Review of Dashing in December

I really enjoyed 'Dashing in December'. It is a warm, heartfelt, and engaging Christmas movie, one of the better movies this season. It also gives same-sex male relationships some representation in this genre of film, which is a plus. At the heart of the story is Wyatt Burwall (played by Peter Porte), who works for a Manhattan investment firm. After many years, he has decided to go home for Christmas to the family ranch in Colorado, where he hopes to convince his mother Deb (played by Andie MacDowell) to sell the ranch to one of his investors. While home he meets Heath (our other protagonist in this story played by Juan Pablo Di Pace), the ranch hand who has been helping his mother run the place for the past several years. An unexpected relationship between Wyatt and Heath emerges. From friction to romance, we watch their relationship blossom thru some warm and intimate dialogue on this beautiful and picturesque ranch in Harmony Springs, Colorado. Indeed, one of the strengths of the story/script is the dialogue and exchanges between Heath and Wyatt, discussing their past, their hopes, and their love for the ranch (and the friction at the beginning, of course). There were some weak elements to the story; for example, the fight between the two (that takes place at the dinner table) late in the film seemed forced. That said, the story pulled me in from the start. Moreover, I thought the writer did a pretty good job developing the characters, as I found myself connecting with Wyatt, Heath, and Deb. This is also a reflection of the quality of acting in the film, which was, overall, brilliant. Porte had an impressive, convincing performance on screen. You could see his character develop as the film progressed from a 'Mr. Know It All' at the beginning to a warmer and more caring person towards the end. Di Pace too had a strong performance. It felt authentic, very real on screen. The chemistry between the two was great (believable). Again, the dialogue and exchanges between the two in several scenes made this chemistry work, I thought. The supporting cast was excellent. MacDowell had a very good performance as Deb (the mother). The movie also had quite a festive side as well with some dancing and great country music (some good songs in this film). There were also some beautiful landscapes of the ranch, of the mountains in winter, which added to the Christmas vibe of the film. All in all, it is a refreshing Christmas romance movie, with some very strong acting, a nice new edition to the 2020 season lineup.