Hallmark For All Seasons

“A Royal Runaway Romance,” starring Philippa Northeast and Brant Daugherty aired on April 9 on Hallmark Channel during their Spring Into Love series. It is notable for being Northeast’s first Hallmark movie.

The screenplay was written by Jake Helgren with David Weaver directing.  Helgren has primarily written Lifetime network movies, but he has done several Christmas movies, including A Merry Christmas Match. “Runaway” was filmed in Vancouver, Canada.

Music: There was a LOT of featured music in this movie!  Fortunately, I managed to find most of them. The Nevada postcard was Be With You by Robert Homes and James Homes.  The Utah postcard was Beat Up Car by Dylan Patrick and Andrew Britton.  The slow song at the festival dance was a cover of Melissa Etheridge’s song You Can Sleep While I Drive. When they decided to take their time getting to Chicago, the song Amelia claimed to love was First Day by KidEyes. As Amelia and Grady arrived in Chicago, Song of Surrender by Thomas Stubbs played. (all links are affiliate links)

In a nutshell

This movie surprised me.  To be honest, I did not have high hopes for it considering I do not like many of this screenwriter’s movies.  But I liked this a LOT more than I thought I would.

The Plot of “A Royal Runaway Romance”

Princess Amelia of Bundbury travels across America to explore a budding romance with an artist, only to fall in love with her bodyguard Grady.  

Actors & Chemistry

I’m new to Philippa Northeast and I really liked her a lot in this movie. Yes, she seemed a little young for my liking, but that worked in favor of the character she played, considering Amelia was meant to be a very sheltered, somewhat naive princess who’d never been allowed to leave the kingdom. Brant Daugherty went against his typical type (goofy leads (see The Baker’s Son or “A Christmas Movie Christmas”)) and this time played a cool, collected, calming character in Grady the bodyguard.

Instead of a walk and talk movie, this was a road trip movie.  The last road trip movie I loved was 2019’s Winter Love Story, which is permanently saved on my Tivo.  Having Amelia and Grady trapped in a car forced them to get to know each other with no distractions, and enabled us to do the same.

And during their pitstops along the way, you could see their tentative traveling truce turn to friendship and then into attraction over the course of that trip. I appreciated the progression even if that attraction was building even as she was traveling to meet up with a man she thought she was already in love with.

Tropes

Well first off, it’s a ROYAL movie.  Someone would say that’s the bestest trope in all the land (waves at “Crown for Christmas”)! Sadly, Amelia’s dad has passed. Marble laptop is back (Amelia’s social secretary had it).

We had a spring festival complete with a barn dance.  Towards the end of the movie we had an almost kiss. Wes the artist ended up being a Bad Boyfriend in the end (which we all knew would happen, right?).

Did I Hear/See That Right?

Why is she in an evening gown and tiara in the opening scene when they are looking at the painting? I’m assuming when a painting is almost finished or being unveiled, there’s no need to get in the full getup for that.

There was a scene where the queen was outside in the rain having tea while a butler stood next to her holding an umbrella.  She invites her daughter to sit down and chat.  In the rain.  When there is a covered patio/portico just a few feet away.  Why?

That looks to be the same Ford convertible that was in Roadhouse Romance, right?  Beautiful car!

So all along the entire road trip they show postcards of each state as they drive through, which was cute.  But it’s not cute that most scenic shots they showed of those states were NOT what some of those those states look like.

Grady is her bodyguard and tasked with sticking with her and keeping her safe, and yet when they get to Chicago he’s totally fine with leaving her unguarded?  And with no money?  No ID? And is he not returning the car to his boss in Los Angeles?

Feelgoods

I liked the plot twist at the beginning where Amelia had feelings for the artist who painted her.  Did NOT expect that, and I appreciate that Hallmark is branching out in their storytelling.  And he KISSED her to boot! Wow, Hallmark!

While I take issue with the queen not knowing where her daughter was (she was enough of a helicopter parent that she HAD to have her daughter’s phone GPS location available to her at all times), I still appreciated that in the end she admitted that she was overly protective and allowed her daughter some freedom.

I enjoyed seeing Amelia’s delighted reactions to all things American like camping, relish, smores and our slang.  And while I think “y’all” and “fixin’s” is more of a southeastern thing than a southwest thing, I’ll allow it.

Re-watchability of “A Royal Runaway Romance”

I do believe I’d watch this one again, because I appreciated the pace of Amelia and Grady’s romance.

The Ranking

“A Royal Runaway Romance” is solidly in second place for the time being. I could see it staying in the upper half for the year with that score.

1. Just One Kiss (air date: Apr 2) – 660 pts – weighted score: 111.2 (78.0%)
2. A Royal Runaway Romance (air date: Apr 9) – 617 pts – weighted score: 105.9% (74.3%)
3. The Perfect Pairing (air date: Jan 15) – 563 pts – weighted score: 92.7 (65.0%)
4. The Wedding Veil (air date: Jan 8) – 508 pts – weighted score: 83.3 (58.4%)
5. Where the Heart Belongs (air date: Jan 1) – 435 pts – weighted score: 74.5 (52.3%)

To see where this movie lands in my overall rankings of Hallmark movies, visit my Hallmark Movie Rankings page!

What did you think of “A Royal Runaway Romance”?  Comment below and let me know!