Holiday in Handcuffs

2007 1h 30m EN

😐

6.3

MID

★6.3TMDB · 201

ComedyRomanceFamilyTV Movie

Synopsis

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A ne’er-do-well thirty-something attempts to appease her family by kidnapping herself an attractive boyfriend for the family Christmas. Despite unlikely odds and dysfunctional family moments, the two fall in love and share a magical Christmas.

“Some stories are better left unspoiled.”

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Cast

Melissa Joan Hart
Gertrude 'Trudie' Chandler
Mario López
David Martin
Timothy Bottoms
Dad Chandler
Markie Post
Mom Chandler
June Lockhart
Grandma
Kyle Howard
Jake Chandler
Vanessa Evigan
Katie Chandler
Gabrielle Miller
Jessica

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Ron Underwood
Writers: Sara Endsley
Languages: English
Countries: Canada, United States of America

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 7

RUNTIME

Did you know

90 minutes exactly — the "classic feature" runtime most directors aim for.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 7

ERA

Did you know

Released 19 years ago.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 7

WORLD

Did you know

International production across 2 countries: Canada, United States of America.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 7

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Ron Underwood, shot by Derick V. Underschultz. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 7

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Don Brochu shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 7

CAST

Did you know

Melissa Joan Hart and Mario López and Timothy Bottoms carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 7

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt0938666 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Ron Underwood directs. Derick V. Underschultz behind the camera. Don Brochu cuts. Runs lean at under 100 minutes. Produced in Canada, United States of America. Dialogue in English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

190 minutes exactly — the "classic feature" runtime most directors aim for.
2Released 19 years ago.
3International production across 2 countries: Canada, United States of America.
4Directed by Ron Underwood, shot by Derick V. Underschultz. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
5Editor Don Brochu shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
6Melissa Joan Hart and Mario López and Timothy Bottoms carry the top of the cast.
7IMDB entry: tt0938666 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

The technical file

Cinematography: Derick V. Underschultz
Editing: Don Brochu
Stunt coordinator: Jodi Stecyk
Runtime: 90 min · 1h 30m
Aspect ratio (typical): 1.37:1 (Academy)
Status: Released
Original language: EN
IMDB: Holiday in Handcuffs (2007)

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Ron Underwood

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Community reviews

What people are saying

Wuchak2018-12-23
★ 5/10
'Misery' if it were a romantic comedy / Christmas movie “Holiday in Handcuffs” (2007) stars Melissa Joan Hart as the underachiever of a liberal family in the Seattle area. When her beau breaks up with her right before her family’s Christmas get-together, she kidnaps a man and forces him to go to the rented cabin as her boyfriend (Mario Lopez). The plot takes “Misery” (1990) and “Buffalo '66” (1998) and morphs them into an amusing romcom / Christmas flick. Melissa was pregnant during shooting, but still cute & winsome. Markie Post appears as the mother and it’s nice to see her again. Layla Alizada as the girlfriend is attractive in a semi-exotic way while June Lockhart is hilarious as the grandmother. I realize this is comedic fluff, but the idea of Stockholm syndrome surfaces. This is a psychological response sometimes seen in hostages in which the captive shows signs of loyalty to the kidnapper, regardless of the peril in which the abductee has been placed. I enjoyed the movie, but the first half is funnier than the second half, which understandably takes a more serious romantic turn. The movie is also seriously marred by the blatantly contrived way the script checks all the idiotic PC boxes. Get Real. The film runs 1 hour, 26 minutes and was shot in Calgary, Alberta. GRADE: C

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