innerlooper96
Joined Jul 2020
Welcome to the new profile
We're still working on updating some profile features. To see the badges, ratings breakdowns, and polls for this profile, please go to the previous version.
Reviews53
innerlooper96's rating
This movie is somewhat bland, simply because it didn't have a recognizable conflict or rise/fall of a story line. From the start, we get the clear message that Ella (BJL) is not going to be very vulnerable or 'exposed' as a character. She is very attractive, well-liked, and has the means to go to Paris on a whim. I'm not jealous, of course. Nope, not me.
This is a common basis for Hallmark movies, so we can't fault this one specifically for being formulaic. The notable difference is that Ella doesn't have any setbacks or 'falls' that seem significant.
1. She makes immediate friends with someone who is clearly hip, interesting, and willing to board her as a roomie.
2. She has a mom that adores her, and even with a tiny hint of 'mom annoyance' on Ella's part, her Mom just decides to visit Ella (even though Ella is only gone for a temporary time) and Ella doesn't see this as 'hovering' on her Mom's part. I love my own mom, but I think I would feel smothered at Ella's age.
3. The two guys featured in the movie both are endeared to her, and they both clearly become interested, in spite of being profiled as "hard to catch" dudes. (Yawn. We get it. Ella is perfect.)
4. Ella's 'conflict' is her decision to stray from her 5-cheese-a-day plan, thinking she is "too structured" in so doing, and rebels back to just one cheese a day. (I almost detected an existential crisis, but once again, Ella lands squarely on her maribou-toed kitten heels.)
5. The lipstick scenes...Ella is so adorably beautiful that she mesmerizes herself in the mirror. Much of the movie features her outfit 'reveals', and her newfound ability to rock red lipstick.
These points are just a handful of many indicating that Ella is pure fiction, disguised as a human. Sure, her relationship with Serge was somewhat rocky at the start, which at least acknowledged that not everyone immediately falls in love with her, but Serge was such an extreme grump. Definitely a caricature to add some spice to Ella's idyllic life.
The movie is great if you like to just half-watch, maybe while you are making your own croque monsieurs or sorting a pile of old receipts that need shredding.
The 5 stars are for the interesting roommate character, who was authentically interesting, as well as the beauty of the settings. Bethany Joy Lenz also has great timing, like her little impromptu line, "Cheese makes people happy...*fakes taking a picture*..."SAY CHEESE!" If anyone can make looking perfect less annoying, it's BJL, so kudos to her for doing her thing. Especially exiting a cult!
This is a common basis for Hallmark movies, so we can't fault this one specifically for being formulaic. The notable difference is that Ella doesn't have any setbacks or 'falls' that seem significant.
1. She makes immediate friends with someone who is clearly hip, interesting, and willing to board her as a roomie.
2. She has a mom that adores her, and even with a tiny hint of 'mom annoyance' on Ella's part, her Mom just decides to visit Ella (even though Ella is only gone for a temporary time) and Ella doesn't see this as 'hovering' on her Mom's part. I love my own mom, but I think I would feel smothered at Ella's age.
3. The two guys featured in the movie both are endeared to her, and they both clearly become interested, in spite of being profiled as "hard to catch" dudes. (Yawn. We get it. Ella is perfect.)
4. Ella's 'conflict' is her decision to stray from her 5-cheese-a-day plan, thinking she is "too structured" in so doing, and rebels back to just one cheese a day. (I almost detected an existential crisis, but once again, Ella lands squarely on her maribou-toed kitten heels.)
5. The lipstick scenes...Ella is so adorably beautiful that she mesmerizes herself in the mirror. Much of the movie features her outfit 'reveals', and her newfound ability to rock red lipstick.
These points are just a handful of many indicating that Ella is pure fiction, disguised as a human. Sure, her relationship with Serge was somewhat rocky at the start, which at least acknowledged that not everyone immediately falls in love with her, but Serge was such an extreme grump. Definitely a caricature to add some spice to Ella's idyllic life.
The movie is great if you like to just half-watch, maybe while you are making your own croque monsieurs or sorting a pile of old receipts that need shredding.
The 5 stars are for the interesting roommate character, who was authentically interesting, as well as the beauty of the settings. Bethany Joy Lenz also has great timing, like her little impromptu line, "Cheese makes people happy...*fakes taking a picture*..."SAY CHEESE!" If anyone can make looking perfect less annoying, it's BJL, so kudos to her for doing her thing. Especially exiting a cult!
I enjoyed the movie overall, and can still understand/support some of the criticisms of other reviewers.
The premise of the movie is true to the summary: a father has a hard time giving his grown daughter his full support (blessing) to get married in what he perceives as a 'whirlwind' decision.
In reality, the couple have known each other for 7 months, and it sounds like they spend most days together, which (in my eyes) boosts how well they know each other. I can also see the father's feelings, but the movie's premise identifies the Dad as being a little overly attached.
The strengths of the movie are the dedication to family it seems to portray. Thanks to the teen sister (rebel), there is a realistic sense of the push/pull that even the closest of families must endure; her role seemed to serve the purpose of showing that this family is not perfect, and even the most dedicated parents fall out of favor with their headstrong children.
The other strength was a sense of hope, because lines of communication ultimately stay open (a rarity in this present era). I liked how Abby was always respectful, because had I been in her shoes, I'm not confident I would be.
The downsides are that I wish the two sets of parents were more bonded, or that Oz (groom) had been given more screen time with the Dad. Seeing the 'enemies' grow closer naturally would have been a greater joy, and boosted the value of Christian perspective as well.
I personally disagree that the Dad was portrayed as deferring entirely to his daughter. He turned to prayer as his guide, and continued to have a backbone when challenged by his other daughter (Zoe). The latter story line served an important purpose, which was to highlight that there is a time for parents to stay strong in their decisions, and there is also a time when they have to realize that their child is independent - and let go.
The last scene of the father smiling as he reflects on the entire situation was long, and could have been game-changing by having a little montage of memories showing his daughter's transformation from child to woman (like a replay of her life in the span of 10 seconds). It probably would have made me cry.
I loved the small scene when Bridget (littlest daughter) asked Dad about divorce, mentioning her friend's parents getting a divorce; the dad actually says "i'm sorry they are going through this" -- it just made me happy to hear him acknowledge the pain of others, rather than bypassing that detail. That showed me that the character wasn't selfish.
I appreciate the efforts to bring faith and our current world together; nothing can be perfect, but this movie was an easy watch for me.
The premise of the movie is true to the summary: a father has a hard time giving his grown daughter his full support (blessing) to get married in what he perceives as a 'whirlwind' decision.
In reality, the couple have known each other for 7 months, and it sounds like they spend most days together, which (in my eyes) boosts how well they know each other. I can also see the father's feelings, but the movie's premise identifies the Dad as being a little overly attached.
The strengths of the movie are the dedication to family it seems to portray. Thanks to the teen sister (rebel), there is a realistic sense of the push/pull that even the closest of families must endure; her role seemed to serve the purpose of showing that this family is not perfect, and even the most dedicated parents fall out of favor with their headstrong children.
The other strength was a sense of hope, because lines of communication ultimately stay open (a rarity in this present era). I liked how Abby was always respectful, because had I been in her shoes, I'm not confident I would be.
The downsides are that I wish the two sets of parents were more bonded, or that Oz (groom) had been given more screen time with the Dad. Seeing the 'enemies' grow closer naturally would have been a greater joy, and boosted the value of Christian perspective as well.
I personally disagree that the Dad was portrayed as deferring entirely to his daughter. He turned to prayer as his guide, and continued to have a backbone when challenged by his other daughter (Zoe). The latter story line served an important purpose, which was to highlight that there is a time for parents to stay strong in their decisions, and there is also a time when they have to realize that their child is independent - and let go.
The last scene of the father smiling as he reflects on the entire situation was long, and could have been game-changing by having a little montage of memories showing his daughter's transformation from child to woman (like a replay of her life in the span of 10 seconds). It probably would have made me cry.
I loved the small scene when Bridget (littlest daughter) asked Dad about divorce, mentioning her friend's parents getting a divorce; the dad actually says "i'm sorry they are going through this" -- it just made me happy to hear him acknowledge the pain of others, rather than bypassing that detail. That showed me that the character wasn't selfish.
I appreciate the efforts to bring faith and our current world together; nothing can be perfect, but this movie was an easy watch for me.
Despite the many excellent points made so far, I really enjoyed this movie.
Overall, it's high-drama and meaty, therefore it's not a 'feelgood' Christmas movie. While Christmas is part of the movie, I don't see it as a central theme at all. This easily could have been a normal movie, minus a few scenes that served as theme devices.
When watching Hallmark, I do get the sense that it's all-perfect, all the time. Characters and plots are so focused on romance and comedy, which are great, but should be supplemented with movies that offer moral support. Most of us can relate to some aspect of this movie; for me, it was cathartic to see the family dynamics between the two sisters, and their Mom. These issues are real-life, and in the end, the compromises were realistic and thoughtful. Erica was absolutely the greatest wedge to her own happiness, and if I behaved that way in my own family, I would not blame anyone for telling me to grow the F up. Still, this movie inspires and reminds us to think outside of ourselves. My favorite scene is when the sister finally addresses Erica's lack of respect.
Andrew Walker is absolutely a classic actor already in the HM universe, and it really chafed me (in a good way) to see the storyline with his bully father. His Dad was a divisive character, and notably not in line with the Hallmark kumbaya culture, but I think many viewers can relate and possibly feel supported when they observe their dynamic.
All of us have challenges, and there are so many great escapist movies on hallmark; I'm loving the fact that they feel viewers are mature enough to appreciate movies that offer more than just the sweet side of relationships.
Overall, it's high-drama and meaty, therefore it's not a 'feelgood' Christmas movie. While Christmas is part of the movie, I don't see it as a central theme at all. This easily could have been a normal movie, minus a few scenes that served as theme devices.
When watching Hallmark, I do get the sense that it's all-perfect, all the time. Characters and plots are so focused on romance and comedy, which are great, but should be supplemented with movies that offer moral support. Most of us can relate to some aspect of this movie; for me, it was cathartic to see the family dynamics between the two sisters, and their Mom. These issues are real-life, and in the end, the compromises were realistic and thoughtful. Erica was absolutely the greatest wedge to her own happiness, and if I behaved that way in my own family, I would not blame anyone for telling me to grow the F up. Still, this movie inspires and reminds us to think outside of ourselves. My favorite scene is when the sister finally addresses Erica's lack of respect.
Andrew Walker is absolutely a classic actor already in the HM universe, and it really chafed me (in a good way) to see the storyline with his bully father. His Dad was a divisive character, and notably not in line with the Hallmark kumbaya culture, but I think many viewers can relate and possibly feel supported when they observe their dynamic.
All of us have challenges, and there are so many great escapist movies on hallmark; I'm loving the fact that they feel viewers are mature enough to appreciate movies that offer more than just the sweet side of relationships.