Genre Romantic comedy Directed by James Head Country of origin United States
Canada | Written by David Golden Theme music composer John Sereda | |
Starring Briana Evigan
Paul Campbell
Greg Evigan | ||
Once Upon a Holiday is a 2015 American-Canadian romantic comedy film directed by James Head and starring Briana Evigan, Paul Campbell, and Greg Evigan. Written by David Golden, the film is about a princess who runs away from her royal obligations to escape for a few days in New York City during the Christmas season to see how normal people live their lives. She is helped by a kind man who is unaware of her true identity, and gradually the two fall in love. The television film first aired on November 25, 2015 on the Hallmark Channel.
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Plot
Katie Hollingston (Briana Evigan), the adored royal princess of the small country of Montsaurai, is visiting New York City during the Christmas season with her bodyguards and her overbearing aunt Margaret, who has planned an itinerary of speeches, meetings, and seasonal events. A talented photographer, Katie asks her aunt if she could visit a famous art gallery, but is informed that there is no time. Remembering her childhood Christmas travels to America with her now deceased mother who gave her her first camera, Katie decides to run away from her royal obligations and responsibilities for a few hours and revisit the places where she and her mother once shared happier times. Her disappearance sets off a frantic search by her bodyguards.
Alone in the city and unaware of the dangers the city presents, she has her camera and money stolen by muggers. A handsome renovation expert, Jack Langley (Paul Campbell), comes to her aid and gives her some money—unaware that she is a princess. Later, they meet up again by accident and Jack invites her to accompany him to a holiday party at Harry's magic shop. After the party, exhausted from all the walking, Katie falls asleep on the couch. By now, Jack has become her admirer and protector, and the two begin to fall in love. Afterwards, Jack takes her to the apartment he is renovating and gets his sister to bring Katie some fresh clothes.
The next morning, Katie calls George Hoult (Greg Evigan), the kind attorney who once handled her mother's legal affairs when she lived in America. He sympathizes with her wanting to live her own life. Later, Jack and Katie return to Harry's for lunch, and Harry reveals that Jack was once a successful real estate agent, but hated the work, and decided to spend his life doing something he loved. Katie also learns that Jack's former fiancée left him as a result. That night, Jack gives Katie a new camera and asks her not to disappear from his life.
All this time, Katie could not find the courage to tell Jack her true identity. Just as she's about to tell him the truth, Emily's reporter-boyfriend barges in and reveals that she is in fact a royal princess. She tells Jack that it's true, and that she must soon return to her country for the Christmas festival. Before leaving, they finally get the chance to visit the art gallery together. Back in Montsaurai on Christmas morning, Katie arrives at the Christmas festival, and is surprised that Jack is there to open her door! He tells her he wants to start a new tradition in Montsaurai—one where the two of them spend every Christmas together, for the rest of their lives. The two embrace and kiss.