Mistletoe in Montana

The Cartwright family run a ranch in Montana.  Families stay at their cabin for an authentic ranch experience.  Merry (Hart) loves her life on the ranch, but also wants to share that part of her life with someone else.  Merry and her father, Stan (Sheridan), run the ranch alongside cook Jasper (Marra), Freddy (Terry), and Laura (Larracuente).

The week of Christmas, the Aguilar family comes to the ranch: tech genius Mark (Henry), his phone-obsessed daughter Becca (Butler), son Timmy (Hunter) and nanny Debbie (Bronwyn).  As the family embraces the quiet life on the ranch, sparks fly between Mark and Merry.  Are they willing to take a chance at love?

This is a Lifetime Original Christmas movie.  This is Melissa Joan Hart's 8th made-for-TV Christmas film, following: Holiday in Handcuffs (2007, ABC Family), The Santa Con (2014, Lifetime), Broadcasting Christmas (2016, Hallmark), A Very Merry Toy Store (2017, Lifetime), A Very Nutty Christmas (2018, Lifetime), Christmas Reservations (2019, Lifetime), and Dear Christmas (2020, Lifetime).

The Good:

Duane Henry and Melissa Joan Hart are a good pairing: both are charismatic and appealing and work well together.  I was pleasantly surprised to see Michael Grant Terry (who I loved as Wendell in Bones) and I enjoyed the other side characters.  The kids were ok.

The Bad:

The film is set in Montana in December, but there is minimal snow.  It doesn't seem to be too cold there: eat around a campfire, jackets are not zipped, the scene in the barn during the "blizzard".  The costuming was a little over-the-top - pretty, but do people actually dress like that every day?

Other Comments:

-Everything looks very pretty

-It's a Lifetime movie, so you know what you're getting: the plot is predictable, but not cloying.

-The side character romances also work... essentially everyone is paired up, other than Jamey Sheridan and the kids.  The couples have good chemistry.

-Enjoyable, but not great.

Mistletoe in Montana (2021) 83 minutes

Director: Kellie Martin

Starring: Melissa Joan Hart as Merry Cartwright

Duane Henry as Mark Aguilar

Jamey Sheridan as Stan Cartwright

Sam Marra as Jasper Yellow Springs

Harley Bronwyn as Debbie Smith

Michael Grant Terry as Freddy James

Danielle Larracuente as Laura Jones

Hero Hunter as Timmy Aguillar

Malian Butler as Becca Aguilar