If you have followed 18 Cinema Lane long enough, you would know how much I have strongly disliked the 2004 Hallmark Hall of Fame movie, Back When We Were Grownups. Not only did I choose this film as the number one worst Hallmark movie of all time, I also criticized the Davitch family (the protagonist’s family in Back When We Were Grownups) for being a dysfunctional family for the sake of it. But since creating my list of the Top 10 Worst Hallmark Movies of All Time back in 2018, I have watched (and even wrote about) Hallmark presentations that I think are worse than Back When We Were Grownups. This made me wonder if the 2004 Hallmark Hall of Fame production was truly as bad as I remembered. With the It Grew On Me Blogathon from Taking Up Room (an event about movies or TV shows a blogathon participant changed their mind on), I decided to find an answer to that question. When I revisited Back When We Were Grownups (over eight years after first watching it), I realized it wasn’t as bad as I initially believed. In fact, I thought it was good! So, for this review, I will explain in an editorial style why I’ve changed my mind about this film, arguing against statements I’ve made in the past about Back When We Were Grownups.

“Rebecca Davitch is one of the worst protagonists in Hallmark movie history, mainly because she doesn’t do anything in the film that seems memorable or note-worthy”.

In Back When We Were Grownups’ synopsis on IMDB and Goodreads, it’s stated how Rebecca Davitch (the protagonist of the 2004 Hallmark Hall of Fame presentation) believes she became “the wrong person”. That’s because Rebecca has doubts about how her life turned out, wondering if she could have made choices that would have produced better outcomes. Her personal conflict leads her to make changes in her life, from continuing her research on Robert E. Lee to adopting a new wardrobe. Even though this personal conflict was a driving force for Rebecca throughout the story, that’s not the only thing she did in Back When We Were Grownups. As the owner of the party planning business, The Open Arms, Rebecca is almost always hosting events, either for family or clients. She also provides her support to members of the Davitch family who truly need it, such as when Rebecca agrees to attend a Grandparents’ Day exhibition at Peter’s (her step-grandson) school. Rebecca even provides advice to clients of The Open Arms, such as when she advised someone to host a graduation party despite the graduate in question failing to graduate (to show the graduate the party’s guests still support them no matter the academic outcome). These examples show how Rebecca is a very active character who is open to making progress in her life. The memorable and note-worthy things she does throughout Back When We Were Grownups place her in situations the audience could find relatable.

“The [Davitch] family seems dysfunctional just for the sake of it, with the cast having little material to work with”.

The dysfunctionality of the Davitch family has been one of my biggest criticisms of Back When We Were Grownups, as it felt like the family was dysfunctional just for the sake of it when I first watched the movie. But calling the Davitch family “dysfunctional” is one of the biggest overstatements on 18 Cinema Lane. In fact, the most dysfunctional family in the 2004 Hallmark Hall of Fame presentation is Dr. Will Allenby (Rebecca’s ex-boyfriend) and his daughter, Beatrice, whose two scenes together were filled with tension and animosity. If I could select words to describe the Davitch family, it would be either “colorful” or “quirky”. While the Davitch family has their issues, they are still able to put their differences aside to help each other where help is needed and enjoy one another’s company at family gatherings. Plus, everyone in the Davitch family appears to live typical, well-adjusted, productive lives, with each family member possessing their own interests and perspectives. This distinctness was partly made possible by the cast themselves, as their chemistry and camaraderie naturally blended together. The acting overall was actually so strong, it was easy to stay invested in Back When We Were Grownups’ story and forget the actors and actresses were portraying a character. One of the best scenes in this film is when Rebecca invites Will to one of her family dinners. During the dinner itself, Rebecca recalls a memory of one of her first party planning jobs. Because the memory brings up positive feelings, the Davitch family is smiling, laughing, and appearing very jovial during Rebecca’s recollection. Meanwhile, confusion is painted on Will’s face as he looks lost and awkward. This described scene perfectly showcases the feeling of being an outsider looking in, especially when it comes to family related events.

Speaking of “colorful”, I’d like to point out how Back When We Were Grownups is one of the most colorful pictures from the Hallmark Hall of Fame collection. I’m pointing this out because of how color was incorporated into the set design. In Rebecca’s kitchen, themed boxes based on different holidays and special events found a home on a tower of shelves. These boxes are coated in hues of red, pink, purple, and even green, becoming a focal point in a kitchen adopting softer hues like pale yellow and beige. While decorating for an upcoming graduation party, the blue decorations nicely stand out against the faded yellow and red walls of the sitting rooms within the Davitch family home. Even during a backyard wedding, rows of hot pink flowers pop within a gray stone fountain. I found this aspect of Back When We Were Grownups such a pleasant surprise because it showed the creative team’s understanding for how and when to utilize color in their project.

“Back When We Were Grownups doesn’t run on a plot or storyline, but rather on the reactions of (mostly) the main protagonist (who doesn’t seem to put in a lot of effort into solving her family’s dysfunctionality)”.

As I’ve already mentioned in this review, Rebecca deals with a personal conflict surrounding her doubts over how her life turned out and questioning the choices she could have made instead. She also lives a very active life, from running a party planning business to hosting family gatherings. Therefore, what I said about Back When We Were Grownups running on the reactions of (mostly) the main protagonist is completely false. What’s false as well is what I said about Rebecca not seeming to put in a lot of effort into solving her family’s dysfunctionality. Why should that be her problem to solve if dysfunctionality isn’t the Davitch family’s problem at all? But another false claim I made was how Back When We Were Grownups doesn’t run on a plot or storyline. Because of Rebecca’s personal conflict, the story is very reflective and poignant, addressing themes and messages that are relatable for an older audience. As Rebecca looks back on her younger years, flashbacks are woven into the production. These flashbacks produce a softer light and hazy cinematography, which allows them to appear distinct from the “present day” scenes. The costume design and music selections effectively bring the 1960s back to life in a believable presentation. Even the dialogue carries the poignancy related to Rebecca’s personal conflict. As Rebecca and Peter are playing a game of Scrabble, Rebecca expresses her frustrations over hosting the 100^th birthday party of a family member named Poppy. She claims Poppy will forget about the party after it happens, trying to justify cancelling the party altogether. But Peter reminds Rebecca how Poppy will remember the party as it’s happening, with Peter’s statement encouraging Rebecca to continue hosting the party. This piece of dialogue respectfully addresses the importance of actively showing up and making an effort for loved ones.

“As a Warehouse 13 fan, I was excited to see Allison Scagliotti’s performance in this film [Back When We Were Grownups], but, unfortunately, she was featured in this movie for about two minutes or less”.

This is less of a criticism of the movie and more of a personal nitpick. Like I’ve stated in the past, I’m a Warehouse 13 fan, with Claudia Donovan being my favorite character from the show. So, when I discovered Allison Scagliotti (the actress who portrayed Claudia) had starred in a Hallmark Hall of Fame movie, I was excited to see her performance in the film. You can imagine my disappointment when I found out her character, Emmy, was given a shorter length of screen-time in Back When We Were Grownups. However, as I reflected on this disappointment after watching the 2004 Hallmark Hall of Fame film for a second time, I was reminded of my disappointment over Amédée only appearing in two scenes in the 1992 Hallmark Hall of Fame film, O Pioneers!. While I haven’t read the source material for Back When We Were Grownups, I have read the source material for O Pioneers!. Even though I’m not a fan of how Amédée’s part of the story turned out in both the book and its adaptation, I have a better understanding why he was in that overall story for such a short amount of time. O Pioneers! revolves around the Bergson family, with a rotation of friends and neighbors making appearances throughout the story. Since Amédée was a friend of Emil’s (the protagonist, Alexandra’s, brother) and possessed a life of his own, it makes sense for him to have a very limited presence in O Pioneers!. It’s a similar scenario for Emmy in Back When We Were Grownups. She’s the granddaughter of Rebecca who does not reside in the same household as her grandmother. Plus, Emmy never experiences any issues Rebecca needed to resolve. As I mentioned earlier in this review, Back When We Were Grownups addresses themes and messages that are relatable for an older audience. With everything said, plus the movie containing an ensemble cast, it explains why Emmy’s role in the overall story was so small. Yet again, I don’t know what her role was like in the book the movie is based on.

The more I think about Back When We Were Grownups, the more it reminds me of It’s a Wonderful Life. Though the 2004 Hallmark Hall of Fame presentation doesn’t contain a personal crisis, angels, or a story revolving around Christmas, it does focus on a protagonist who other characters depend on and cherish. When Rebecca is upset over her absence in a collection of home videos, her brother-in-law, Zeb, reminds her how she’s the glue that keeps the Davitch family together. Another reminder of It’s a Wonderful Life is how, in Back When We Were Grownups, Rebecca reflects on her life and wonders how different it might have been if other choices were made. But in the case of the Hallmark Hall of Fame production, this reflection serves as a driving force for Rebecca to make changes in her life. These changes, along with the messages and themes of Back When We Were Grownups, were woven into a movie that made me laugh, cry, think, and care. That’s what a good movie, let alone one from the Hallmark Hall of Fame collection, should do; make the audience care about the story and its characters. Back When We Were Grownups actually reminded me of Hallmark’s motto, “When you care enough to send the very best”. But what this movie shows is how it’s not just about sending the very best. It’s also about choosing the very best, making sure the very best is indeed “the very best”, and having the very best be special and memorable. While I wouldn’t say Back When We Were Grownups is the “best” Hallmark Hall of Fame movie, as it does have its flaws, it’s certainly better than I initially believed.

Have fun at the movies!

Sally Silverscreen