Now that Hallmark’s “June Weddings” line-up has come to an end, it’s time for me to offer my opinion on this particular collection of films as well as my review of the “June Weddings” finale, Yes, I Do. Last month, I shared the synopsis for this movie and said that it sounds too ridiculous for my liking. But since there was interest expressed in that Word on the Street post (it received 3 likes), I decided to review Yes, I Do. I also saw the trailer for the film and I was as unimpressed with it as I was with the film’s synopsis. Despite these less-than-stellar pieces of advertising, I chose to watch this movie with an open mind. In my review of The Beach House, I said that my expectations for the film were lowered because of the weak marketing campaign. Because of my lowered expectations, The Beach House ended up being such as pleasant surprise for me! Did I feel the same way about Yes, I Do? If you want find out, keep on reading my review!

Things I liked about the film:

The acting: Yes, I Do had a good cast! The three stars that stood out to me were Marcus Rosner, Jen Lilley, and Jessica Lowndes! The first time I had ever seen Jen perform in a movie was when I saw Lifetime’s The Spirit of Christmas. After I saw that movie, I realized just how talented Jen is! I have seen most of Jen’s Hallmark movies and even though they haven’t been my favorite movies, she still finds a way to give a good performance. As I’ve mentioned in the Word on the Street post about the Yes, I Do synopsis, Marcus has proven that he has what it takes to be a leading actor in a Hallmark movie. He certainly proved that he can lead a Hallmark movie, as he gave a very good performance in Yes, I Do! Because of this, I hope that he gets more lead roles in Hallmark movies! Jessica gave a good performance as well, especially for her first supporting actress role in a Hallmark movie and her first Hallmark movie that was not Christmas themed!

 

Diversity of occupations: In my Word on the Street post where I shared Yes, I Do’s synopsis, I mentioned that I liked how the job of a chocolatier was being highlighted in a Hallmark movie, especially since that occupation has never been featured before. This movie did a good job in not only highlighting a chocolatier’s job, but also showing the different components of that job. I also liked how the job of a helicopter mechanic, another occupation that has never been featured in a Hallmark movie before, was showcased in this film. It was nice to see both protagonists have unique occupations that are rarely seen on Hallmark.

 

The marriage aspect of a wedding: When it comes to these wedding themed movies, the important component of marriage is usually glossed over in favor of the wedding itself or for the preparation of the wedding. This is because the pretty aesthetics that are shown in these movies can sometimes get in the way of the moral and symbolic aspects of a wedding. I liked the scene where the priest is talking with Jen’s character, Charlotte, about the seriousness and importance of making that decision to marry someone. It was a breath of fresh air to have at least one character remind some of the other characters in the film, as well as the audience, about the reason for a wedding.

What I didn’t like about the film:

The plot: Last month, I confessed that the synopsis for Yes, I Do sounds, to me, too ridiculous for my liking. When this synopsis was played out on-screen, it still seemed ridiculous to me. This movie felt like it was more about an adolescent trying to catch the attention of their crush and less about two businesspeople choosing to take the next step in their relationship. The incorporation of the planning-a-wedding-in-an-unrealistic-time-period cliché (one of my least favorite Hallmark movie clichés) into this story didn’t add any enjoyment. Also, Jessica’s character, Nicole, didn’t provide any explanation for why she wanted to date James again, making that aspect of Nicole’s story seem very random in the movie overall.

 

The character of Charlotte: While Jen gave a good performance in Yes, I Do, I was not a fan of her character. Charlotte, the protagonist of the film, was very unlikable. She never really gave any explanations for choosing to not get married, but, instead, provided excuses. There was one moment of the film where she seriously contemplated if she was allergic to weddings (I’m not making this up). Speaking of allergies, the part about Charlotte’s chocolate allergy was poorly written to the point of appearing very unrealistic. Charlotte is more “book smart” than “street smart”. However, this character’s lack of “street smarts” doesn’t come across as charming, but rather annoying.

 

Lack of on-screen chemistry: In Yes, I Do, Jen Lilley and Marcus Rosner didn’t have any on-screen chemistry, even though both of them gave good performances in the movie. It seems like their characters spent more time apart than together. I thought that Marcus had better on-screen chemistry with Jessica Lowndes than with Jen. Until after I saw Yes, I Do, I never realized how much I wanted to see a Hallmark movie starring Marcus Rosner and Jessica Lowndes.

 

Too many plots: There were five major plots in Yes, I Do. Because of this, some stories felt like they were more overshadowed than others. An example of this is James trying to find his grandfather’s beloved car. I thought this was the best story in the movie (I would have wanted to see a Hallmark movie with that particular story as the main plot), but it didn’t receive as much attention as some of the other stories in this film. Also, there were stories that were never resolved, such as Charlotte’s attempt to win a chocolate contest from a renowned magazine.

My overall impression:

Yes, I Do was not a good movie. It was so bad, I chose to fast forward through a few moments of the movie just to get through it. This is the second year in a row that the “June Weddings” line-up has ended with a movie I didn’t like (I was not a fan of My Favorite Wedding). Speaking of the “June Weddings” line-up, this year’s collection of movies is, to me, weaker than last year’s. I think Hallmark relied too much on sequels to previously released films that had a strong fan following. For me, each of those sequels were disappointing to a certain extent. Love at First Dance was decent, but it felt like it was missing something and seemed to get overshadowed by the “June Weddings” sequels. Hallmark will start their “Summer Nights” line-up in late July, which I’m hoping is stronger than not only the “June Weddings” line-up, but the other seasonal line-ups that have premiered on Hallmark Channel so far.

 

Overall score: 4.3 out of 10

 

What are your thoughts on Hallmark Channel’s “June Weddings” line-up? Are you excited for the “Summer Nights” line-up? Let me know in the comment section!

 

Have fun at the movies!

Sally Silverscreen