I did enjoy the overall storyline and found “A Fiance for Christmas” to be a fun holiday telefilm!
Click here to watch “The Spruces and the Pines” on Amazon
TITLE: The Spruces and the Pines
FILM YEAR: 2017
DURATION: 86 Minutes
COMPANY: MarVista Entertainment
Directed by John Stimpson
Written by Bonnie Hallman, Marcy Holland, Lyn Woodward
Produced by Mark Donadio, Miriam Marcus
Associate Producer: Marcy Holland, Michael O’Neil
Executive Producer: Margaret H. Huddleston
Music by Ed Grenga
Cinematography by Terrence Hayes
Edited by Scot Broderick
Casting by Kimberly McCollum, Michael Testa
Set Decoration by Bridget Keefe
Costume Design by Joanna Murphy
Starring:
Jonna Walsh as Julie Pine
Nick Ballard as Rick Spruce
Tom Kemp as James Pine
Ken Cheeseman as Dave Spruce
John MacGregor as Josh (Bear)
Sarah Fischer as Holly
Kathy Harum as Martha
Joanna Herrington as Katherine Pine
A Romeo and Juliet romance takes place among two feuding New England Christmas Tree lot families.
For this holiday “Romeo & Juliet” holiday film, we have a story about two Christmas tree lots from families who do not get along.
Directed by John Stimpson (“The Legend of Luycy Keyes”, “Ghost Light”) and written by Bonnie Hallman, Marcy Holland and Lyn Woodward.
The film stars Jonna Walsh (“Couples Retreat”, “No Ordinary Family”, “Faster”), Nick Ballard (“VHYes”, “Deviant Love”), Tom Kemp (“Sound of Metal”, “Paterno”), Ken Cheeseman (“Leaves of Grass”, “The Invention of Lying”), John MacGregor, Sarah Fisher (“Ted”, “Web of Lies”) and Kathy Harum (“Patriots Day”, “The Company Men”).
Julie Pine (portrayed by Jonna Walsh) arrives back home to visit her father for the holidays and taking the holiday break away from college. Knowing that her father James (portrayed by Tom Kemp) may need her help, since the death of her mother, Katherine.
Her father runs a Christmas tree lot, right next to another Christmas tree lot down the street owned by The Spruces.
While getting cookies at the local bakery/coffee shop owned by Martha (portrayed by Kathy Harum), she asks if she can do her a favor and take an order to the Spruce’s. Julie doesn’t want to but as a favor to Martha, she does it.
So, she and one of her father’s employees, Bear (portrayed by John MacGregor) go to the Spruces and she helps a guy of how to tie a Christmas tree on top of a car roof.
The two meet and for the guy Rick (portrayed by Nick Ballard), it was like love at first sight when he sees June.
While June and Bear return back to their lot, it turns out that the guy she helped is Rick Spruce, the nephew of Dave Spruce, her father’s rival. Rick started working for his uncle to learn how to run the Christmas tree lot (and one day inherit it).
The following day when June goes to the local bakery, she sees Rick and he has been waiting and hoping he will see her and eventually the two become attracted to each other, but when she finds out that he is a Spruce, she knows her father would never approve and his uncle would never approve of the two being together.
The Pine family and the Spruce family have had a major hate for each other that goes back even before both were either born.
What happens when the two reveal to their families that they care about each other?
May you call this a holiday “Romeo & Juliet” or “Hatfield-McCoy” film, it’s an interesting story (somewhat predictable) about why the Pine’s and the Spruce’s do not get along. While it’s more between both men of the family, rather than the family itself, both June and Rick have the feeling of, it’s a problem between them, and it’s problem they need to move past it and learn to get along, especially if the two are in love with each other.
It’s a romantic comedy for the most part and I think people would enjoy it. It’s an entertaining and touching holiday film and I really liked how things ended. “The Spruces and Pines” is definitely a holiday film worth checking out!
