Christmas with a Prince Parent Guide

Dr. Tasha Mason (Kaitlyn Leeb) is a young, beautiful pediatrician who works on the children’s cancer ward with her favorite nurse – her brother, Jeff (Josh Dean). When Prince Alexander (Nick Hounslow) breaks his leg in a skiing accident, he reaches out to his old school buddy, Jeff, and asks if he can hide away in the children’s ward while he recovers.

Prince Alexander’s request puts Tasha in a quandary. She’s embarrassed by a teen crush she had on Alex when they were attending the same boarding school. His rejection of her at the time still makes her wince. But the royal family has offered the hospital a large donation that will enable the purchase of expensive equipment that her patients need, so she grits her teeth and agrees to care for the princely patient.

Christmas with a Prince doesn’t come with lots of surprises. In fact, about ten minutes in, I made the following predictions about the plot – the arrogant prince’s heart will change as he is inspired by the selfless doctor and her brave young patients. He’ll take the opportunity to show how kind and compassionate he can be and will soften Tasha’s heart. The story will be sweet, touching, and more than a little bit manipulative. My score? One hundred percent. There are, of course, various subplots and some obstacles along the way, but this movie glides smoothly on towards its preordained “happily ever after”.

I love romantic comedies but acknowledge that the genre is full of lazy, mediocre films with a significant number of truly terrible ones. Christmas with a Prince doesn’t quite hit the unwatchably bad level, but it does have some significant weaknesses that land it firmly in the mediocre category. The sets are limited and feel vaguely claustrophobic. The acting is uninspired and Melinda Shankar, who plays Bella, the prince’s personal assistant, is so wooden I wondered if she had tree rings. The story also has some significant plot holes, such as why a healthy man spends weeks in hospital with a broken leg when he could easily be cared for at home. (I don’t think it’s a stretch to suggest that a king can find qualified homecare nursing for his son.) I also wonder if pediatric cancer patients are as bouncy and energetic as Tasha’s are. Finally, I have to ask why on earth screenwriter Keith Cooper had to insert a snarky comment about saying “Happy Holidays” instead of referring to Christmas. That little bit of cultural warfare is completely unnecessary and adds a moment of meanness to an otherwise warmhearted film.

If you can handle the cheesier aspects of the film, it does come with some positive elements. In particular, there’s a moment where a character acknowledges that she’s made a significant error; not only that, she apologizes and takes steps to rectify the situation. This example of honest self-assessment and humility is as valuable as it is rare. It’s also great to see a positive sibling relationship on air instead of repeated instances of family dysfunction. Best of all, the movie’s content issues are on the mild end of the scale.

If you’re looking for a teen-safe romantic comedy to watch with your 13 year old or something mindless to watch alone while you stress eat carbs, Christmas with a Prince, could be just what the doctor ordered. Just remember – too much sugar is bad for your health.