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conleytgwinn
Reviews
Annie's Point (2005)
Light-hearted with some serious issues
Though predictable throughout, this was a surprisingly entertaining caper for two lovely ladies. Betty White was Betty White. I have never figured out her mojo, and though I normally despise the comedy in which she plays, I find her individually compelling surrounded by hosts of other famous actresses. Even aside from the silly bits (the skinny- dipping episode, the escape from jail) she alone would not have been enough to lift this picture to a 7, BUT: The gem for me was the discovery of Amy Davidson (I am a neanderthal who had not before noticed that she is beautiful, much less that she is creditable as a singer: I am not real big into chick flicks or comedies, so I suppose I miss a lot. Too bad I had been missing Amy along the way!) I see Amy had a long-running role on 8 Simple Rules - another show I clearly should have but never did watch. I do not like most comedy enough to threaten to find some old DVDs of the show. With Amy, now a six.
Richard Thomas played an older John-boy, having accepted the role within the movie of reluctantly serious businessman; and did well enough to make me twice curse his failures to accept his mother's right to run her own life. Plus one for his role as the son.
I did like Amy's version of Flying On My Own (Ella's song) from the movie, and hope that all those who stated problems identifying the song eventually found it. All in all, quite a favorable review, for a movie that was at times silly, but always drew me back into the plot.
How to Fall in Love (2012)
Good movie, good actors, many good things in script.
An enthusiastic 8! I AM that nerd, and I recognized each step of my own growth in the lessons of Brooke for Eric. When I finally met my eventual wife, the script covers why and how we fell in love. No lessons though on the four kids, the 45 years, and other significances that follow. Perhaps Hallmark has more to teach me?
Brooke is not as beautiful as many Hallmark female leads, and the nerdish character of Eric is initially off-putting, so I dialed back my expectations after meeting the leads. However, the script drew me back as I saw my own awakening replayed and the growth of the characters to parallel my own self-awareness.
I recommend this movie,and guys - even if no one elbows your ribs, you could do worse than to pay attention. Do not just tell everyone what you learned - SHOW them!
After All These Years (2013)
Giving Wendie a job is good {spelling editor: faux roughly = fake}
Wendie Malick is excellent with tongue firmly in cheek throughout this faux mystery. I laughed aloud more than once (just ask my wife in the next room - she thought I had changed channels since I rarely laugh aloud at Hallmark movies.) The other characters adequately complement this mood. Cinematography is not my forte, and I did not notice any outrageous errors in the filming. Be sure, though, to begin with the expectation that had this aspired to mystery, it would have been a catastrophe; as a comedy, it works.
It is most certainly more comedic than mysterious, and I must assume that to be intentional. My charity is reinforced by some citations, including the final sequences where the lieutenant repeatedly shushes Malick ("be quiet!", to recite verbatim in his deeper male voice, her previous line of the script. Or when he is so effusive in praise of her skill in forcing the suspects to support the case she has made, even offering her a job as an investigator.
This is appropriate and commonplace for other amateur movie sleuths - for example, Murder, She Wrote - but that dialog seems to have disappeared in the two later broadcasts earlier today. Perhaps I should have held off a day or so for editing to be final. Some scenes were clearly deleted, others subjected to minor alterations vis-a-vis a line or two deleted, to be replaced by a line or two added from stock rescued from the cutting-room floor. The schedule may have been a little too tight for all the editing to be completed to everyone's satisfaction so that it is yet a work in progress. Hallmark does this quite often - I frequently see the same movie a day or two later with new scenes replacing some that I had thought were keys to the story. Glad I saw both versions so far of this one.
I will add only that when the culprit is eventually revealed, the mystery component is forced back to the surface with the choice of identity of that culprit. As in a true mystery, it has to be someone whom we have dismissed as utterly impossible - and it IS! I was actually surprised when my two best suspects were innocent of the murder; SHOCKED at the true perpetrator.
A Valentine's Date (2011)
Movie Plays to Prejudices I Despise.
With an established pattern of OVER-rating Hallmark movies - this time I am more out to hate a particular premise: that there is some specific virtue in folksy; that mighty Texas is better than New York City; that hicks are better or better off than any other ignoble creature. Given the recent national history of folksy Texas hicks, I will abstain. Nay - I will decry. Virtue is an attribute of neither urban nor rural: it is inherent in the character of the individual.
The actors are all very attractive personifications of the underlying premise - beautiful people in denim. The first problems arise from the writers - some deep bias against things not folksy pervades even the opening scenes introducing the gutsy woman who somehow deluded herself to believe that she was more than just an accessory to "the guy", and "ran away" to a career success in the big city among the Philistines and other non-folksy types. After Cathy has overcome the numerous and gleefully predicted obstacles to succeeding as a single mother, we are next introduced to all the downsides of having been doubted and denied by that "guy", Dylan; of having been cast out by the "folksy" to manage as best she can among those to whom she is indentured, of needing the affirmation of success among those Phillistines and so being forced to sacrifice some of the virtues of family. By the time we suffer through the indignity of being force-fed the cultural biases, we have begun to despise an admirable woman. There is to be no redemption for her until she has renounced all the admirable traits, all the strengths and successes, in favor of cloying levels of folksy.
Other players do a great job of supporting that bias, of reinforcing the perception of country as real, of urban as inherently delusion. Ultimately the transformation of Cathy and her child to acceptance of the wonders of legal coercion just grates to the extent of bringing me to curse aloud each of three viewings. At least Dylan has grown through the course of the years, to the extent of admitting that his fear of new or different milieu was the obstacle to accompanying his wife to the big city; of praising her strength and honesty; perhaps even of admiring her success.
Separately, this IS pro-family, and emphasizes the advantages of intact families for the child(ren) although the chosen method of reuniting the family is wrong, and wrongs both the woman and the child; perhaps wrongs even the husband Dylan. I am country, so this is not a reverse bias: I just got so tired of the polite lies of those with whom I began to grow that I found an explanation: they are afraid - of everything. And this movie emphasizes nothing so much as that pervasive fear couched as I had seen it - in folksy.
Strawberry Summer (2012)
I'm a sucker for romances . . .
I repeat: I am a sucker for Hallmark original movies. Therefore I rated this one an 8, even though I also saw the many problems with the inconsistencies. Somehow, since I liked both the main characters, I may have considered mundane things such as the missing epi pen irrelevant to the "real" story - the impending romance. My only problem is that Google lacks any listings for the key lines of the "new" song: "if you believe in yourself and trust what's inside, it's like taming a horse you could never ride." I suspect those lines arise from some (unpublished?) poem, and I would have liked very much to identify that poem. In my own opinion, those lines would have keyed a successful county song. The rendition in the movie was fairly good, lots of feeling, and could have been sold as a song per se. However, I could not find it as either song or poem, so I am disappointed therein.
Healing Hands (2010)
Better Movie than the reviews would have your believe,
Fair warning - I am still a sucker for Hallmark original movies, including this one. Take my rating with the usual dose of salt.
Many reflections on how to handle this sort of gift, but I finally realized that I liked the movie more than most of those reflections; certainly better than the previous ratings. Eddie Cibrian did better than expected in the role of the accidental recipient of the gift. Most other players were unexceptional at worst, perhaps even adequate.
The script did not adequately explore the interactions with the patients, especially the one(s) who rejected the healing; but compensated by posing a question for all of us: how WOULD we deal with a similar imposition given the natural wont of others to make their need our mandate? I think the movie shows a reasonable reaction: hide the gift, use it when needed but do not allow the existence of the ability to be seen by others.
Machine Gun Preacher (2011)
Buy it or rent it - but SEE it!
My highest rating ever - partially to compensate for the undeservedly low ratings assigned by those who hate Gerard. This movie is nearer an 8 than the 6.8 average it boasts on IMDb. The fact that it is fairly close to the true life story of the nominal protagonist only magnifies the impact; and considering that Gerard allegedly backed the film with most of his salary for the role is also quite a powerful endorsement. So: buy it or rent it - just find a way to SEE it (before you write a disparaging review, please.) Be as nasty as you please AFTER you see the movie - including pointing out the flawed presentation of the premise, and the inconsistency of the character of that protagonist - I will not argue. But if you can honestly tell us which movies you liked better in the past 3 years - I would like to know.
Eve's Christmas (2004)
The Christmas Star is the 'star' of this picture
For some who panned this movie {because they were too busy constructing criticisms to actually WATCH it} the relationship to Christmas is quite clear, and firm: the Christmas star is the vehicle of time travel, wish fulfillment, and 2nd chances. Not a bad imagining at all for this season.
I choose not to review the actors - they were at least acceptable; and the cinematography was also passable. Even the guardian angel was at worst deliberately done as an element of bad comic relief.
The notion of this iteration of Christmas magic is awkward in implementation, but a spectacular conceptualization. Three times I watched this year, probably will watch again next year.
Always and Forever (2009)
High School Romance Revisited
Good characters and a fair plot line. Why do I feel empty after-wards?
Well, mostly because I liked the romantic protagonists and a lot of the surrounding players, but I think a less meddlesome Barbara Eden would have done wonders for the movie. Had Barbara followed her movie husband's advice, the romance that was visible could have seemed so much less contrived. The same end could have been achieved in far less time, with fewer commercial breaks required, and I could have watched something else on Hallmark as well in my limited time for formula Hallmark. Seen in other reviews as a plus for the movie, I must loudly disagree with that section of the script which insisted that I should want to eliminate a lovely Barbara, whom I still adore, from the production in order to facilitate better storytelling.
Love at the Thanksgiving Day Parade (2012)
Precisely what one should expect from a Hallmark romance - with a smallish twist in the final 6 minutes.
Yes, it is simple - but simple is also the essential property of elegance. Yes, the right guy winds up with the right girl - who would expect otherwise? This IS a Hallmark romance movie. There is one thing I did not catch from the credits: what is that memorable song that Autumn does as the champagne catches up to her? I recall having heard it many times (on the radio) but cannot put a name to it, nor an artist credit. If you are a sap for sweet romance, this it the place for you. If you are not, watch something else, and find the mp3 for the terrific song. I feel guilty about awarding this one an 8 of 10 - but then, I AM a certified sap for Hallmark romances.
!!!! Blondie - ah, yes! NOW I remember! Thanks to all who answered the question.