Tag: letter

Take 3: Signed, Sealed, Delivered: To the Moon and Back Review

On By 18cinemalane18 Comments

Lately, I’ve been reading books for the Eurovisionathon readathon as well as conducting research for my upcoming Sally Solves a Mystery article. But I wasn’t going to miss the opportunity to review Signed, Sealed, Delivered: To the Moon and Back! Leading up to the premiere of Hallmark’s newest presentation, I was going to write a Word on the Street story sharing my thoughts on the film’s trailer. This did not happen because Hallmark gave the movie almost nonexistent marketing. On Hallmark Channel’s website, there were no promotional photos, trailer, or official poster presented for Signed, Sealed, Delivered: To the Moon and Back. Only three images on IMDB (Internet Movie Data Base) make up any promotional campaign this film received. Even on social media, the only people I saw talking about the film were POstables (fans of the Signed, Sealed, Delivered series). Despite this minimalistic marketing approach, I was looking forward to Signed, Sealed, Delivered: To the Moon and Back. That’s because I was curious to see who would portray the rock star character and how that character would impact the mystery.

Signed, Sealed, Delivered: To the Moon and Back promotional image created by Moon Water Productions, Muse Entertainment Enterprises, and Hallmark Channel

Things I liked about the film:

Correcting the predecessor’s mistakes: When I reviewed Signed, Sealed, Delivered: A Tale of Three Letters last year, one of my criticisms was Shane and Oliver’s relationship problems. In my review, I said the couple’s woes got to the point where they didn’t seem compatible like in previous films. It looks like Signed, Sealed, Delivered‘s creative team took this criticism seriously, as Oliver and Shane appeared more compatible in Signed, Sealed, Delivered: To the Moon and Back! Throughout the movie, the couple are shown genuinely supporting and loving one another, making their moments together feel reminiscent of past installments. Even when Oliver is facing a bit of an identity crisis, Shane never gives up of her husband. She cheers Oliver on from the (figurative) sidelines and lets Oliver deal with his situation on his own terms. Because Signed, Sealed, Delivered’s creative team placed more emphasis on the loving interactions between Shane and Oliver, they fixed a mistake from the previous chapter!

A humble celebrity: In some Hallmark productions, the story will include a public figure (either a celebrity or royalty) who needs to learn humility by the end of the movie. But in Signed, Sealed, Delivered: To the Moon and Back, that celebrity was already humble. Nate Holloway is the rock star I mentioned in this review’s introduction. When the POstables turn to Nate for help with their letter-related mystery, he is reluctant to give away any information. This is because he’s protecting a close friend who chooses privacy over fame. Though he eventually shares his friend’s identity with Oliver and Shane, Nate reveals how his friend has written all his hit songs. However, Nate also shares how he sets aside money for his friend, showing acknowledgement and appreciation for his musical success. Through the screenwriting and William Wilder’s performance, Nate Holloway was such a pleasant surprise in Signed, Sealed, Delivered: To the Moon and Back!

A mystery within a mystery: The mystery of Signed, Sealed, Delivered: To the Moon and Back involves the POstables tracking down the sender of a mysterious letter. Not only do the POstables turn to Nate for help, they go on a multi-state road trip in order to solve the mystery. While the story continues, however, another mystery emerges from the initial, previously stated one. This second mystery isn’t revealed until about the film’s half-way point. I liked this creative decision of presenting a mystery within a mystery! The way Signed, Sealed, Delivered’s creative team incorporated these mysteries into their script allows the audience to stay invested in the movie, as well as maintain intrigue!

Music and stage image created by Topntp26 at freepik.com. <a href=’https://www.freepik.com/free-photo/music-sign_1179519.htm’>Designed by Topntp26</a>. <a href=”https://www.freepik.com/free-photos-vectors/vintage”>Vintage image created by Topntp26 – Freepik.com</a>. Image found at freepik.com.

What I didn’t like about the film:

Forced humor: Back in February, when I reviewed Reality Bites: A Hannah Swensen Mystery, I talked about how the film’s humor felt forced. In that review, I said Delores’ antics and gimmicks came across as too over-the-top and silly. I also said Delores’ interactions with other characters felt like they belonged in a sit-com. The creative team behind Signed, Sealed, Delivered: To the Moon and Back made this same mistake; presenting humor that feels forced. One example is when Oliver, Shane, Rita, and Norman meet up for brunch. During this gathering, the friends discuss who is having a baby. This discussion quickly turns into miscommunications about who is pregnant and how many babies they are having. The scene itself is drawn out to about a little over a minute, lasting longer than necessary. The conversation sounded very repetitive as well. Norman, Rita, Shane, and Oliver talked in an animated fashion, making their discussion feel over-the-top. What I just described sounded like a scene out of a sit-com. All it was missing was a laugh track.

Far-fetched resolutions: Hallmark’s presentations, more often than not, make their audience suspend a certain amount of disbelief. Sometimes, this suspension of disbelief can be so great, the audience can’t take that movie seriously or believably. This happened on a few occasions in Signed, Sealed, Delivered: To the Moon and Back. At the Dead Letter Office, Norman is trying to figure out the identity of the letter’s sender. A few seconds after analyzing the handwriting, Norman is able to conclude certain aspects of the sender’s identity, such as their age. While I’m aware the Signed, Sealed, Delivered series is a fictionalized version of postal detective work, I found the discovery of Norman’s resolution too far-fetched. I couldn’t take Signed, Sealed, Delivered: To the Moon and Back seriously because of moments like the one I brought up.

An emphasis on Oliver’s subplot: Signed, Sealed, Delivered: To the Moon and Back features a main plot (the mystery with its accompanying mystery that I mentioned earlier in this review) and two subplots. These subplots are the preparations for a fundraising gala and Oliver receiving a box from his biological father. The creative team behind the 2025 film decided to place the most emphasis on Oliver’s subplot. Personally, I found this subplot the least interesting part of the movie. No new information is revealed from this box, especially for viewers who have consistently followed the Signed, Sealed, Delivered series. The box itself and Oliver’s response to it have very little connection to the other plots in the script. Any time Oliver’s subplot came up in the movie, I wanted the story to go back to showing the characters either planning the gala or solving the mystery. The box did not present a strong conflict that needed to be resolved by the end of the story.

Envelope with hearts image created by Freepik at freepik.com. <a href=’https://www.freepik.com/free-photo/hearts-and-pink-envelope-for-mothers-day_1950691.htm’>Designed by Freepik</a>. <a href=”https://www.freepik.com/free-photos-vectors/love”>Love image created by Freepik</a>. Image found at freepik.com.

My overall impression:

While Shane, Rita, Oliver, and Norman discuss the mysterious letter in Signed, Sealed, Delivered: To the Moon and Back, Rita says the letter itself says so much and nothing at all at the same time. Rita’s statement is the best way I can describe this newest chapter in the Signed, Sealed, Delivered series. On the one hand, there are aspects of the film I liked. The movie improved upon some of the predecessor’s flaws, like making Oliver and Shane’s relationship seem more compatible. I also liked how Nate was a humbler celebrity and how the story contained a mystery within a mystery. On the other hand, several creative errors held the film back from becoming a stronger picture. The creative team behind Signed, Sealed, Delivered: To the Moon and Back chose to emphasize Oliver’s subplot, which I found the least interesting part of the story. Far-fetched resolutions and forced humor prevented me from taking the movie seriously. Looking back on the Signed, Sealed, Delivered films from this year and last year, I think the series should have stayed in retirement. These titles lack the cozy charm that made the series stand out from others on Hallmark Mystery. How can we expect more films from Signed, Sealed, Delivered when Hallmark provided very little marketing for this movie?

Overall score: 6 out of 10

Have you seen Signed, Sealed, Delivered: To the Moon and Back? Do you think the Signed, Sealed, Delivered series will continue? Please tell me in the comment section!

Have fun at the movies!

Sally Silverscreen

Take 3: Signed, Sealed, Delivered: A Tale of Three Letters Review

On By 18cinemalaneLeave a comment

Now that 2024 is at the halfway point, I can share my honest thoughts on Hallmark Mystery’s programming. As of late July 2024, the best mystery movie is still Curious Caterer: Foiled Plans! I also thought Tipline Mysteries: Dial 1 for Murder has potential to start a series. But other than those titles, most of Hallmark’s mystery films, so far, have either been ok, disappointing, or (in the case of CrimeTime: Freefall) unwatchable. This emphasizes what I’ve been saying since I published my editorial about why Francesca Quinn, PI is the worst Hallmark movie I’ve ever seen; the network no longer prioritizes the mystery genre. However, I watch as many of Hallmark’s mystery projects as possible hoping they are good. With that said, I have decided to review Signed, Sealed, Delivered: A Tale of Three Letters. In an editorial as well as a Word on the Street story, I speculated what the movie could be about based on quotes and scenes from the trailer and even past creative decisions from Hallmark themselves. While some of these speculations were proven wrong, it was interesting to see how these creative choices differed from my own ideas. I also approached this newest chapter in the Signed, Sealed, Delivered series hoping it was good, as the overall quality of the series, in my opinion, has been inconsistent. Did Signed, Sealed, Delivered: A Tale of Three Letters raise my hopes or fall short of my expectations? Keep reading my review to find out!

Signed, Sealed, Delivered: A Tale of Three Letters poster created by Hallmark Mystery, MoonWater Productions, and Hallmark Movies & Mysteries

Things I liked about the film:

The overarching theme: When I shared my thoughts on the Signed, Sealed, Delivered: A Tale of Three Letters trailer last month, I talked about how the film’s main plot seemed like a redemption story based on the featured scenes and quotes. As I watched the movie, I was proven wrong on what the story was about. Instead, the overarching theme of Signed, Sealed, Delivered: A Tale of Three Letters discussed when to get involved in someone’s life as well as their problems. This was an interesting creative choice because this is the first time in the series’ eleven-year history the POstables have questioned their work at the Dead Letter Office. The creative decision also highlights how the POstables’ actions have consequences. The thought-provoking nature of the overarching theme, plus its relatability, gives the audience something to think about not only during the movie, but after the story ends.

Recognition of therapy: Therapy can be a useful resource for people who genuinely need it. Though in the twenty-year history of Hallmark Mystery, this idea is rarely included in their programming. Signed, Sealed, Delivered: A Tale of Three Letters shows both POstable couples utilizing therapy for personal reasons. For Norman and Rita, therapy is a part of the process toward starting a family. Meanwhile, Oliver and Shane attend therapy in order to solve a problem. The incorporation of therapy in the newest Signed, Sealed, Delivered movie addresses how multifaceted therapy can be. It also acknowledges a topic typically overlooked by Hallmark. Therapy’s inclusion in Signed, Sealed, Delivered: A Tale of Three Letters gave this story a more unique identity within the series!

Charley’s subplot: In my Word on the Street story about the trailer for Signed, Sealed, Delivered: A Tale of Three Letters, I speculated if Rhiannon Fish’s character, Charley, would become a fifth member of the POstables. This speculation was based on quotes and scenes directly from the trailer. Charley does not become an official member of the POstables in Signed, Sealed, Delivered: A Tale of Three Letters. However, she did receive her own subplot! Charley’s part of the story shared a connection to the film’s main plot. Plus, Charley received more character development, which allowed the audience to learn more about her and her backstory. Because of this creative decision, Charley became more involved in the overall story of the movie. It also gave Rhiannon more acting material to work with!

Since I included screenshots of the Signed, Sealed, Delivered: A Tale of Three Letters trailer in my aforementiond Word on the Street story, I will also include them in my review of the movie. This screenshot is taken by me, Sally Silverscreen.

What I didn’t like about the film:

Shane and Oliver’s relationship problems: Throughout the eleven-year lifespan of the Signed, Sealed, Delivered series, Oliver and Shane have embodied the “opposites attract” trope sometimes adopted in romance or “rom-com” stories. Despite their differences, the couple was able to find common ground to help and love each other. Sadly, this previously established aspect of Shane and Oliver’s relationship was lacking in Signed, Sealed, Delivered: A Tale of Three Letters. For most of the story, the couple were either arguing with each other or were bitter toward one another. Their problems got to the point where Oliver and Shane didn’t seem compatible like in past films. Though the couple did go to therapy to resolve these problems, Shane and Oliver’s relationship woes soured the movie’s overall tone.

Predictable parts of the story: The Signed, Sealed, Delivered series has a more unique identity compared to Hallmark Mystery’s other movie series. One reason is the exclusion of murder mysteries. But no matter the mystery a movie series adopts, the mystery itself has to be intriguing enough for the audience to stay invested in the program. An approach to this idea is not making the story too predictable. Unfortunately, there were predictable parts of Signed, Sealed, Delivered: A Tale of Three Letters’ story. Charley knows exactly how the Great Mailbox Breach of 2017 started. Seconds after I predicted the reason, she ended up proving my prediction right when she shared this revelation with Shane and Oliver. Speaking of Shane, she has a surprise to share in this film. The surprise wasn’t effective for me because I correctly guessed the surprise within the movie’s first twenty minutes based on presented clues. These predictable parts of the story caused the film’s intrigue to decrease.

Too convenient situations: Earlier in this review, I mentioned Rita and Norman going to therapy as part of the process toward starting a family. Their part of Signed, Sealed, Delivered: A Tale of Three Letters’ story revolved around their desire to adopt a child. At one point, Rita even mentions having to deal with a lot of paperwork. But along the way, the POstables meet someone who, conveniently, finds the perfect solution for Norman and Rita. This causes their conflict to be resolved by the end of the movie. Situations happening too conveniently is another reason for the film’s decreased intrigue.

Since I included screenshots of the Signed, Sealed, Delivered: A Tale of Three Letters trailer in my aforementiond Word on the Street story, I will also include them in my review of the movie. This screenshot is taken by me, Sally Silverscreen.

My overall impression:

Hallmark brought the Signed, Sealed, Delivered series out of a three year hiatus to air Signed, Sealed, Delivered: A Tale of Three Letters on Hallmark Mystery. While it’s good to see Hallmark continuing a mystery series instead of cancelling or abandoning it, the newest Signed, Sealed, Delivered chapter needed more time to develop a stronger story. This movie did improve upon some of the flaws of the predecessor, Signed, Sealed, Delivered: The Vows We Have Made, such as providing Charley with more character development. Good creative decisions were expressed on screen, like the overarching theme and the recognition of therapy. But as I watched Signed, Sealed, Delivered: A Tale of Three Letters, I realized what the film was missing was the cozy charm that helped create Signed, Sealed, Delivered’s brand. The elements of religion/faith Signed, Sealed, Delivered has been known for was lacking, with God being referenced only once. Even Stevie Wonder’s song, which has become the unofficial theme song of the series, was nowhere to be heard. In all honesty, I have seen films in the Signed, Sealed, Delivered series that were weaker than Signed, Sealed, Delivered: A Tale of Three Letters. At the same time, there were stronger films in this series than Signed, Sealed, Delivered’s newest installment. Hopefully, next year’s chapter, “Signed, Sealed, Delivered: To the Moon and Back” is a better movie.

Overall score: 6 out of 10

Have you seen Signed, Sealed, Delivered: A Tale of Three Letters? Are you looking forward to “Signed, Sealed, Delivered: To the Moon and Back”? Please tell me in the comment section!

Have fun at the movies!

Sally Silverscreen

Take 3: No Postage Necessary Review

On By 18cinemalaneLeave a comment

For my review of No Postage Necessary, my original plan was to publish it on Valentine’s Day. This decision was made because, last year, I wrote about Evan Williams’ Hallmark film, The National Tree, in honor of the Christmas season. While working on my aforementioned review, I was also finding research for my upcoming Sally Solves a Mystery article. However, locating research for my Sally Solves a Mystery entry took longer than I expected. That means I ran out of time to publish my review of No Postage Necessary as originally intended. But I haven’t reviewed a movie since last week, so that’s why I’m still publishing my No Postage Necessary review. When it comes to “chick flicks” and “rom coms”, Hallmark has capitalized on both genres. But Hallmark is not the “end all, be all” when it comes to romantic comedies. Will No Postage Necessary mirror the quality viewers come to expect from Hallmark? Keep reading my review to find out!

No Postage Necessary poster created by Two Roads Picture Co. and Deep C Digital

Things I liked about the film:

George Blagden’s performance: While I liked the acting throughout No Postage Necessary, the strongest performance, in my opinion, came from George Blagden. That, along with how George is the reason why I sought out this movie, is why I’ll be highlighting George’s performance in this review. The most notable aspect of George’s portrayal of the protagonist, Sam, is how effortless he makes his performance appear. Toward the beginning of the film, Sam is a pessimistic man, using sarcasm to combat disappointment. During these moments, the sarcasm rolls off George’s tongue, with the delivery being sharp. As the story progresses and Sam becomes attracted to the film’s female protagonist, Josie, his attitude begins to soften. George adopts a calm, yet playful demeanor to show Sam’s changing persona. The aforementioned effortlessness, along with George’s ability to readily change emotions and expressions, allows Sam’s transformation to come across as believable!

The on-screen chemistry: For any romantic comedy to work, there needs to be, at least, some on-screen chemistry between the lead actor and actress. If this on-screen chemistry is strong, it believably sells the protagonists’ romantic relationship to the audience. As I previously mentioned in this review, Sam becomes attracted to Josie. Throughout the story, Josie and Sam spend time together and eventually fall in love. While interacting with each other, I could sense on-screen chemistry between George Blagden and Charleene Closshey. These interactions were not only very sweet, but it seemed like their characters developed a sense of understanding between each other. I also want to point out how natural Sam and Josie’s interactions were in No Postage Necessary. The acting abilities of George and Charleene worked in this movie’s favor!

The messages and themes: Similar to other romantic comedies, especially from Hallmark, there were some good messages and themes within the script of No Postage Necessary. One major theme is taking responsibility for one’s own actions. Prior to the events of this movie, Sam was arrested and faced accountability for the crime he committed. He is on probation during the events of the film. But when he discovered a letter from Josie, Sam takes the initiative the turn his life around. He seeks out better employment so he can prove how self-sufficient he is. Sam even purchases a new car, trying to give Josie a good impression of himself. Because of the screenwriting and acting performances, this theme was delivered well in this movie!

Envelope with hearts image created by Freepik at freepik.com. <a href=’https://www.freepik.com/free-photo/hearts-and-pink-envelope-for-mothers-day_1950691.htm’>Designed by Freepik</a>. <a href=”https://www.freepik.com/free-photos-vectors/love”>Love image created by Freepik</a>. Image found at freepik.com.

What I didn’t like about the film:

The cyber security/Bitcoin subplot: George’s character, Sam, is a computer hacker who was arrested for his crime. Despite his criminal past, he still believes he could use his skills for good. Throughout the movie, Sam is accused by Agent Ames of stealing Bitcoins, even though Sam has never worked with Bitcoins before. While I’m aware Sam needed a conflict to work through, as well as a reason to change his ways, the overall tone of this subplot clashed with the cozy, sweet nature of the main romance plot. It felt like a Hallmark Channel movie tried to incorporate a Lifetime movie conflict into their script. This aforementioned subplot also, at times, seemed to serve a talking point for bigger, real-world issues. That prevented the film from completely adopting escapism.

Underutilized conflicts: In one of Josie’s letters, Josie shares how she wants to enroll her daughter, Daisy, into a prestigious school for gifted children. This decision was sparked by Daisy’s inability to socialize with her peers, to the point she is physically harming other students. But during the movie, Josie spends more time talking about what she wants to do instead of creating a plan to accomplish her goals. I know achieving goals and dreams takes time as well as determination. But in an hour and forty-four-minute film that prioritizes the main romance plot and the cyber security/Bitcoin subplot, this is one example of a conflict becoming underutilized.

Omission of George’s musical talents: When I published my editorial about why George Blagden and Evan Williams should go to Eurovision 2024, one of my arguments was George and Evan’s musical talents. I highlighted how both Evan and George are not only musically gifted as individuals, they also sound good together. With that said, I feel it was a missed opportunity not to include George’s musical talents in No Postage Necessary. In this movie, Josie shares with Sam how she has dreamed of becoming a singer. There’s even a scene where Josie performs with her former band at a local pub. If the creative team behind the movie knew they would be incorporating music into their production, they should have given George an opportunity to perform at least one acoustic musical number. Even a cover of Stevie Wonder’s “Signed, Sealed, Delivered (I’m Yours)” playing over a scene would have made sense.

Hand-written letter image created by Veraholera at freepik.com. <a href=”https://www.freepik.com/free-photos-vectors/background”>Background vector created by Veraholera – Freepik.com</a>. <a href=’https://www.freepik.com/free-vector/love-letter-pattern_1292902.htm’>Designed by Freepik</a>. Image found at freepik.com.

My overall impression:

Hallmark has gained a reputation of having some of their movies look and feel too similar to each other. This creative choice has caused viewers like myself to crave creativity and uniqueness from the network. No Postage Necessary tries to give their romantic comedy a different identity from other movies of this genre, including those from Hallmark. While I appreciate this effort at creativity, the tones of the main romantic plot and the cyber security/Bitcoin subplot clashed with one another, causing them to feel mismatched. When the movie focuses on the romantic plot, the story feels reminiscent of a Hallmark production. Even though there is cozy, sweetness shared between the protagonists and the messages and themes within the script are good, the creative team behind No Postage Necessary still found a way to tell their own story without appearing to copy Hallmark’s homework. If you’re a fan of George Blagden or have enjoyed his performance in other programs he has starred in, I’d recommend watching this film for his performance!

Overall score: 6.8 out of 10

Have you seen No Postage Necessary? Are there any romantic comedies you’d like to read about on my blog? Tell me in the comment section!

Have fun at the movies!

Sally Silverscreen

Take 3: Sincerely, Yours, Truly Review + 295, 300, 305, 310, and 315 Follower Thank You

On By 18cinemalane1 Comment

I know this review has been long overdue.  With several projects on my plate last month, I wasn’t able to get to my review as soon as I had wanted. Like I mentioned in my Peer Pressure Tag post, I am using March as the month where I catch up on important articles. This includes the newest blog follower dedication review. This time around, I wanted to choose a movie that was different from the film I wrote about for my last review; Perry Mason: The Case of the Telltale Talk Show Host. Even though there is a mystery in Sincerely, Yours, Truly, the overall story is more light-hearted in tone. It’s rare for an Up Network film to be covered on 18 Cinema Lane. This is because I just haven’t gotten around to watching many of them. Beginning at the start of 2021, Up Network has been releasing a new movie almost every Sunday night. Since Sincerely, Yours, Truly has been on my DVR for about a month, I finally had an excuse to watch it!

I took a screenshot of the film’s poster from my television. Screenshot taken by me, Sally Silverscreen.

Things I liked about the film:

The acting: Even though Natalie Hall has starred in Hallmark Channel movies since 2011, the only film of Natalie’s I have seen is A Winter Princess. The reason I bring this up is because it shows how Natalie has experience when it comes to working on films of this nature. Throughout Sincerely, Yours, Truly, Natalie was very expressive, which is reflective of her time appearing in Hallmark’s rom-coms and one of the Love Saga (Love Comes Softly) films. Toward the beginning of the movie, Natalie’s character, Hayley, and her friend, Elisa, have received good news about a potential grant for their non-profit, Growing Out. They dance around Hayley’s kitchen and squeal in delight, as they can’t contain their excitement. While we’re on the subject of Elisa, I also liked Nicki Whitely’s performance in Sincerely, Yours, Truly! Like Natalie, Nicki was also expressive. She had a good on-screen personality as well. Anytime Elisa interacted with Hayley, their friendship came across as realistic. The moments when they read the love letters are a good example. This was my first time watching any of Marshall Williams’ projects, so I didn’t know what to expect from Marshall, talent-wise. I have to say that I was very impressed by his portrayal of Josh! In the movie, he was charming, with his reactions and expressions appearing natural. Having good on-screen chemistry with Natalie also helped Marshall. One of Marshall’s best scenes was when Josh discovers a letter about a lost item. Josh receives his mail when he is on his way to work, not thinking twice about the task. As soon as he sees the letter, a look of curiosity immediately appears on his face.

The witty banter: In order to make any movie, let alone a rom-com, work, there needs to be good dialogue among the characters. Sincerely, Yours, Truly contained witty banter, which was one of the strongest parts of the film! Hayley and Josh meet when they argue over who should receive the last two jars of rhubarb jam. During this interaction, Josh lies about his reasons for wanting the jam. At first, he says he needs it for his sister because she’s having a bad day. Then he says he needs the jam because his sister is sick. Hayley comes back with witty remarks, calling out his falsehood in the process. After hearing both explanations of Josh’s, she asks him which one is true. This back-and-forth banter between these two characters was consistent, being both quick and sharp. Another example of this banter is when Josh is asking Hayley to put out her incense at their shared office facility. Because he’s entering her part of the office, Hayley responds by telling him not to spy, a reference from an earlier conversation. Not only do these interactions work because of the script, but also because of Natalie and Marshall’s talents!

The process of a grant proposal: A overarching narrative in Sincerely, Yours, Truly is Josh and Hayley attempting to win a financial grant for their respective non-profits. Throughout the film, the audience gets to see the entire process, from Josh and Hayley’s initial meeting to the final results. I found this part of the story interesting, as it allowed the characters to use problem solving skills and creativity. Even though Hayley’s non-profit was featured in the film more than Josh’s, I liked seeing her ideas come to life! This kind of insightful story-telling is what I’ve come to enjoy in stories like this.

Envelope with hearts image created by Freepik at freepik.com. <a href=’https://www.freepik.com/free-photo/hearts-and-pink-envelope-for-mothers-day_1950691.htm’>Designed by Freepik</a>. <a href=”https://www.freepik.com/free-photos-vectors/love”>Love image created by Freepik</a>. Image found at freepik.com.

What I didn’t like about the film:

Revealing the mystery too early: A mystery surrounding a collection of love letters was one of the major stories in Sincerely, Yours, Truly. This is one of the reasons why I wanted to watch this film. Within the first twenty minutes, a narration from a character the audience already met recites one of the love letters. The narration reveals the identity of the letters’ author. The mystery should have been drawn out for longer than twenty minutes, with the author’s identity remaining a secret for at least half the movie. This would give the audience more time to stay invested in the mystery.

No subplots for the supporting characters: While I liked the major stories in Sincerely, Yours, Truly, I didn’t find subplots for any of the supporting characters. What’s even more frustrating is how there were opportunities for subplots to take place. One example is Hayley’s mom, Camille. Over lunch between mother and daughter, it is revealed that Camille has a crush on a local butcher. However, this relationship is never explored and we only see Camille in two scenes. In the story, Elisa shares how she’s dating a dog-walker, whose profession is affecting her allergies. This conflict was not resolved anywhere in the movie.

Josh and Hayley never coming across as enemies: A classic rom-com trope that is found within the movie is “enemies to lovers”. Even though I enjoyed seeing Hayley and Josh’s interactions, I never felt like they were enemies. Sure, there were aspects of the other person they didn’t like. But their banter came across as playful than antagonistic. This made me question why the creative team behind Sincerely, Yours, Truly adopted this specific trope if they weren’t going to fully utilize it?

Fancy jewelry image created by Freepic.diller at freepik.com. <a href=”https://www.freepik.com/free-photos-vectors/wedding”>Wedding photo created by freepic.diller – http://www.freepik.com</a>. Image found at freepik.com.

My overall impression:

I’m glad to see Up Network releasing newer films on their channel! It gives their audience something to look forward to and allows the network to compete alongside their competitors. With Sincerely, Yours, Truly, it was a film I ended up liking! While the movie does have its flaws, its sincerity and genuineness make up for that. I didn’t bring this up in my review, but Sincerely, Yours, Truly successfully avoided the “it’s not what you think” cliché. There were two instances where this cliché could have been used in the story. However, the film’s creative team subverted my expectations and chose not to use it, which made me enjoy the movie more! I want to take the time now to thank all of my followers. Reaching 300 followers is a big deal for me, so I appreciate all of the support!

Overall score: 7.8 out of 10

Have you seen any of Up Network’s newer films? If so, which one has been your favorite? Please tell me in the comment section below!

Have fun at the movies!

Sally Silverscreen

Take 3: Hallmark Hall of Fame’s The Love Letter Review

On By 18cinemalane6 Comments

I’m not going to lie; I love a good blog party! So, when I discovered Heidi, from Along the Brandywine, was hosting the Valentine’s Day Period Drama Blog Party, I couldn’t wait to sign up! Period dramas are not regularly covered on 18 Cinema Lane. While I do have a re-cap series for When Calls the Heart, I choose what films to watch based on how interesting their stories sound. There have been period dramas I loved, such as Swept from the Sea. But, for this blogathon, I wanted to review a film I hadn’t seen before. For about a year, I’ve had the Hallmark Hall of Fame movie, The Love Letter, on my DVR. Because parts of the movie take place in the 19th century, I felt it fit Heidi’s time period requirement of the 1600’s to World War II. I try to watch as many Hallmark Hall of Fame titles as I realistically can. Prior to reviewing The Love Letter, the only Hallmark Hall of Fame movie from 1998 I’ve seen is Grace & Glorie, which was one of the best movies I saw last year! While not all movies from this collection are created equally, I do watch these movies with an open mind.

Since an image of The Love Letter‘s poster was featured on my television, I took a screenshot of it with my phone. Screenshot taken by me, Sally Silverscreen.

Things I liked about the film:

The acting: Because The Love Letter heavily relies on the performances of its lead actor and actress, this part of the review will focus on Campbell Scott’s and Jennifer Jason Leigh’s portrayal of Scott Corrigan and Elizabeth Whitcomb. With Campbell’s performance, there was always a sense of focus in his character. This focus could be seen in Scott’s eyes. When he was inspecting the desk at the antique store or restoring that same desk, Scott’s focus showed how much he cared. This was a consistent part of the character and helped whenever he wrote to Elizabeth. In historical fiction/period films, it would be easy for the screenwriter to give their lead female character one distinct type of personality. Elizabeth Whitcomb, on the other hand, held a balance of two that brought something unique to the character. She had a youthful radiance about her, being a “romantic dreamer” at heart. However, Elizabeth carried herself with a graceful maturity that prevented her from becoming childish or immature. Jennifer brought both aspects to Elizabeth equally and beautifully, allowing her character to be multi-dimensional.

The historical accuracy: I am not an expert on the 1860s and its historical significance. But based on what I do know about this particular period in time, Elizabeth’s part of the story looked and felt historically accurate! The Whitcomb family home was furnished with pieces that appeared antique, from the couch in the sitting room to the desk Elizabeth and Scott share. Dark wood held these structures together, with green cushions and intricate carvings finishing the couch and desk. The costumes were very detailed and also reflective of the 1860s. Embroidery on Elizabeth’s jacket and the overall design of her lacy parasol serve as two examples. Even the dialogue spoken by the characters sounded like it came directly from an era gone by. Pieces of the story like the ones I mentioned tell me, as an audience member, the creative team behind this film cared about the presentation of this part of their project!

A fantastical element: Most of the stories from the Hallmark Hall of Fame collection are grounded in reality, which means that fantastical elements are rarely found in these scripts. With The Love Letter, the story revolves around two people from different time periods who communicate to each other through letter writing. The idea of time manipulation is a concept that would likely be found in either a fantasy or science fiction film. While stories like Somewhere in Time and Portrait of Jennie have been dramas paired with this specific concept, I don’t recall Hallmark Hall of Fame creating their own film like that before or after 1998. Because The Love Letter’s creative team chose to include a fantastical element into their overall project, it gave the movie an opportunity to stand out from other titles. This was a creative risk that worked in the film’s favor!

The Valentine’s Day Period Drama Blog Party banner created by Heidi from Along the Brandywine.

What I didn’t like about the film:

Scott being engaged: A trope that has appeared in several Hallmark films is the male or female protagonist being engaged at the beginning of the story, only to fall in love with someone else by the end of that story. This trope has found its way into The Love Letter. For most of the movie, Scott is engaged to a woman named Debra. As he finds himself falling in love with Elizabeth, he strings Debra along and keeps the letter writing a secret. Scott does tell Debra the truth about his feelings, but this doesn’t happen until the movie is almost over. Personally, I think this trope is pointless, as the audience is spending time with a relationship that will end up leading nowhere. Scott should have remained single so the script could give its undivided attention to his and Elizabeth’s exchanges.

A rushed explanation: When fantastical or science fiction elements are included in a script, it helps to provide clear explanations to the audience so they can understand what is happening on screen. In The Love Letter, Scott’s mother tells Scott that an imbalance in the time-space continuum is the reason why he and Elizabeth are able to write to one another. However, this explanation was rushed, with Scott’s mother briefly bringing it up on only two occasions throughout the whole movie. She gives Scott stamps from the 1860s and had a special kind of writing ink made for him. Scott’s mother even found a post office that has existed since the Civil War era. These objects and the post office felt more like they conveniently benefited the plot instead of serving as ‘macguffins’ to move the story forward. As I already mentioned, this kind of story is rarely found in the Hallmark Hall of Fame collection. Despite this, a little more time should have been devoted to providing a clearer explanation.

Lack of physical interactions between Scott and Elizabeth: Because Scott and Elizabeth are from different time periods, it is not possible for them to physically interact with one another. Even though this is the nature of the story, it prevented the audience from seeing the on-screen chemistry between Campbell Scott and Jennifer Jason Leigh. One of the staples of a romance film is the on-screen chemistry between the lead actor and actress. Since that element was missing from The Love Letter, I was only invested in Scott and Elizabeth’s relationship to a certain extent. While their words were romantic, verbal communication only plays a part among any given couple.

Hand-written letter image created by Veraholera at freepik.com. <a href=”https://www.freepik.com/free-photos-vectors/background”>Background vector created by Veraholera – Freepik.com</a>. <a href=’https://www.freepik.com/free-vector/love-letter-pattern_1292902.htm’>Designed by Freepik</a>. Image found at freepik.com.

My overall impression:

As I said in my review, most Hallmark Hall of Fame stories are grounded in reality. These stories are also on the simple side, with messages and themes that audience members can relate to. Even though The Love Letter has a fantastical element that is rarely found in films from this collection, it has a simpler story that works! Romance through words and thoughts is what carries the overall story, with important advice woven into the script. Forming a relationship with someone you truly love and never giving up on yourself are nice sentiments that can make audience members feel good about what they are watching. The movie also has the ingredients of a good Hallmark Hall of Fame title, like the level of detail when it comes to the film’s historical accuracy. It is true the movie has its flaws. However, the execution of a creative risk like this makes up for The Love Letter’s weaknesses. Films such as this one make me wish Hallmark would be more creative with their stories and think outside the box more. With the ball in their court, I don’t know what their next creative step will be.

Overall score: 8 out of 10

Have you seen The Love Letter? What Hallmark Hall of Fame movies would you like to see me review? Let me know in the comment section!

Have fun at the movies!

Sally Silverscreen

Take 3: Holiday for Heroes Review

On By 18cinemalaneLeave a comment

Because of several blog related projects, I haven’t gotten around to reviewing any of the Christmas movies. But now that I’ve completed those projects, I can finally start talking about some of these films! Since I didn’t review A Veteran’s Christmas last year, I thought I’d make up for that by reviewing Holiday for Heroes. I love Operation Christmas, a Hallmark Movies & Mysteries film that premiered in 2016. But since then, I’ve felt that the military related Christmas movies from Hallmark’s second network haven’t been as good as the aforementioned film. While I liked Home for Christmas Day, it was released during Hallmark Movies & Mysteries’ “Christmas in July” marathon. When Holiday for Heroes was first announced, I had to lower my expectations in order not to become disappointed. It also didn’t help that the story reminded me of The Christmas Card, a movie that I found to be just ok. But I hoped for the best as I gave this movie a fair chance. Was I pleasantly surprised or was the film as expected? It’s time to report for duty and read this review!

Holiday for Heroes poster
Holiday for Heroes poster created by Hallmark Movies & Mysteries and Crown Media Family Networks. Image found at https://www.crownmediapress.com/Shows/PRShowDetail?SiteID=143&FeedBoxID=845&NodeID=307&ShowType=&ShowTitle=Holiday+for+Heroes.

Things I liked about the film:

The acting: I’ve seen all of Marc Blucas’ Hallmark films. In these movies, Marc has always taken his roles seriously and presented the best of his acting abilities. This was no different in Holiday for Heroes, as Marc brought his character to life with believability and charm. While this is the second time where Marc has portrayed a member of the military, his performance was different in Holiday for Heroes. Marc’s character, Matt, was more light-hearted. He also had a more playful and fun personality. This was Melissa Claire Egan’s first Hallmark movie. Despite this, she did a great job portraying her character, Audrey. Her performance was very expressive, allowing the audience to witness the well-roundedness of her acting abilities. It was also emotional at dramatic moments, making those scenes effective. Both Marc and Melissa worked well with all of their co-stars, helping this cast become strong as a whole.

 

The on-screen chemistry: As soon as Audrey and Matt met in person for the first time, I knew that Marc and Melissa were going to have good on-screen chemistry! Throughout the film, the audience got to watch their relationship grow over the course of the Christmas season. Even though their reunion was inevitable, because that’s how Hallmark movies work, I liked seeing everything work in their favor. It was a joy to see Melissa and Marc come together to make this on-screen relationship a reality. Because their acting styles were similar, it allowed their characters to adopt similar personalities from one another. Out of all the Christmas movies I’ve seen this year, so far, this is one of the best on-screen pairs of 2019’s Christmas season!

 

A sense of reality: In my review of The Christmas Card, I said that the unrealistic nature of the titular card was one of the things I didn’t like about that film. This aspect of that story asked me to suspend my belief more than I wanted to. In Holiday for Heroes, the letter writing that took place between Audrey and Matt felt realistic. Because Audrey’s brother happened to be in the same division of the Army as Matt, their acknowledgement of one another makes sense. This movie featured other elements that also seemed realistic. One example is when Audrey and her friend, Jade, found out that their family members in the military would not be coming home for Christmas. When they both received the phone call, the look on their faces and the tone of the voices say everything that the audience needs to know. This was the result of good acting and good screenwriting.

 

A good level of sincerity: When it comes to Hallmark Christmas movies, there are some that try too hard to be sincere. For Holiday for Heroes, the sincerity in the story felt genuine. What worked in this movie’s favor was how the primary focus was placed on, simply, telling a good story. It also put emphasis on finding the right people to help tell this story, both in front of and behind the camera. The overall project gave me, as an audience member, the impression that the creative team’s heart was always in the right place. By watching the film, I could tell that there was a lot of care and effort that was put into it. These are the things that, I think, not only make a great Christmas movie, but also a great movie in general.

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United States Army Monument image created by David Resseguie at freeimages.com. “FreeImages.com/David Resseguie.”

What I didn’t like about the film:

The “red herring” love interest: In some Hallmark films, there will be a “red herring” love interest placed in the story in an attempt to trick the audience into thinking the protagonist won’t fall in love with the other protagonist. In the case of Holiday for Heroes, this role was given to a character named Luke, who was portrayed by William Rubio. While the character himself was fine, I don’t think Luke needed to be a love interest. Because Hallmark movies almost always have the male and female protagonist fall in love, the idea of featuring any “red herring” love interest just doesn’t feel necessary. This creative tactic might be effective for audience members who don’t watch a lot of Hallmark projects. But for people, like myself, who consume a lot of Hallmark content, this could insult their intelligence.

 

The “it’s not what you think” cliché: In my list of The Top 10 Worst Clichés from Hallmark Movies, I talked about how the “it’s not what you think” cliché is hit or miss. This cliché’s inclusion in Holiday for Heroes was not needed. In the movie, Matt was led to believe that Audrey and Luke were falling in love based on their interactions he witnessed. Because of this, Matt automatically made assumptions instead of immediately addressing his issues. As I already said, Luke was the “red herring” love interest and most Hallmark movies feature the male and female protagonist falling in love. This makes me believe that Holiday for Heroes would have better off without this cliché.

christmas envelop 3 preview
Santa stationary image created by Freepik at freepik.com. <a href=’https://www.freepik.com/free-vector/creative-christmas-letter-and-envelope-template_3281562.htm’>Designed by Freepik</a>. <a href=”https://www.freepik.com/free-photos-vectors/christmas”>Christmas vector created by Freepik</a>. Image found at freepik.com. 

My overall impression:

Holiday for Heroes was a genuinely good film! Instead of reminding me of The Christmas Card, the movie reminded me of Operation Christmas more than I expected! What is great about this film is how it doesn’t rehash the story of the 2016 project. Holiday for Heroes tells a story that happens to share some of the same themes. There were several components that worked in this movie’s favor, from the acting to the film’s sincerity. These things added to my enjoyment of the movie! Even though we’re not half-way through the Christmas season yet, Holiday for Heroes is my favorite Christmas movie from 2019, so far! It was heart-warming without trying too hard to be and I think it’s a good movie for both Hallmark fans and casual viewers of Hallmark.

 

Overall score: 8.6 out of 10

 

What are your thoughts on Hallmark’s Christmas line-ups this year, so far? Which movie has been your favorite? Please tell me in the comment section!

 

Have fun at the movies!

Sally Silverscreen

Word on the Street: Jen Lilley could star in a potential Hallmark movie + exciting TV movie news!

On By 18cinemalaneLeave a comment

Before February has officially ended, I wanted to publish one more Word on the Street post for the month. February has been a very busy month for me on 18 Cinema Lane. From participating in two blogathons to achieving 75 followers, I’ve had quite a bit of blog related content on my plate. Fortunately, I’ve found the time to publish the material that I wanted to publish before the month was over. Some of that material is the four movie news stories that are related to Hallmark and Lifetime. While three of these stories are speculation, one of them has been confirmed as a Hallmark movie. Like I’ve done with other Word on the Street stories, I will talk about each of these stories and share as much information as I could find. I will also share some of my insight about these stories. Now that’s start discussing these pieces of movie news!

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On-line movie purchase image created by Makyzz at freepik.com. <a href=’https://www.freepik.com/free-vector/on-line-order-cinema-movie-tickets_1577652.htm’>Designed by Freepik</a>. <a href=”https://www.freepik.com/free-photos-vectors/technology”>Technologyvector created by Makyzz – Freepik.com</a>. Image found at freepik.com.

Last month, in a Word on the Street post, I listed several movie titles that had not yet been attached to any networks. One of those titles was “Puppy Party Romance”. At the time, the project was about to go into production in early February. According to an article from Soap Opera News, it looks like this movie might be a Hallmark production! In the article, it is said that Jen Lilley has been attached to the project. Other cast members have also been announced; they are Christopher Russell, Lindsay Maxwell, Mark Brandon, and Bailey Skodje. Christie Will Wolf has been attached to this movie as the director and Navid Soofi is the film’s producer. When I visited Jen Lilley’s IMDB filmography page, this movie was listed as “For the Love of Dogs”. As of February and early March 2019, Hallmark has not confirmed or denied that “Puppy Party Romance” is their movie. But, it wouldn’t be surprising if this ended up being a Hallmark film. Two years ago, Jen starred in Eat, Play, Love, a Hallmark movie where dogs played a key role in the story. No matter which network airs this movie, I think we’ll hear an announcement about it sooner or later.

If you want to check out the references that I mentioned, visit Jen Lilley’s IMDB page or this link:

https://www.soapoperanews.net/2019/02/days-of-our-lives-alum-jen-lilley-cast.html

Group portrait of adorable puppies
Group of puppies image created by Rawpixel.com at freepik.com. <a href=”https://www.freepik.com/free-photos-vectors/background”>Background photo created by rawpixel.com – http://www.freepik.com</a>. Image found at freepik.com.

In that same Word on the Street post from last month, another movie that I mentioned was “Web of Dreams”. At the time, the film was in production until February 11th. Recently, I found this project listed on Max Lloyd-Jones’ IMDB filmography page. Not only has Max been attached to “Web of Dreams”, but there are other Hallmark stars that have been cast in this film, such as Keenan Tracey and Cindy Busby. While looking at the IMDB page for this movie, I noticed that the film’s official writer is Virginia C. Andrews. When I visited her IMDB page, I discovered that she is known as V.C. Andrews, the author whose claim to fame was Flowers in the Attic. With this acquired knowledge, I did some research on Goodreads to learn more about “Web of Dreams”. It turns out that Web of Dreams is, indeed, one of V. C. Andrews’ novels and it is the fifth book in the Casteel series. I’ve never heard of this series until I learned more about this movie. However, I am familiar with V. C. Andrews. Even though I have never read her books, I have seen Lifetime’s adaptations of the Flowers in the Attic series and My Sweet Audrina. Let’s just say that those films are not “Hallmark appropriate”. Based on all the information I shared, it looks like “Web of Dreams”, as well as the Casteel series, could be a Lifetime presentation.

If you want to visit the reference that I mentioned, visit the IMDB page for “Web of Dreams”.

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Spiderweb image created by Freepik at freepik.com. <a href=”https://www.freepik.com/free-photos-vectors/pattern”>Pattern vector created by freepik – http://www.freepik.com</a>. Image found at freepik.com.

Speaking of Cindy Busby, I discovered on her IMDB filmography page that she has been cast in the movie, “Letter from My Mother”. This movie was another title that I shared in a Word on the Street post last month. Besides Cindy, the other cast members that have been attached to this project are Jordyn Ashley Olsen, Karen Holness, Jaime M. Callica, Heather-Claire Nortey, and Emma Oliver. While this film has not been given an official synopsis yet, Michael Scott has been listed as the film’s director. Michael has directed several movies for various networks, so it’s unclear, right now, which network “Letter from My Mother” could premiere on. When I first heard of this title, I thought that, maybe, it was a Hallmark Hall of Fame project. Because this movie doesn’t appear to be associated with Hallmark Hall of Fame, I’m wondering if “Letter from My Mother” could be a Mother’s Day themed story? I also wonder when we’ll hear any news about the next Hallmark Hall of Fame project.

If you want to visit the reference that I mentioned, visit the IMDB page for “Letter from My Mother”.

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Hand-written letter image created by Veraholera at freepik.com. <a href=”https://www.freepik.com/free-photos-vectors/background”>Background vector created by Veraholera – Freepik.com</a>. <a href=’https://www.freepik.com/free-vector/love-letter-pattern_1292902.htm’>Designed by Freepik</a>. Image found at freepik.com.

Two weeks ago, an Instagram account called joylenznews attached the hashtags #MessageInABottle, #hallmarkchannel, #hallmarkmovies, and #hallmark to a photo and video of Hallmark star, Bethany Joy Lenz. In the photo, there is a caption that says “Meet Abbey”, which implies that Bethany’s character could be named Abbey. In the video, not only does Bethany appear to be visiting a winery, the photo on the video says “The absolute best set! Nothing like the smell of oak barrels and wine in the air…oh, and hey @joylenz!” This means that a winery could play a role in this film’s narrative. When I clicked on the hashtag #MessageInABottle, two particular photos caught my attention. The first one was of Bethany at Hallmark’s Winter TCA Event. In this photo’s caption, which appears to come from Bethany’s official Instagram account, Bethany not only confirms that “Message In A Bottle” is a Hallmark Channel movie, but she also says that it will premiere during the “Spring Fever” line-up and that Andrew Walker will also be starring in the film. Andrew Walker, in a photo from his Instagram account, also confirmed that he and Bethany were going to star in “Message In A Bottle”. Hallmark has not yet announced this film’s release date.

If you want to visit the reference that I mentioned, visit the official Instagram account of joylenznews (at joylenznews).

Message in a bottle on beach.
Message in a bottle image created by Rawpixel.com at freepik.com. <a href=”https://www.freepik.com/free-photos-vectors/tree”>Tree photo created by rawpixel.com – http://www.freepik.com</a>. Image found at freepik.com.

What are your thoughts on these pieces of movie news? Which project sounds interesting to you? Let me know in the comment section!

 

Have fun at the movies!

Sally Silverscreen

Take 3: The Story of Us Review

On By 18cinemalaneLeave a comment

Happy Valentine’s Day, everyone! It seems like it has become a tradition for me to review a Hallmark movie on February 14th. Last year, I reviewed an appropriately themed film called My Secret Valentine. This film was also the first movie that I ever reviewed on 18 Cinema Lane! This year, I have decided to review another Valentine’s Day themed Hallmark movie called The Story of Us. While I thought the film’s basic premise sounded like other Hallmark movies I’ve seen before, I was looking forward to seeing Sam Page and Maggie Lawson’s performance in the film. So, even though I watched this film with low expectations, I still hoped that this movie was good. Was this movie as good as I had hoped? Keep reading if you want to see if my review of The Story of Us has a happy ending!

The Story of Us poster
The Story of Us poster created by Crown Media Family Networks and Hallmark Channel. Image found at https://www.crownmediapress.com/Shows/PRShowDetail?SiteID=142&FeedBoxID=845&NodeID=302&ShowType=&ShowTitle=The+Story+of+Us.

Things I liked about the film:

  • The acting: The cast in The Story of Us was very strong! I think that everyone in this movie did a good job portraying their characters! Even though I wasn’t a fan of My Favorite Wedding and Christmas Encore, I did enjoy Maggie Lawson’s performance in both of those movies. In The Story of Us, Maggie’s portrayal of Jamie was very believable, providing the right amount of natural reactions and expressions! Sam Page is another actor whose performances I’ve enjoyed in several Hallmark movies. His portrayal of Sawyer was great, giving his performance enough charm and talent to bring a sense of likability to his character! All of the performances in the supporting cast were very good as well! I really enjoyed Marco Grazzini and Zibby Allen’s performances as Rick and Lucy! Both of these characters came across as sweet and genuine. I hope that Marco and Zibby can appear in more Hallmark movies in the future.

 

  • The on-screen chemistry: Like I mentioned earlier, Maggie and Sam both gave a great performance individually. They also gave a great performance as a pair! Their interactions were fun to watch and their delivery of witty dialogue added to their on-screen presence. I also thought that Marco and Zibby had good on-screen chemistry! Seeing Rick and Lucy’s relationship develop over the course of the film was something that I liked seeing. Their interactions were so sweet and adorable, helping their on-screen relationship appear as genuine as possible.

 

  • The humor: Hallmark Channel movies are known for incorporating humor into their films. The Story of Us was no different, with several funny moments that were found throughout the movie. One of the funniest scenes in this project was when Sam’s character, Sawyer, accidently took too much of an important ingredient while he was having a disagreement with Jamie at a cooking class. This error that Sawyer made was hilarious because of how relatable the moment was. Having humorous moments that make audiences laugh with the characters and not at them is what makes The Story of Us so memorable.

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Valentine’s Day themed items created by Freepik at freepik.com. <a href=”https://www.freepik.com/free-photos-vectors/background”>Background photo created by freepik – http://www.freepik.com</a>. Image found at freepik.com.

What I didn’t like about the film:

  • Too many plots: In The Story of Us, there were six plots simultaneously going on throughout this movie. Because of this, some plots were given more focus than others. An example of this is how the Fire and Ice Festival was not talked about as much as Jamie’s efforts to save her bookstore. Personally, I think that The Story of Us should have had, at least, one main plot and two subplots. This way, all of the plots could have balanced out each other and had an equal amount of focus.

 

  • Limited amount of focus on the Fire and Ice Festival: Within The Story of Us, there was a Valentine’s Day themed festival called the Fire and Ice Festival. When this event was shown on-screen, I thought it looked like so much fun! Unfortunately, this festival was presented in the film for only a few minutes. It also wasn’t a part of the film’s main plot, causing the festival to feel like an after-thought. If Jamie used the Fire and Ice Festival to save her bookstore, this would have been a good way to incorporate both ideas into the film’s overall narrative.

 

  • The protagonist’s-ex-unexpectedly-comes-back-into-the-protagonist’s-life cliché: A cliché that I have found in several Hallmark movies is the protagonist’s-ex-unexpectedly-comes-back-into-the-protagonist’s-life cliché. This cliché was present in The Story of Us, when Jamie’s ex, a dentist who moved away to Texas, came back into Jamie’s life after hearing about her efforts to save her bookstore. To me, this part of the story felt unnecessary, like it was added to the overall narrative just for the sake of it. Within the movie as a whole, this part of the story didn’t seem to go anywhere. If this cliché were cut from the film, it wouldn’t have made an impact in the overall project.

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Pink themed image created by Freepik at freepik.com. <a href=”https://www.freepik.com/free-photos-vectors/mockup”>Mockup psd created by freepik – http://www.freepik.com</a>. Image found at freepik.com.

My overall impression:

I really liked The Story of Us! While this movie had its flaws, there were things about this movie that I enjoyed. To me, this movie was much better than My Favorite Wedding and Christmas Encore. The narrative of The Story of Us was not only a better written story, but the movie’s overall tone fit the style of a typical Hallmark Channel movie. So far, the “Countdown to Valentine’s Day” lineup has been good. The only other Valentine’s Day themed movie I’ve seen (and reviewed) is Valentine in the Vineyard. I’m really looking forward to Love, Romance & Chocolate because the story sounds very creative and takes place in Belgium (which I believe is the first time Hallmark has ever filmed there)! Hopefully, that movie can be just as good as The Story of Us.

 

Overall score: 7.8 out of 10

 

What are your thoughts about this year’s “Countdown to Valentine’s Day” line-up? Which Valentine’s Day themed movie is your favorite? Share your thoughts in the comment section!

 

Have fun at the movies!

Sally Silverscreen

Take 3: The Christmas Card Review

On By 18cinemalane10 Comments

For Moon in Gemini’s The Greatest Film I’ve Never Seen Blogathon, I put a lot of thought into what film I would review. When I thought about which movies I had never seen up until this point, one of the first films that came to mind was the Hallmark movie, The Christmas Card. Since the movie’s premiere in 2006, it seems like a significant amount of Hallmark fans love this movie. The Christmas Card is so beloved that it almost always is included into one of Hallmark’s Christmas movie line-ups. This film also won Hallmark Channel’s first Christmas movie March Madness contest last year! Since 2006, fans of The Christmas Card have asked Hallmark on numerous occasions to give this film a sequel, wishing and hoping that their dream of revisiting this story would come true. Because of my participation in this blogathon, I was finally given the chance to not only watch this movie, but to see if it was truly as beloved as people had made it out to be. So, take a seat on this sleigh ride as we travel through this review of The Christmas Card!

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Thank you, television of mine, for reminding me that I watched this film. Screenshot taken by me, Sally Silverscreen.
Things I liked about the film:

The acting: For the most part, the acting in The Christmas Card was fine. However, the three stand-out performers in this film were Edward Asner, Lois Nettleton, and Peter Jason! Their performances were so lively and animated when it needed to be, but also contained the emotions required for the film’s dramatic moments. It was always a delight when these three actors came on-screen, with the interactions involving their characters being enjoyable to watch. Because of their ability to provide the right amount of versatility to their roles, Edward, Lois, and Peter brought a good amount of believability to their performances, even more than the other actors in this cast.

 

The scenery: Any time the characters went into the forest, the setting surrounding them was beautiful to look at. The story’s natural landscape were showcased very well in the film and really captured the spirit of the season. Whenever the Spelman’s “special place” was featured in the movie, it was absolutely breath-taking. The natural beauty of the film’s snowy environment was definitely a highlight to this film!

 

The reverence and respect toward the military: Hallmark usually does a good job whenever the military or military families are incorporated into their stories. The Christmas Card is no exception. When the subject of fallen military members was brought up in the film, the creative team associated with this movie not only made sure the right emotions were featured in those moments, but that those moments were presented in a respectful and appropriate manner. During the Christmas Eve Service, the pastor said a prayer where he hoped the members of the military would stay safe during the Christmas season. I thought this prayer was well-written and handled by the film’s creative team with great care.

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Christmas card image created by Freepik at freepik.com. <a href=’https://www.freepik.com/free-vector/christmas-card-with-watercolor-mistletoe-decoration_965555.htm’>Designed by Freepik</a>. <a href=”https://www.freepik.com/free-photos-vectors/watercolor”>Watercolor vector created by Freepik</a>. Image found at freepik.com. 

What I didn’t like about the film:

A weak and drawn-out plot: The main plot of The Christmas Card is Faith (one of the main characters of the film) writing and sending a card to Sgt. Cody Cullen (the film’s protagonist), which causes him to travel to her hometown in order to thank her for the card. Because Cody doesn’t thank Faith for the card until the last ten minutes of the movie, it made the plot feel weak and drawn-out. Before I watched The Christmas Card, I was hoping there would be two interesting subplots to complement the main plot. Sadly, the only plot in this film was the main plot, with the story being filled with “filler” material just to keep the movie going. The scenes that show Cody working at the Spelman family lumberyard, one of the film’s “filler” material, were the most boring scenes in this movie.

 

The character of Faith’s boyfriend: The incorporation of Paul, Faith’s boyfriend, into this story was meant to add conflict for the protagonist. However, I found this conflict to be just as weak as the main plot. It felt like Paul and the conflict he brought were included in this story just for the sake of adding something to the plot. If Paul had been written out of this story, it wouldn’t have made much of a difference.

 

Being forced to suspend more of my disbelief than I wanted to: More often than not, Hallmark asks their audience to suspend their disbelief when it comes to their movies (which, as a Hallmark fan, I am more than willing to do). However, there were moments in The Christmas Card where I felt Hallmark was asking me, as an audience member, to suspend more of my disbelief than I had wanted to. For example, I thought Faith’s card, while written with the best of intentions, was very unrealistic. I’ve participated in several activities that required me to write a letter or card to a military service-member. During my participation in these activities, I was always told that the only information I could share about myself was my first name. The idea of Faith not only sharing her full name, but also sharing other personal aspects of her life, such as where she lived and photos of what her family’s house looked like, seemed so ridiculous to me, that, to a certain extent, I was taken out of the film.

Greatest Film I've Never Seen blogathon banner
The Greatest Film I’ve Never Seen Blogathon banner created by Debbie from Moon in Gemini. Image found at https://debravega.wordpress.com/2018/09/09/announcing-the-greatest-film-ive-never-seen-blogathon/.

My overall impression:

At best, I thought The Christmas Card was ok. While there were a few good things about the film, it wasn’t enough to sweep me off my feet, as it did for some Hallmark fans. When I reflect on this movie, I can think of Hallmark movies with similar themes that are better than The Christmas Card, with Operation Christmas and Home for Christmas Day being two good examples. While I was watching The Christmas Card, I couldn’t help but ask myself, “this won Hallmark Channel’s very first Christmas movie March Madness”? Over the twelve years that this movie has existed, I feel that it has been over-hyped. I don’t think this movie is bad, but I do think it could have been stronger. I’m glad that Moon in Gemini created The Greatest Film I’ve Never Seen Blogathon because I now have an honest opinion about one of Hallmark’s most beloved films.

 

Overall score: 6.2 out of 10

 

Do you agree or disagree with my thoughts on The Christmas Card? What Hallmark Christmas movie do you cherish the most? Please let me know in the comment section!

 

Have fun at the movies!

Sally Silverscreen

Evenings At The Shore: Almost at the Finish Line

On By 18cinemalane3 Comments

In the season finale of Chesapeake Shores, Mick and Megan were talking about trying to reach the finish line when it came to keeping their family together. Just like with any goal, there will always be a finish line waiting at the end of the journey. When it comes to this Evenings At The Shore re-cap series, my goal was to help people who may have missed an episode or just wanted to remember what happened in their favorite East Coast town. Now, as this season comes to a close, I have finally reached my “finish line” as I re-cap this final episode of Season 3. While Hallmark has not yet announced any future seasons or potential movies for Chesapeake Shores, we can hope, for now, that the O’Brien family has many more stories to tell and journeys to take. While we say good-bye to Season 3, let’s re-cap the Season 3 finale of Chesapeake Shores!

Just a reminder: If you did not see the season finale of Chesapeake Shores, there may be spoilers within this re-cap.

Chespeake Shores Season 3 poster
Chesapeake Shores poster image created by Crown Media Family Networks and Hallmark Channel. Image found at https://www.crownmediapress.com/Shows/PRShowDetail?SiteID=142&FeedBoxID=845&NodeID=302&ShowType=series&ShowTitle=Chesapeake%20Shores%20Season%203&episodeIndex=3001

Season: 3

Episode: 10

Name: Before a Following Sea

 

Trace’s story: After consulting with his band mates, Trace finally decides to join his band on their European tour. After telling Abby about his decision, he reassures her that they will find a way to maintain their relationship. In the meantime, Trace spends as much time as possible with Abby and her daughters. Before the start of the Children’s Regatta, Trace is caught off guard when Abby says that she wants to end their relationship. He still reassures Abby that they can make the idea of a long-distance relationship work, but Abby tells him that she doesn’t want to spend more than a few months away from him. As Trace leaves Chesapeake Shores, he is constantly reminded of everything he is leaving behind, such as The Bridge and family.

 

Abby’s story: When Abby learns that Trace is going on his band’s European tour, she is undecided on what to do next. She loves Trace and wants to share a future with him, but she doesn’t want to wait more than a few months for him. Throughout the episode, she turns to Nell and Megan for advice about this situation. Nell tells Abby that in order to have a successful relationship, you must be willing to put the work into it. Megan shares with Abby that it’s important to, sometimes, put your own needs before those of others. In the end, Abby decides to end her relationship with Trace. She tells Trace, before the Children’s Regatta, that she wants to put a stop to their relationship. Even thought Trace reassures her that they can make a long-distance relationship work, Abby sticks to her true feelings and calls off their relationship.

 

Mick’s story: Throughout this episode, Mick prepares for the annual Regatta. He recruits Thomas, Connor, and Kevin to help in his attempt to win first place. As the leader of this boat crew, he takes some time to reflect on cherished memories with Thomas and get the boat ready for the race. Also, in this episode, Mick is confronted by Megan about how they should share the truth about their family’s painful past with Bree. Both Mick and Megan agree to write an honest letter to Bree, which they give to her toward the end of the episode. Right before the Regatta starts, Mick is pleasantly surprised that Bree accepted his invitation to join his boat crew.

 

Megan’s story: Megan is still troubled by all of the anger and hurt feelings that have occurred in the O’Brien family recently. She wants to make things right and does so by taking things one step at a time. She first gives Connor an apology and then advice to Abby. Megan also provides a listening ear when Bree needs it the most. Later in the episode, Megan confronts Mick about how they should tell Bree the truth about their family’s painful past. Megan confesses to Mick that she came back to Chesapeake Shores to help the family heal, but now, she feels she has only made things worse. Megan and Mick agree to write an honest letter to Bree, which they give to her toward the end of the episode. In this letter, they tell their daughter that they, honestly, tried their best to keep their family together. However, things didn’t work out as well as they had hoped. From now on, they were going to work through the pain that had kept their family apart for so long, even if it resulted in taking baby steps to do that.

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Good sailing day image created by Freepik at freepik.com. <a href=’https://www.freepik.com/free-vector/summer-landscape-with-a-houselight-and-a-boat_866882.htm’>Designed by Freepik</a>. <a href=”https://www.freepik.com/free-photos-vectors/design”>Design vector created by Freepik</a>. Image found at freepik.com.

Bree’s story: Even though things are going well with her and Simon’s relationship, Bree is still worried that Simon might still have romantic feelings toward Caroline. Simon reassures her that he and Caroline are just friends, but Bree can’t let her worries go. When Megan visits her at Word Play, Bree shares her worries, as well as her introduction to Caroline, with her mom. Later in the episode, Bree and Simon spend some time together at the Children’s Regatta. Bree also receives a letter from her parents about their family’s painful past and how her parents are planning to heal these wounds. This letter and the truth encourage Bree to join Mick’s Regatta team and help her family win the race.

 

Kevin’s story: Kevin joins Mick’s boat crew as his family prepares to compete in the annual Regatta. When he’s not on the boat, he’s taking a trip to Philadelphia to visit Sarah. During his visit, he confesses to her that he applied for an EMT position in Philadelphia so they can be closer together. A few days later, at Sally’s Café, Sarah reveals to Kevin that she ended up taking her old job at the Chesapeake Shores Fire Department. She tells him that she stayed in Chesapeake Shores because Kevin was willing to do whatever it takes to move closer to her. At the end of the episode, Kevin participates in the Regatta with his family.

 

Jess’ story: When a last-minute change of plans forces the Regatta to find a new caterer, David and Jess step in to save the day. Jess knows the David can create the most delicious meals for the event, but she stills worries that he might want a future that doesn’t involve her. These worries are quickly pushed to the side when David’s parents show up in Chesapeake Shores. They apologize to David and Jess for the way they treated both of them back in Maine. At the Regatta, David’s parents, as well as the rest of the residents in Chesapeake Shores, are impressed with David’s culinary talents. Because of this, and to make up for their ill feelings toward Jess and David in the past, David’s parents show them a listing for a potential Bed & Breakfast. They agree to purchase the building for Jess and David if they both agree to accept this offer.

 

Connor’s story: In his spare time, Connor is learning everything he can about sailing in order to be prepared for the upcoming Regatta. While at Sally’s Café, he receives an apology from Megan about her not being there when Connor might have needed her. The next day, Connor joins Kevin on his trip to Philadelphia to visit Sarah. On the day of the Regatta, Connor is happy when Danielle shows up to watch the race. She wishes him good luck before the race begins. When it’s time for the O’Brien family to compete in the Regatta, Connor is ready to help his family win first place.

sailboats-1-1449361-1278x625
Sailing on the sea image created by Michele L at freeimages.com. “FreeImages.com/Michele L.”

Some thoughts to consider:

  • I was disappointed by the lack of explanation for why the O’Brien family feel apart. Bree’s manuscript seemed to be leading up to a big reveal about why exactly Megan left the family and why Megan appeared to have little to no contact with her family during her absence. However, all that was given was a vaguely written letter about how things were bad in the past and will, hopefully, get better in the future. I’m guessing the screenwriters wanted to save some material for the characters to explore in future seasons, even though they had plenty of time to do that in Season 3.

 

  • In my very first Evenings At The Shore post, I said that I hoped Jess would talk about her past more in Season 3. Sadly, this never happened. Instead, Jess spent the majority of her story obsessing over David and their relationship. Jess is a good character and Laci is a great actress, so I’m hoping Jess receives a stronger and more compelling story if Chesapeake Shores is renewed for a fourth season.

 

  • Overall, I think this season of Chesapeake Shores was fine. However, it was not as good as the show’s first two seasons. In my Evenings At The Shore post where I talk about this season’s seventh episode, I said that this season has been more character-driven than plot-driven. I also said, within that same post, that there was a balance within the overall story of the first two seasons between being character and plot-driven. If Chesapeake Shores gets renewed for a fourth season (which I hope they do), I hope the story goes back to having a balance of being character and plot-driven.

Starry night landscape with reeds
Evening view from the shore image created by 0melapics at freepik.com. <a href=’https://www.freepik.com/free-vector/landscape-in-a-swamp-at-night_1042860.htm’>Designed by Freepik</a>. <a href=”https://www.freepik.com/free-photos-vectors/background”>Background vector created by 0melapics – Freepik.com</a>. Image found at freepik.com.

What are your overall views on this season? Do you hope Chesapeake Shores comes back for Season 4? Please tell me in the comment section!

 

Have fun in Chesapeake Shores!

Sally Silverscreen