Holiday in Handcuffs - A Movie Review

How long until your family finds out that you kidnapped me?

Strapped into handcuffs and released to theaters in 2006, Holiday in Handcuffs is about a young woman who kidnaps a ransom guy. Decoying him as her boyfriend so she can make her family happy for once, the holiday takes an unexpected turn.

Just when you think a Christmas film will have a Hallmark vibe, you’re probed wrong. A lighthearted and warm film, Holiday in Handcuffs has some flaws but it’s an important film that influences families to discuss dilemmas. Holidays are not just for celebrating.

Kidnapping is against the law, but I’m glad that writers added more depth to Trudy (Melissa Joan Hart). All she wants is to be her own person. Trudy has never earned the right acceptance from her family. Hart did a nice job in the role.

The film wastes no time getting into the story or introducing us to the characters. There’s no need for exposition. They all had good interactions. Credits include Timothy Bottoms, Markie Post, Kyle Howard, Vanessa Evigan, and June Lockhart as the grandmother. Lockhart deserves an award for the best snarky grandmother. She did and said whatever she pleased.

Holiday in Handcuffs is your usual family drama, but it’s not just for audience enjoyment. Members of the family hide secrets in fear of how they will affect the family. Trudy is the main focus, but her siblings are left out of the picture until halfway through. Both have deep secrets that deserved more screen time.

Speaking of Trudy’s family, they talk about her like she’s not present in the room. They talk about embarrassing moments, how she never had friends as a kid, along with how they’re ashamed that she doesn’t have a real job. I felt bad for Trudy.

Let’s discuss the story. The premise is ridiculous. Ridiculous entertaining. Scenarios that would never happen are incorporated into this film. The family is so aloof about the situation that it’s laughable. No matter how many times David (Mario Lopez) explains that Trudy has kidnapped him, they all laugh it off and tell him that he is a great actor.

Of course, writers have to incorporate a love story between the main characters because it’s a holiday film. The romance angle was forced. David is a total stranger Trudy. What if they met a few times at the diner Trudy works at or they’d been friends for a short time?

In my opinion, Trudy and David should have remained friends with David marrying his girlfriend at the end. Additionally, Jessica (Gabrielle Miller) was too mean-spirited as David’s fiance.

The staged engagement went too far both in the story and in what David was intending to do. I know he feels bad for Trudy at this point, but in time, how would they have explained that the relationship was all a facade?

Story flaws aside, Holiday in Handcuffs is all about the message. Ron Underwood examined how we should work out issues instead of bottling them up. That’s not good for you or your relationships. The film is well-made supplying creative surprises.

On a side note, there are several instances where characters slip on ice and hit their heads. Very hard I may add. I’m surprised that they’re okay.

I had a fun time watching Holiday in Handcuffs. It’s not a boring film. Sure it instills the usual Christmas themes, but overall it’s a good time. There were a few times when I laughed out loud. Find it and have a laugh this holiday season.