Predictable, kinda cheesy, boy-meets/loses-girl, a stained wedding dress and [the good kind] of meddling mother... Just your classic Hallmark movie!Tabloid reporter Greta Kaine [Katrina Law] goes into competition with fellow reporter, Wesley Sharp [Tom Lenk], to see who can bring back the story of the late Senator Tannehill's son becoming engaged to the senator's girlfriend -- her advances were rebuffed, though -- and this after the fiancé had been dumped by the older son over a year ago. Greta's car gets stuck in a snowbank and, after the obligatory fall-and-roll through the snow, she gets taken to the caretaker's cabin by the handsome man living there. She wakes up the next morning face to face with Ben Tannehill [Jordan Belfi], the senator's older son. Turns out his ruse falls apart when the REAL caretaker/butler shows up to invite the pair up to the main house for brunch. Robert Curtis Brown as Peters is quite well-suited for his role as the longtime family retainer and Bobby Campo as younger brother Jared and Susie Abromeit as the golddigging Klaire Sinclaire [who comes up with these names??] round out the cast and support the two-steps-forward-one-step-back romance forming between Greta and Ben. But the stand-out role in this show is that of Patricia Richardson as Ben and Jared's widowed mother, Maggie. Yeah, yeah... I know: Older sitcom moms get to live out their later careers relegated to playing TV mothers of middle-aged children in crisis who just don't have all the life experience they need and come riding over the hill to save the day. But Richardson took this role and pulled out all her pit bull mom stops that we got to see oh so infrequently in Home Improvement. She takes no captives... And puts the golddigger in the sewer, where she belongs! This synopsis would not be complete without glowing mentions of the excellent performances of George Wyner as Greta's boss, Lou, and the comic relief of Tania Gunadi as Greta's assistant, Julie.There are some moments in this movie which border on, well, sparks. The chemistry between Law and Belfi is enough to light up Disney World for the holidays! Everytime they a-l-m-o-s-t make a connection, Greta's conscience -- Yes! The tabloid reporter HAS one! -- pops up and she realizes her dishonesty and doesn't want to go further without him knowing why she was there originally and what she was up to. They don't hold back, they run with what they've got and everyone's the better for it.

Orig. title:

Snow Bride

Genre: Comedy, Family, Romance

Directed by: Bert Kish

Starring: Katrina Law (Greta Kaine), Jordan Belfi (Ben Tannenhill), Patricia Richardson (Maggie Tannenhill), Susie Abromeit (Klaire Sinclaire), Robert Curtis-Brown (Peters), Bobby Campo (Jared Tannenhill)

Screenplay: Tracy Andreen

Country: USA

Year: 2013

Score: 67 %