A Castle for Christmas

[osprey_archer]

A Castle for Christmas features Brooke Shields as a world-famous writer who, after her divorce, decides to buy a castle in Scotland from its owner Cary Elwes, the cranky laird with a heart of gold.

This movie is exactly the kind of movie that you would expect from that description, and if that’s the kind of movie you liked you’ll like it, and if it isn’t you won’t. A good watch for when you want to turn off your brain and enjoy crumbling (yet still sumptuous) castles, festive Christmas feasts, the inevitable romance, and Cary Elwes having a wonderful time with his Scottish accent.

Comments

[luzula]

Someone linked me to a news article about that movie, which of course I can't now track down, by someone who actually lives in a Scottish castle. Apparently there is a government agency (Historic Environment Scotland) which prevents you from basically changing anything about the castle, as opposed to the plot in the movie, which (according to my memory of the news article) was about the castle being in danger of being torn down for development…

[black_bentley]

Historic Environment Scotland do a LOT of work preserving heritage, and almost all castles in Scotland are listed so you're fairly restricted in what you can do and how work is carried out.

But then you get things like this :DDD

https://www.heraldscotland.com/life_style/bestofscotland/19567098.kelburn-castle-graffiti-north-ayrshire-largs/

[luzula]

Hee, that's awesome!

[osprey_archer]

I believe the filmmakers jettisoned every part of reality that got in the way of their Vision of Cary Elwes, Grumpy Scottish Laird, forced to put up with the American novelist who had inexplicably bought his castle.

[regshoe]

I suspect this might not be my kind of movie (enough of the romance, I say, what were Cary Elwes's ancestors and their castle doing in the '45???), but it does sound like good fun. Certainly some good scenery for a Christmas film :D

[osprey_archer]

Sadly we learn NOTHING AT ALL about what Cary Elwes's ancestors were doing during the '45! Truly a missed opportunity by the filmmakers.

[lucymonster]

Mm, crumbling castles and sumptuous feasts are exactly what I want to fill my downtime with. This sounds fun!

[osprey_archer]

The movie knows the brief and it absolutely delivers.

[scintilla10]

I enjoyed this one last year as a breezy fun film! I really liked the knitting circle friends. :)

[osprey_archer]

Yes, the knitting circle friends were so fun! The only people in the world on board with Brooke Shields killing the love interest in her long-running set of novels, and she found them.

[black_bentley]

I watched this last Christmas (my husband and I watched it at the same time in separate rooms, as I was in Covid Jail) and it's so ridiculously fun and fluffy I couldn't not enjoy it.

And I say that as someone who had to park ALL of their sensibilities at the door as (a) an actual Scottish person and (b) a property lawyer...

[osprey_archer]

Do you mean to tell me that "You have to move into my castle and live with me for a month" is NOT a normal, everyday clause in castle sales? I'm SHOCKED, I tell you, SHOCKED.