Movie Released: December 9, 2007 | DVD Release Date:October 7, 2008
Trudie (Melissa Joan Hart) is having a rough holiday season. She’s struggling financially and her boyfriend dumps her just before she heads home for the holidays. Feeling the pressure to please her parents (Timothy Bottoms and Markie Post), she kidnaps David (Mario Lopez) and convinces him to play along with her plan and pose as her boyfriend Nick. Can Trudie hold it together long enough to satisfy her parents?
If you read the description and thought “what a horrible idea for a movie,” your reaction would be understandable. [easyazon_link identifier=”B001BAWKQU” locale=”US” tag=”rabidreaders-20″]Holiday in Handcuffs[/easyazon_link] is awful, dumb, contrived and yet quirky and delightful. What saves the idea of “Holiday in Handcuffs” is a stellar cast and acting of a caliber the script did not deserve.
Though the movie was made for and aired on ABC-Family, it is rife with adult content and sexual innuendo. [easyazon_link identifier=”B001BAWKQU” locale=”US” tag=”rabidreaders-20″]Holiday in Handcuffs[/easyazon_link] is a study in the art of suspension of disbelief. First, the viewer must believe that Trudie can kidnap David and, despite attempts and hugely muscled arms, he’s unable to get away from her. The next thing the viewer must believe is that David decides that it’s in his best interest to play along and fool Trudie’s family. That Trudie’s approval rating with her family is wrapped in success and success is embodied in a man, is not the best message. Timothy Bottoms and Markie Post are convincing as the uptight “You’ll only be okay with a man” kind of parents. What is easy to believe is that Trudie is falling apart and not thinking clearly. She sees no other option than to kidnap a man to pretend to be her suitor. We know she won’t get away with it but she doesn’t really believe she will. Trudie is grasping at straws and trying her best to save what little cred she feels she has left with her parents. If she can only fool them, the mission is a success.
There’s a subplot in which Trudie’s brother Jake (Kyle Howard) and sister Katie (Vanessa Lee Evigan) reveal news they feel would be disappointing to their parents. Jake comes out and the fallout from his revelation is especially interesting. While 2007 wasn’t the start of the equal rights movement, the attitude of the characters (especially the father) smacks of a bygone era. June Lockhart as Grandma Delores gives the standout performance of [easyazon_link identifier=”B001BAWKQU” locale=”US” tag=”rabidreaders-20″]Holiday in Handcuffs[/easyazon_link]. Her flirty and licentious older woman was a delight to witness.
[easyazon_link identifier=”B001BAWKQU” locale=”US” tag=”rabidreaders-20″]Holiday in Handcuffs[/easyazon_link] is a nice, light holiday movie. If you have children in the room (especially young girls), this is not the movie to put in the DVR but if you have popcorn and glass of wine, plan a 90-minute escape.Holiday in Handcuffs is available as a DVD, Blu-ray and on Amazon Instant Video:
Amazon U.S. • Amazon U.K. • Amazon Canada
| Title | Holiday in Handcuffs |
|---|---|
| Director | Ron Underwood |
| Actors | Melissa Joan Hart, Mario Lopez |
| Length | 1 hour and 30 minutes |
| Rating | not rated |
| DVD Release | October 7, 2008 |