude ranch the week before Christmas?

Ish?

A week and a half before Christmas.

It's a busy time of year.

I think, you know, I think some people do.

We We almost never travel for Christmas, but one year with my family before I was married, we traveled like we were gone for Christmas at a resort town and it was packed, really packed.

That just seems so like out of the norm for it is for me too, like I can't imagine being anywhere but home.

Yeah, but especially with like young children, with young children, yes, because you're in school still some y're in school, and there's something about like, to me, Christmas is like waking up around the tree.

But I you know, I'm allowing for people to have different traditions.

And you know it's the week before, so maybe they're home in time to have Christmas around their tree.

Yeah.

Have you been to a dude ranch before?

Seems to me that you may have.

I haven't, but it is something I would love to do.

I wouldn't look for Christmas.

I'm like like a luxury dude rink, like a luxury dude dance.

Yeah, I don't.

I don't want glamping, but I would like horseback riding, and I would like a fire pit every night, and I would like I don't want the muck stalls.

I don't think they're actually making you muck out stalls.

That's my question.

Why are they working?

I don't think they are.

I don't think there really are.

Okay, you know I used to go to a ranch camp right as a young queen ager there.

I can see that.

And we did have to do chores, yes, and I did have to muck outstalls.

That feels expected at a camp, sure, but on a vacation.

No, I'm not paying to go muck out stalls.

But I would be interested in all of those outdoor, like, yeah, teach me to lasso, Let's play horse shoes, Let's go ride a horse, Let's go fly fishing.

The horseshoe scene, this is not in my digits, not on my official notes, but now that you just brought that up, they're playing horseshoes like inside a house, and it's not a house.

They're in the barn or whatever.

It's so loud, like they're throwing that horseshoe, that metal horseshoe against the metal pole, and it's like clan Clinton clang.

If you were like in an enclosed area around that, wouldn't you be like that's really annoying, annoying and disruptive because I'm trying to have a conversation over here.

I have no fun.

That would I retate me?

Yeah?

Me too.

The horseshoe pit should be outside, absolutely.

Yeah.

The hay bail tree, I liked it.

It doesn't look like a tree.

It looks like a stack of hay bales with lights on it.

They should have made it more three sixty like, oh, I remember that movie.

Just looks like a pyramid of haybil What is that movie where they oh it was from several seasons ago.

It might have been the Andrew Walker movie where they got caught on that Christmas island and they made like out of fishing nets or something, not nets but traps.

I think, is it missed it Christmas or was it Christmas Island?

It was one of those I can envision it.

That was nicely done.

It looked like a tree right because it had it was.

It was tree shaped.

This was kind of more like a pyramid.

It was.

But I liked the idea.

I like the idea the snowman made out of the old tires.

I mean, you know, the execution I think left something to be desired, but I liked I liked the thinking there.

Work with what you got right.

Thank you to Facebook group moderator Mackie who sent us this.

Did you see that?

Aaron Cahill posted on her Instagram that a song featured in the movie is performed by her husband, Paul Freeman.

The song is come Around for Christmas.

Oh that's nice.

Yes, that's really nice.

We didn't talk about it, so I think we're going to talk about it here.

How about them kisses?

Gosh?

I just realized when we're talking about the song that I didn't talk about the kiss in my likes, because look, that kiss is a huge all caps in my likes.

He interrupts her while she's like letting him know, like why they shouldn't do it.

He kisses her passionately, the snow falling around them, the music swelling.

I thought it was great that we're talking about the first kiss, right because they had two major kisses.

Yes, the first kiss.

The first kiss.

I was watching it.

It's so passionate.

And then the way he like embraces her is like he's like I don't want to, like, I don't want to let you go, Like I've felt this too.

I was like, this is so moving.

I thought it was a kiss from a guy who knew he had a lot on the line.

Yeah.

Agree.

Now here's why did you see that?

In that particular kiss, her hair is in her face.

I cannot see her face at all in this kiss.

It is literally covering her her entire profile of her face.

Interesting, drove me nuts.

Is it are his hands?

No, it's just like a wall of blonde hair in her face.

His hands are like kind of like grabbing her face.

I'm like, but I just was kind of surprised that she wasn't turned toward the camera at all, Like we didn't see like at all.

But he is a great smoocher.

We talked about it in home turf as well.

He's a great smoocher.

Yeah, we should start a smooch ometer.

Smooch a meter ten out of ten, ten flaming lips.

Yep, you guys, it's follow us on Instagram.

It's gonna be there every single week.

Smooth Jimmy, you're gonna put it up there head day day.

What did you rate a Royal Montana Christmas?

I feel bad because of my like revelation I had while I was discussing trust you're reading, I don't know what you have written down.

Keep it the same.

I gave it two and a half stars.

I gave it three and a half stars.

Okay, before we end this episode, I would like to share some recent listener feedback on our episode.

Last week we reviewed Autumn Dreams and way no no oh no, and Wendy had said that great.

You know, we get that flash forward and they pull back and she's pregnant, and I go, god, I must have missed that.

So then I go rewind, I'm like, did I turn off the movie?

So I go rewatch the end that does not happen.

So I text Wendy.

I said, reh, hallucinated.

She goes, oh, I must have been another Joe Wagner movie that I watched after So then I look for Joe Wagner follow movies and I fast forward to the last minute, and in fact, the movie with Joe Wagner and Victor Webster there is that scene.

And thank you because as we're recording this, an email just came in from Beverly listener Beverly who says that scene was not in this movie, but with Joe Wagner and Victor Webster.

She also went back and double checked the name of that movie with Wowie Zowie and Jill is a harvest wedding.

Look.

My biggest pet peeve is when people are confidently wrong.

And I was so confident last week when we recorded that episode.

I was like, yeah, and they pulled back.

It's a great scene.

It's a great We're like, I mean, you must have turned the movie off to really had to miss it.

I just have two Jill Wagner Fall movies just blended together.

For me.

It happens, it happens, So thank you for your feedback.

We love your emails.

Thank you Beverly for the reminder that did make me laugh.

I just left it in the episode.

Yeah I know, I heard it.

Thank you for listening to this episode of Girls Gone Homewark.

If you love this podcast, we love your five star readings and reviews.

You might just hear your review read on a future epidepisode of the podcast.

So hop into the Apple podcast app and let us know what you think.

We'll be back with more Hommark reviews next time.

Goodbye, bye.

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