ONCE UPON A PRINCE
US, 2018, 85 minutes, Colour.
Megan Park, Jonathan Keltz, Kayla Wallace, Charles Jarman, Colleen Winton, Sarah Botsford, Marlie Collins.
Directed by Alexander J.F.Wright.
This is definitely, most definitely, one for the Romantics, audiences who like to sit at home watching a story that is contemporary but is really a fairytale. This is a variation of Cinderella.
The film was made for the Hallmark Channel but was filmed in Canada with a Canadian cast (who live in a Georgia setting but pronounce about in the Canadian accent, aboat). American audiences like films about European royalty and, of course, there are strong memories of Princess Diana and, at the time of the film’s release, all the publicity about the wedding of Prince Harry and Megan Markle. (In fact, it does give a bit of an insight into what faced Megan Markle, an American, coming to England with all its protocols and expectations.)
Megan Park is Susanna, an exuberant young woman, plenty of degrees, very smart, but working in her parents’ flower and plant store, aiming to be a landscape architect. She also breaks from her boyfriend – he dumps her. Almost immediately, driving along a lonely road, she has a flat tire and a genial friendly young man, Nate, Jonathan Keltz, stops to help her. Later, he runs into her again, organises her to be interviewed concerning landscaping gardens for his host in Georgia.
And, not only that, when Susanna’s father has a heart turn, Nate drives her to the hospital, offers to work in their store, does so with great diligence, goes to dinner with the family – but, of course, paparazzi! And suddenly, all is revealed in the press. And, it is revealed in the kingdom where he comes from, Cambria, with the Queen not particularly impressed.
Of course, the two fall in love, but it seems an impossible marriage because the tradition in Cambria is that the King has to marry a local woman. His father has died, so Nate is about to be crowned, is expected to marry a young woman in Cambria that he has known for years. He is swiftly brought home, preparing for the coronation as well as the coronation ball.
His minder, John, has observed everything and suggests to the Queen that Susanna be brought to Cambria as an apprentice to the landscape gardener – the Queen hoping that she will make a fool of herself and Nate will see that she is quite unsuitable. She comes, exuberant, rushing in an American way to embrace the King that is the opposite of protocol. She works, Nate has lunches with her, moves her into the guest house with her sister who is even more exuberant than Susanna.
Warnings by the potential queen. Imperious encounters with the actual Queen. Susanna not wanting to go to the wedding but dresses bought by the lady from Georgia, present at the coronation and the Royal oath, everything going nicely but Susanna misinterpreting Nate’s final break with the lady in waiting.
Back to the US, back to work in landscaping, many customers, but persuaded to go to a big old tree that Nate has seen with its tradition of a proposal on knees and the guarantee that the marriage would last forever. Off goes Susanna, there is Nate. And, out from behind the tree come the Queen and John, Susanna’s parents – and happy ever after. Of course, there could be a sequel with life for royalty in Cambria.
