The defence The Sentimental Softie
“Sincerity is not manipulation.”
The film risks embarrassment to make emotion communal, and that openness is harder than fashionable detachment.
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A Princess for Christmas
Comedy · Family · TV Movie · 2011
After her sister and brother-in-law's tragic deaths, an American woman who is the guardian for her young niece and nephew is invited to a royal European castle for Christmas by her late brother-in-law's father, the Duke of Castlebury. Feeling out of place as a commoner, she is determined to give her family a merry Christmas and surprises herself when she falls for a handsome prince.
Movie details
A Princess for Christmas
“Sometimes dreams come true”
2011 Comedy · Family · TV Movie 1h 31m
Critical arithmetic
One number, for now.
Scores change. Arguments endure.
TMDB
7.0 / 10
Community rating
After her sister and brother-in-law's tragic deaths, an American woman who is the guardian for her young niece and nephew is invited to a royal European castle for Christmas by her late brother-in-law's father, the Duke of Castlebury. Feeling out of place as a commoner, she is determined to give her family a merry Christmas and surprises herself when she falls for a handsome prince.
CriticWise case file
What this film says about your taste.
Not a recommendation score. A measure of how closely the film’s taste signals resemble yours.
The archetype split
Who fights over A Princess for Christmas?
For the defence
The Sentimental Softie
“You came to feel something, and you will.”
Read their case For the prosecution
The Cool Ironist
“Feeling things is a little embarrassing.”
Read their objectionThe split comes from the same five-axis model used by the test, not audience ratings or review sentiment.
Taste neighbourhood
Nearby on the taste map.
TMDB supplies the candidates. CriticWise reorders them by craft, strangeness, prestige, emotion, and pace.
Crown for Christmas
Romance · 2015
Allie Foster, a struggling New York artist, reluctantly accepts to act as a governess to a rebellious Princess Theodora of Winshire. When Allie forms an unlikely bond with the princess, she attracts the attention of the handsome King Maximillian, who’s facing an arranged marriage against his heart’s wishes. As Christmas Eve draws near, Allie finds herself swept up in romance, royalty and the spirit of the holidays.
The Christmas Train
Family · 2017
Forced to take the intercontinental trip to Los Angeles by train, and determined to chronicle his adventure, disillusioned journalist Tom Langdon finds himself westbound with a variety of characters. While all passengers on the Christmas train appear to be headed for the same destination, Tom has no idea that the rugged locomotives taking him across America will instead detour straight into his heart.
Beauty and the Beast
Romance · 1991
Follow the adventures of Belle, a bright young woman who finds herself in the castle of a prince who's been turned into a mysterious beast. With the help of the castle's enchanted staff, Belle soon learns the most important lesson of all -- that true beauty comes from within.
A Royal Queens Christmas
TV Movie · 2021
A prince finds his way to Queens during Christmas when a local woman enlists his help with a children's Christmas show.
Eloise at Christmastime
Family · 2003
Eloise is a precocious but lovable six-year-old girl who lives in New York's Plaza Hotel. The owner's daughter is getting married, but Eloise discovers that the fiance has devious plans to defraud kind Rachel! When her true love is revealed to be none other than Eloise's best friend Bill who works in the kitchen, Eloise goes on a mission to bring about a Christmas miracle and get the starcrossed lovers back together.. will things work out in time for a happy holiday ending?
Merry Christmas, Drake & Josh
Comedy · 2008
Step brothers Drake and Josh must give a foster family the best Christmas ever or face years in jail for a Christmas party gone wrong.
Royal New Year's Eve
Romance · 2017
An aspiring fashion designer falls in love with her socialite client's prospective fiance, Prince Jeffrey.
A Christmas Prince
Romance · 2017
When a reporter goes undercover as a nanny to get the inside scoop on a playboy prince, she gets tangled in some royal intrigue and ends up finding love - but will she be able to keep up her lie?
The Princess Switch
Romance · 2018
When a down-to-earth Chicago baker and a soon-to-be princess discover they look like twins, they hatch a Christmastime plan to trade places.
A Royal Christmas
TV Movie · 2014
A young working girl with a blue-collar background is surprised when her new fiancé announces he is actually a prince of a small sovereign country in Europe. After the couple quickly takes off to spend the holidays at his family’s sprawling, royal castle, she must work hard to win over her disapproving and unaccepting future mother-in-law—the Queen—and find out if love truly can conquer all.
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Names above the title
The people responsible.
Cast & crew
Directed by
Michael Damian
Written by
Michael Damian · Janeen Damian
Katie McGrath
Jules Daly
Sam Heughan
Ashton Prince of Castlebury
Miles Richardson
Paisley Winterbottom
Charlotte Salt
Lady Arabella Marchand du Belmont
Travis Turner
Milo Huntington
Leilah de Meza
Maddie Huntington
Roger Moore
Edward Duke of Castlebury
Court is in session
Put A Princess for Christmas on trial.
Two incompatible taste archetypes. One film. Read the arguments, then issue a completely binding cultural ruling.
The prosecution The Cool Ironist
“The strings are showing.”
Every cue tells you exactly what to feel and when, leaving sentiment to do the work character should have done.