On 18 Cinema Lane, I received a Christmas present early! I finally achieved 50 followers! This means that I now have to review a movie that was released fifty years ago (in 1968). While looking at my options for what movie to talk about, I realized that I haven’t reviewed a musical yet. So, I chose Oliver! for this special blog post. While I have never read Oliver Twist, I did see Oliver & Company in September. In fact, I reviewed that film back when I received 30 followers on 18 Cinema Lane. Because of this, I had a basic idea of what the story was about. How different was Oliver! from Oliver & Company? Check out my review in order to find out!
The acting: This was a very strong cast! Everyone pulled off a performance that appeared so believable, it made the actors seem like they disappeared into their roles. One of the most versatile actors in this movie was Ron Moody. His portrayal of Fagin was very memorable, bringing those elements of sneakiness and desperation that were essential to that character. I also thought that the child actors were talented as well. While Mark Lester’s portrayal of Oliver was definitely a highlight in this film, I also liked seeing Jack Wild’s performance! Dodger, Jack’s character, was portrayed so well. This is because Jack’s acting performance appeared so natural, making it feel like a child in that particular situation would truly react in that specific way. All of these acting performances added to my level of enjoyment for this movie!
The set design: I was really impressed with all of the set designs in this movie! Because this story takes place in 1800s England, the environment within this film is reflective of that time and place. What makes these set designs so great is how immersive they make the audience feel when they see the film. While watching Oliver!, I felt like I was transported to that world, experiencing situations and events alongside Oliver. The authentic look and feel of the film’s environment also helps add a sense of realism to the story.
The musical sequences: The musical sequences within this film were, for the most part, really enjoyable! I was pleasantly surprised to find a lot of up-beat and catchy songs that were not only entertaining, but also complimented the context of the story. The musical sequence that I enjoyed the most was “Consider Yourself” because the song itself was so great! Some of the visuals in that scene were very creative, such as when, as Dodger and Oliver are walking past a butcher shop, they walk through a doorway which was created by a split piece of meat. It was also interesting to see how the different components of 1800s London came together to showcase the importance that they represented at that time.
The heavy dialect: As I have mentioned, the story of Oliver! takes place in 1800s England. This means that all of the characters have a dialect that reflects that time and place. However, because of how heavy the dialect was, I found myself having difficulty, at times, understanding what these characters were saying. While this didn’t make me enjoy the movie any less, I did have to pay extra attention to all of the dialogue in the film.
Very few emotional songs: Like I’ve also mentioned, most of the music in Oliver! was up-beat. But, when it comes to emotional songs, there are only two within this movie: “Where Is Love?” and “As Long as He Needs Me”. Because of the limited amount of emotional songs, it kind of undermines some of the seriousness that can be found in the story. While the up-beat nature of the songs is meant to make the movie less dark and dreary, a balance of up-beat and emotional songs would have worked better for the story.
I can’t believe this is my last movie review of 2018. Where has the time gone? Anyways, back to the review itself. I really enjoyed this film! As a musical and movie, Oliver! was such a delight to watch. Because I had seen Oliver & Company before I saw Oliver!, it made me appreciate the story as well as the original source material. Like I mentioned in my introduction, I have never read Oliver Twist. But, both of these films have encouraged me to want to read the book! Maybe I will read it in 2019. Speaking of the New Year, I’ve had a pretty good year when it comes to movie blogging. You, my readers and followers, are one of the reasons why 2018 has been great for 18 Cinema Lane. Thank you all so much for making this year such a memorable one for my blog. Here’s hoping 2019 brings more greatness for movie blogging!
Overall score: 8.6 out of 10
What are you looking forward to in 2019? Which movie review from 18 Cinema Lane has been your favorite? Share your thoughts in the comment section!
Queen of the Damned poster created by Warner Bros. Pictures. Image found at https://www.warnerbros.com/queen-damned
In your introduction for this double feature, you mentioned that both Queen of the Damned and The Case of the Whitechapel Vampire were released in 2002. Can you think of anything from around that time period that could have influenced the creation of this film?
I think there are three things that influenced the creation of Queen of the Damned. The first is the character of Malcolm from Jurassic Park. As I mentioned in my Jurassic Park review, Malcolm is a rock-star-esque mathematician. However, Malcolm appeared to be a likable character. In Queen of the Damned, Lestat was a rock-star-esque vampire. Despite these characteristics, Lestat, for the most part, comes across as a likable character. The second thing is the 1998 film, Blade. I’ve never seen this movie, but I know that it’s a darker and more violent comic book film that, to a certain extent, discusses the subject of vampires. Because this film was successful enough to receive a sequel (that was, ironically, released exactly a month after Queen of the Damned), I’m speculating that Blade inspired the creative team behind Queen of the Damned to make their movie darker and more violent than their predecessor, Interview with the Vampire. The third and final thing is, interestingly, Interview with the Vampire. I’ve never seen this film either, but based on this film’s trailer, it appears to be a gothic film in the old-school sense. Queen of the Damned focuses on the new-school/modern gothic style, which is very different from the first film. Most movie series try to do something different with each new film, so I think this film’s approach was rather creative.
2. Were you able to follow along with the story and understand what was going on in the film despite not having read the source material?
For the most part, yes. I did some research about this film before I saw it, so I was aware of certain aspects of the film that some casual movie-viewers might not understand. For instance, in the film’s climax, there are various characters that are introduced. One of these characters is Pandora. If I didn’t know that she is a character from a spin-off book series that Anne Rice wrote, I would have no idea who Pandora was in this film.
3. Were your pre-movie questions answered?
Well, two out of my three pre-movie questions were answered. The only question that wasn’t answered was how Lestat survived being burned in the previous film. Honestly, I wasn’t as bothered by this as I thought I would be. Because this movie focused more on Lestat’s present and origin story, re-capping the first film would have felt like Queen of the Damned had too much content.
As for the two questions that did get answered, the reason why Lestat appeared like he was trying to pursue a romantic relationship with Akasha is because, in the movie, Akasha kidnapped Lestat and forced him to in be in relationship with her. Speaking of Akasha, she did reveal that the reason why she loved Lestat was because he reminded her of her deceased husband. As for Jesse, it appeared, in the movie, like she truly loved Lestat. Because she’s a vampire scholar, Jesse wasn’t as fazed by the vampire aspects of Lestat’s world. Also, because her aunt is a vampire, it seemed like Jesse truly appreciated the subject of vampires and the world surrounding them.
4. Were you right or wrong in your pre-movie prediction?
I guess I was kind of right in my pre-movie prediction {shrugs with a confused look on my face}. While Lestat was forced into a relationship with Akasha and Jesse wasn’t aware of this until the climax of the film, there is a moment during the film’s climax where Lestat pretends to drink more of Akasha’s blood then he should have. This allowed the other vampires present in that scene to defeat Akasha.
5. In this double feature’s introduction, when you talked about your reason for choosing to review Queen of the Damned, you said that the movie clips featured in the MsMojo video, ‘Top 10 Movies Based on Books That Need a Do-Over’, appeared bonkers to you. Was this movie bonkers or do you think these movie clips were taken out of context?
I definitely think these movie clips were taken out of context. To me, Queen of the Damned was not as bonkers as the clips within this video made it seem. The only thing I found bonkers in this movie was Lestat and Akasha’s “relationship” because of how problematic it was.
6. In a post from The Blog Complainer titled “How To Make A Good Movie Sequel”, there were several steps listed as if the article were a how-to for making sequels that are good. When a sequel successfully followed these steps, it means they passed the “Good Movie Sequel School for Dummies”. Because Queen of the Damned is a sequel, do you think it passed this school?
Well, yes and no. On the one hand, Queen of the Damned is based on two books from The Vampire Chronicles series. On the other hand, some stories were explored more than others because of this choice. Also, there were no references to Interview with the Vampire besides Lestat being a protagonist in the sequel. Lestat also had different characteristics than he did in the first movie, such as being less self-centered. However, the creative team behind this movie tried to do something different from the first movie. Lestat’s backstory was further explored and there were new characters that were introduced. If Queen of the Damned were enrolled in the “Good Movie Sequel School for Dummies”, it would probably receive a grade of somewhere between a B to C+.
7. Did you acquire any new thoughts and/or questions while watching this film?
Yes, lots! Because this post is already long, I will only list a few of these questions and thoughts.
What is Lestat’s net worth?
Why is there a small amount of security at Lestat’s concert? Since his band was aware of Lestat encouraging other vampires to show up at his concert to try and hurt him, wouldn’t they want to have more security at the concert?
Why would Jesse and Lestat return Lestat’s journal to David? It’s Lestat’s journal, so why wouldn’t he want to keep it?
How did Akasha know about Marius and Lestat’s conversation about Lestat needing a companion? Shortly after she kidnaps Lestat, Akasha tells him that she wants to grant his wish of a companion. However, Akasha was not a part of that conversation nor did anyone tell her about that conversation.
As I’ve already mentioned, I think that Lestat and Akasha’s “relationship” was problematic. The reason why I put the word relationship in quotations is because Lestat and Akasha were not together for a long period of time and their relationship didn’t develop over a significant amount of time. The way I would describe this “relationship” is with an analogy: the “relationship” is a car and Akasha is driving it. All Lestat is able to do sit in the passenger seat and take orders from Akasha. Honestly, I think this “relationship” is one of the most problematic relationships I’ve ever seen in a movie.
I really liked the sets and scenery in this film! For the most part, it made the environments in the movie feel inviting and appealing. I also thought the acting was really good! Everyone portrayed their characters so well and all of the performances were memorable. Something that I didn’t like in this film was most of the music. While I liked the violin music and the music that played during Akasha’s demise, I was not a fan of the goth rock music. When Lestat sang at his concert, he sounded unnecessarily angry. I would rather hear him play the violin than sing.
8. In Queen of the Damned, did anything stand out to you, whether for better or worse?
I liked the techniques in story-telling that were used in Queen of the Damned. There were several times when voice-overs from Jesse and Lestat were included to show the film’s story from their specific point-of-view. I think these voice-overs added depth to the story that we wouldn’t have gotten if they weren’t there. Most movies have one main plot and a few subplots. Queen of the Damned was told through several subplots that were all connected to Lestat in some way. I thought this was a very interesting approach to cinematic storytelling that I haven’t really seen before.
To me, the biggest flaw of Queen of the Damned is the run-time. This movie combines elements from two novels into one movie. However, the movie itself is one hour and forty-one minutes. Since the creative team knew they were going to incorporate so many story elements into their film, I think this movie either should have been a two-part over-arcing story (like Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows) or the run-time should have been longer. Because of this, some plots were explored more than others. For example, Lestat’s relationship with Akasha and Jesse seemed to move at a very quick pace, not giving these relationships enough time to develop and grow. I believe that any of my aforementioned solutions could have solved this issue.
9. According to the BMeTric charts in the Queen of the Damned Preview from Bad Movie Twins, it appears that interest in this film is rising. Why do you think that is?
Well, I think there’s two reasons for that. The first is negative reviews that the film has received. After hearing these reviews and seeing the 17% it has on Rotten Tomatoes, some people might choose to watch this movie out of curiosity, like I did. The second reason is Aaliyah’s involvement in the film. Some people might choose to watch this film as a way to respect her memory. Others may choose to watch this film because they want to learn more about who she was as a person and entertainer.
10. After watching Queen of the Damned, what is the one thing you can take away from this movie viewing experience?
While I think Queen of the Damned could have been a stronger film, I don’t think it’s as bad as some people have made it out to be. To me, this film is decent and I do think it has its merits. After watching this film, I started to notice a very sad pattern. I’ve only seen six vampire movies in my life, including Queen of the Damned. Out of those six, most of them feature at least one problematic relationship that is meant to be romantic. I can’t say if this is a norm in vampires movies or if this is just a pattern in the vampire movies I’ve seen. However, I was happy to see Lestat and Jesse pursue a romantic relationship with each other because, to me, they seemed like they truly loved and cared about each other. Their relationship also appeared to be a healthy one, where Lestat and Jesse loved one another for who they were and appreciated each other’s worlds.
Chesapeake Shores has several main characters within the show’s cast. Each of them is unique from one another and adds their own voice to the overall narrative. In my very first Evenings At The Shore post, I mentioned that Chesapeake Shores is a multi-generational show. Because each character varies in age, it allows for various life experiences and points of view to be expressed throughout the show. From Nell’s stories involving Ireland to Carrie and Caitlyn’s excitement about searching for Snipes, this multi-generational family always finds something interesting to talk about, as well as share with their loyal audience. What makes this show great is the relatability that the audience can find within the show’s narrative. For example, even if not everyone can relate to running a Bed & Breakfast, the majority of Chesapeake Shores’ audience can relate to channeling your heart and soul into something you love. Speaking of channels, let’s tune in to this episode’s re-cap of Chesapeake Shores!
Just a reminder: If you did not see this episode of Chesapeake Shores, there may be spoilers within this re-cap.
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: 9
Name: Forward to the Past
Trace’s story: At the beginning of this episode, Trace is still fighting with Mick about their business contract. After Trace’s lawyer tries to take this matter to court, he tells Trace that no other lawyer wanted to touch this contract because of Mick’s involvement. While Trace is dealing with this situation, Mark, the band’s manager, informs Trace about an upcoming European tour that he and his band have been invited to. Mark also shares that, during the tour, the band will also have the chance to record a new album. Leigh and John encourage Trace to join them on tour, but Trace is still undecided. Because of this once in a lifetime opportunity, Trace decides to stop his fight with Mick over their contract. When Trace tells Mick about his reason for discontinuing the fight, Mick suggests that Trace tell Abby about the tour. Later in the episode, Trace does tell Abby about the tour and is still undecided about what to do.
Abby’s story: As Abby learns about Trace and Mick’s disagreement, Trace asks her if she could not get involved in anything relating to the contract. While she respects Trace’s wishes, she does talk to Mick about what is going on. Mick tells her his side of the story as well as how Trace feels about all of it. Later that day, Abby visits Trace at this house. She gives him purple flowers and apologizes to Trace for ever making him think that she wouldn’t respect his wishes. Abby continues to hear both sides of Trace and Mick’s argument when she spends time with both of them. Toward the end of the episode, Abby learns about Trace’s tour opportunity during her conversation with Trace. She also reveals that she organized a family meeting to discuss Bree’s manuscript.
Mick’s story: Mick continues to disagree with Trace about their business contract. While Trace is trying to take the contract to court, Mick continues to oversee the business operations of The Bridge. When Abby asks him about the situation, Mick tells her his side of the story. One day, at The Bridge, Trace confronts Mick and tells him that he will stop fighting with Mick over the contract. When Mick learns about Trace’s reason for stopping their fight, Mick suggests that Trace tell Abby about this news. At the end of the episode, Mick takes part in the O’Brien family meeting to discuss Bree’s manuscript.
Megan’s story: Megan is still bothered by Bree’s lack of knowledge about Megan’s past situation. When shopping at the flower store with Abby, she shares that she came back to Chesapeake Shores in order to help the family heal. Megan tells Nell the exact same thing when she drops the flowers off at the O’Brien house. Nell gives Megan advice about moving from the past and making the best of the present. At the O’Brien family meeting, Megan tells the family that she was dealing with some personal issues that caused her to seek help. Her explanation is one of the things that creates a disagreement amongst each other.
Bree’s story: While working at Word Play, Bree gets a surprise visit from Simon and his friend from college, Caroline. Simon reveals that his friend was the inspiration for his ‘Caroline’ book series. When Bree learns that Simon and Caroline never had a romantic relationship, she asks him why he still chose to base his book series on Caroline. Simon tells Bree that when he was in college, he wished that he and Caroline were in a romantic relationship. Later in the episode, Caroline reveals that she will stay in Chesapeake Shores for a little while longer due to business reasons. During this reveal, Caroline expressed interest in learning more about Bree’s literary work. During the O’Brien family meeting, Bree shares her reasons for writing the manuscript as well as her desire to publish it. This is one of the things that causes a disagreement within the family.
Kevin’s story: Before Sarah starts her new job in Philadelphia, Kevin takes the time to meet Sarah’s family. He is introduced to Sarah’s mother and father, as well as her two brothers. During his stay in Philadelphia, Kevin finds himself getting along with Sarah’s family quite well. One day, Sarah takes Kevin to her favorite spot on her family’s property. This spot is a large tree, the same tree where Sarah and her late husband got married. Sarah tells Kevin that the spot feels different, in a good way, because she brought Kevin there. As Kevin is about to leave Philadelphia, Sarah’s father thanks Kevin for bringing Sarah home and making her feel happy. Kevin then shares with her father how much Sarah has impacted his life. Back in Chesapeake Shores, Kevin learns that an EMT position in Chesapeake Shores has just become available, even though he just accepted the EMT job in New York. He also participates in the O’Brien family meeting.
Jess’ story: While Sally is visiting family for a week, Jess and David have volunteered to run Sally’s Café in the meantime. During this week, Jess and David do a successful job with running the restaurant. One evening, while closing the Café for the night, Jess questions the future of her relationship with David. The next day, Jess expresses these concerns to David. He feels that their relationship is in a good place and reassures her that there is nothing to worry about. Jess engages in the O’Brien family meeting at the end of the episode.
Connor’s story: In this episode, Connor continues to work with Danielle’s law firm. Because their new case involves the waterfront, Danielle and Connor spend a lot of time out of the office and working on location. One day, after work, Danielle apologizes to Connor for ending their relationship. She also expresses interest in giving their relationship a second chance. Connor agrees to help Danielle mend their relationship, with both of them kissing afterwards. Connor not only shares this news with Kevin, he also makes his feelings known during the O’Brien family meeting.
When Mark told Trace about the European tour, I became excited about the possibility of a St. Patrick’s Day themed Chesapeake Shores movie in Ireland, hopefully, becoming a reality! In my Evenings At The Shore post where I re-capped this season’s third episode, I mentioned that I would love to see a St. Patrick’s Day themed Chesapeake Shores movie where the O’Brien family travels to Ireland to celebrate the holiday. If this movie does become a reality and if Trace accepts the tour offer, this would give other characters on the show, besides the members of the O’Brien family, a chance to have an interesting subplot within the context of the film’s overall story.
The commercials for this episode seemed to be somewhat misleading. For a trailer that put an emphasis on the O’Brien family meeting, this aforementioned meeting only took place within the last ten minutes of the episode. Also, nothing got resolved during this family meeting. Plus, the announcer, in this episode’s trailer, said that this would be “the episode that changes everything”. In reality, nothing happened in this episode that was significant enough to justify this quote.
I received 30 followers on 18 Cinema Lane two weeks ago! It’s time for me to review a film that was released 30 years ago (in 1988)! Because I’ve never reviewed a Disney animated film on my blog before and since the last time I reviewed an animated film was Rugrats Go Wild (for my 15 follower thank you review), I chose Oliver & Company for this milestone post. Oliver & Company is a film that I’ve only seen bits and pieces of, so I was looking forward to seeing this movie in its entirety. While choosing which movie I would talk about for this particular post, I realized that Oliver & Company was released the year before the start of the “Disney Renaissance”: when The Little Mermaid made its film debut. I came across a review of Oliver & Company from the blog, Reviewing All 56 Disney Animated Films And More!. In that review, Rachel, the creator and author of the blog, provided some insight into the importance of Oliver & Company. This insight made me interested to see the type of foundation that this film possibly put in place for the “Disney Renaissance” and beyond. Keep reading my review of Oliver & Company to see how I felt about the movie as a whole!
The characters: There were several likable characters in Oliver & Company! I liked how they each had their own unique personality and it was fun to see the various interactions between the characters. Some of the creative choices that were made in relation to the characters were interesting. For instance, there are times when a character who is a bulldog could be portrayed as a mean-spirited and tough individual. In Oliver & Company, however, Francis (who is a bulldog) is an aspiring actor who has a deep appreciation for the theater. This character stood out to me because I had never seen a bulldog, in television or film, portrayed this way before.
The animation: The animation style in Oliver & Company felt very reflective of the art styles and pop culture that could have been found around the film’s release (mid to late ‘80s). This reflection made the movie feel like an idea of what the ‘80s might have been like, shown to the audience as if they were looking at a snapshot. There were a lot of bright colors in this film that I felt complimented the movie overall. The use of light and dark colors was also well done. An example can be found toward the beginning of the film, when Oliver is left by himself in the middle of a rainstorm. In this scene, Oliver’s bright orange fur stood out against the dark blue background of the city. These choices relating to the use of specific colors added to the artistry of the animation!
The music: I really liked all of the music in Oliver & Company! While “Good Company” is a sweet and gentle song, the rest of the songs are upbeat and fun to listen to! To me, all of the music added to the entertainment value of this film. I can definitely see myself listening to Oliver & Company’s soundtrack long after the credits have rolled!
Lack of character development for the human characters: In Oliver & Company, there are only four human characters within the story. As I was watching this movie, I found myself wanting to know more about these characters. How Jenny felt about her parents, apparently, putting more emphasis on their dog, Georgette, than her was something that I was curious about. I also wanted to know more about how Fagin ended up in his particular situation as well as see him move out of poverty in order to achieve a comfortable life for him and his dogs. I understand this story is primarily about the animal characters. But, when it comes to character development for the human characters, I felt there was more to be desired.
A limited presence of the villain: When it came to the villain in this movie, I thought that Sykes was unsettling. However, compared to other Disney villains (and even some non-Disney villains), he wasn’t as terrifying as he could have been. In fact, I found his Doberman side-kicks, Roscoe and DeSoto, to be scarier than Sykes himself. This is because Sykes has a very limited presence on-screen and doesn’t receive a lot of character development. For these reasons, Oliver & Company doesn’t seem to have a lot of high stakes.
The run-time: There were a few times in Oliver & Company where situations seemed to happen too quickly. An example of this is when Oliver learns, at a fast pace, how to steal hot-dogs alongside Dodger. This issue is a result of the film’s shorter run-time. The other aforementioned things that I didn’t like about this film are also the results of a shorter run-time. Oliver & Company is one hour and fourteen minutes, which, as I look back on the film, made me feel like the movie went by very quickly. If this movie would have been an hour and 30 or 35 minutes, the human characters could have received a little more character development and the villain could have been featured more in the film.
As a Disney animated film, Oliver & Company is fine. As a movie in general, it’s good for what it is. I know that there are other Disney animated films that are stronger than Oliver & Company, but I would never consider Oliver & Company to be the worst or weakest movie from the Disney animated catalog. I like to think of this film as the older sibling to The Little Mermaid. While Oliver & Company was the pioneer for what a Disney animated film could and should be (at that time), The Little Mermaid was able to enjoy the fruits of Oliver & Company’s labor because of those important building blocks that were set in place before the “Disney Renaissance” began. Oliver & Company’s efforts should be celebrated, which is why it’s receiving a “standing ovation” on 18 Cinema Lane! As always, thank you to each and every one of my 30 followers as well as my readers! 18 Cinema Lane and this review would not be the same without you!
Overall score: 7.4-7.5 out of 10
What is your favorite Disney animated film? Which movie from 1988 do you like the most? Let me know in the comment section!
Have fun at the movies!
Sally Silverscreen
The link to Rachel’s review of Oliver & Company: https://54disneyreviews.com/2014/09/11/movie-27-oliver-and-company/
On Chesapeake Shores so far, the overall story has been more character-driven than plot-driven. In the show’s first two seasons, there seems to have been a balance within the overall story between being character and plot-driven. In this episode, two interesting plots were introduced to the show. These plots feel like they could be on-going and affect more than one character. It’s too bad they were introduced this late in the season, but I understand that suspense needed to be built up before the airing of this episode. I hope these plots can be explored over the course of several episodes as well as produce a good story. If you want to find out what these two plots are, keep reading this re-cap of Chesapeake Shores!
Just a reminder: If you did not see this episode of Chesapeake Shores, there may be spoilers within this re-cap.
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: 7
Name: It’s Just Business
Trace’s story: While on a picnic with Abby and her daughters, Trace gets a phone call about The Bridge. He learns that one of his employees has stolen enough money to put the business in financial trouble. Trace does everything in his power to secure the finances to keep The Bridge afloat, even getting the police involved to find the employee that stole The Bridge’s money. Trace discusses the situation with Mick, revealing that he has to go on tour, yet again, for two months. Mick thinks that it would be better if Trace stayed in Chesapeake Shores to oversee The Bridge’s business operations, but Trace disagrees. One day, Trace asks Connor if he could look over the contract that was created between Mick and Trace. After Connor looks over this contract, he comes to The Bridge and tells Trace that there is a loophole where Trace doesn’t have to be present at the business in order to oversee it. Later in the episode, Trace finds out that Mick hired financial advisors, without Trace’s knowledge, to take care of The Bridge’s financial troubles. Upset by what Mick did, Trace tells Mick that he will deal with everything relating to The Bridge after he comes back from his tour. When Trace is not worrying about The Bridge, he reassures Abby that she is already doing a good job when it comes to being a mother and business woman.
Abby’s story: Throughout this episode, Abby tries her best to be the “perfect” mom. She tries to do everything from organizing scavenger hunts to taking her daughters on fun field trips. Abby’s ambiguous efforts cause her to feel tired and miss an important deadline at work. Almost everyone in Abby’s life notices how Abby’s plans to be the “perfect” mom have affected her. They give her reassurance that she is already doing a good job at being a mother as well as a business woman. While at the beach with her sisters and Alexandra, Bree shows Abby a note that Caitlyn wrote and placed in a copy of The Grapes of Wrath. In this note, Caitlyn lets Abby know that she loves her, making Abby realize that she doesn’t need to be “perfect” in order to be a good mother. Toward the end of the episode, Abby finds out, at work the next day, that Terri, Wes’ girlfriend, will be her new business client.
Mick’s story: Mick is contacted by Trace to help him solve the financial problems of The Bridge. While going over the business options that are available to them, Mick finds out that Trace will be going back on tour, but for two months this time. Mick thinks that Trace should stay in Chesapeake Shores and oversee The Bridge’s business operations, but Trace disagrees. Later in the episode, Mick hires financial advisors, without Trace’s permission, to look over The Bridge’s finances. After Trace tells him that he will deal with The Bridge’s problems after his tour, Mick becomes skeptical of Trace being able to keep his promise. Because of his involvement with The Bridge’s current situation, Mick hasn’t had as much time as usual to deal with other business matters.
Megan’s story: While having lunch at Sally’s Café with the Mayor’s assistant, Kate, Megan finds out that the mayor is planning to merge the arts council into a different department and hire a new head of that department. Kate wants Megan to resign as soon as possible, but Megan has no plans to quit her job. When Megan tells Nell about what Kate told her, Nell suspects that this is the Mayor’s way of trying to get back at Nell after her successful efforts to save the Wishing Fountain. The next day, Megan meets up with Kate, again, at Sally’s Café. This time, Nell tries to convince Kate to get the Mayor to change his mind. After this attempt proves to be unsuccessful, Megan tells Kate, toward the end of the episode, that she will not resign from her job. Megan also expresses her feelings about why the arts council is an important component to the community of Chesapeake Shores. When Megan isn’t busy trying to save her job, she is encouraged by Nell to read Bree’s manuscript.
Nell’s story: At the beginning of the episode, Nell receives Bree’s manuscript. However, Nell feels that it’s more important for Megan to read Bree’s manuscript. Nell not only encourages Bree to give the manuscript to her mother, she also encourages Megan to read Bree’s manuscript. When she finds out about Megan possibly losing her job, Nell realizes that this situation is highly likely a result of the Mayor trying to get back at her for successfully saving the Wishing Fountain. Nell helps Megan to convince Kate, the Mayor’s assistant, to change the Mayor’s mind about his decision for the arts council, even though their efforts were unsuccessful.
Bree’s story: Bree gives her manuscript to Nell at the beginning of the episode. However, when Nell visits Bree at Word Play one day, Nell suggests that Bree give her manuscript to Megan. After some brief protesting, Bree hesitantly agrees with do so. For most of the episode, Bree continues to work at Word Play and hang out with her sisters. When Jess and Alexandra come to visit Word Play, Alexandra reveals that Simon Atwater is one of her favorite authors. After Alexandra discovers that Bree personally knows Simon, the friendship between Bree and Alexandra becomes stronger. Bree also gives Abby a note that Caitlyn wrote and placed in a copy of The Grapes of Wrath.
Kevin: After saving a man’s life at Sally’s Café, Kevin discovers that Sarah applied for and got accepted at a fire station in Philadelphia. Throughout this episode, Kevin tries to deal with the idea of having a long-distance relationship with Sarah. He realizes if he were to move to Philadelphia with her, he couldn’t become a paramedic. Kevin talks to Connor, Trace, and David about the situation as well as almost everyone reminding Kevin about the life he saved toward the beginning of the episode.
Jess’ story: While she and David try to figure out how to generate more business for the Inn, Jess is surprised when Alexandra, David’s sister, arrives. At first, Jess is suspicious of Alexandra’s reasons for coming to Chesapeake Shores, but then she learns that Alexandra is overwhelmed at work and needs David’s help. For most of this episode, Jess hung out with her sisters. When Alexandra wishes that she grew up with a sister in her life, Jess gains more respect for her.
Connor’s story: Throughout this episode, Connor is working on a legal case. This time, Danielle happens to be working on the opposing side. While he and Danielle are talking during one of their breaks, Connor catches something that Danielle said that he can use in his argument for the case. Later in the episode, Connor uses what Danielle said against her, thus causing him to win the case. Connor also agrees to look at Mick and Trace’s contract, where he finds a loophole that could work in Trace’s favor.
Now that Terri is Abby’s business client, I wonder if Abby and the audience will discover that Terri is not as perfect as she seems? One of the themes that Hallmark has incorporated into their productions is the idea of being ok with not being perfect. I could totally see this theme within the stories of Chesapeake Shores, as this could add more depth to Terri’s character.
Since the story surrounding The Bridge’s financial troubles seems like it will be on-going, I wonder if the employee who stole the money will be found? I’m curious to find out who this character is and their reasons to stealing the money.
What did you think of this episode? Do you think the financial troubles of The Bridge and the fate of Megan’s job could be on-going stories? Share your thoughts in the comment section!
On 18 Cinema Lane, Weddings of Dreams is a movie that I have talked a lot about. I first talked about the sequel to Summer of Dreams back in March, when I reported on the film’s production start date in a Word on the Street post. A month later, in another Word on the Street post, I talked about Weddings of Dreams again. This time, I reported on the film’s production dates being pushed back to May. Because of these production date changes, I said that Weddings of Dreams would likely not premiere in Hallmark’s “June Weddings” line-up, but could premiere in the “Summer Nights” line-up like Summer of Dreams did. While I correctly predicted the absence of Weddings of Dreams from the “June Weddings” line-up, I was wrong about the film’s inclusion into the “Summer Nights” line-up. With the movie finally being released and belonging to no seasonal movie line-ups, I watched Wedding of Dreams yesterday and will now give you my honest opinion about the film.
Wedding of Dreams 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=Wedding%20of%20Dreams&IsSeries=False.
Things I liked about the film:
The acting: I thought the entire cast of Wedding of Dreams was great! Just like in Summer of Dreams, I was impressed with Debbie’s acting performance! Debbie brought so much believability to her role, as her portrayal of her character came across so naturally on-screen. Debbie’s musical performances were also a treat to see and hear in this film! Another performance that I was impressed with was Robert Gant’s. Similar to Debbie’s performance, Robert brought a lot of believability, as well as versatility, to his role.
The on-screen chemistry: In Wedding of Dreams, Debbie and Robert’s on-screen chemistry was great! Their on-screen relationship appeared as if they not only were each other’s best friends, but also like they truly cared about one another. Debbie and Robert’s comedic timing was also fantastic and their interactions were a joy to watch on the screen.
The wedding proposal: Noah’s marriage proposal to Debbie at her music studio was one of the best proposals in Hallmark movie history! By having Noah incorporate Debbie’s love of music into the proposal, it made the occasion feel personalized and the proposal itself feel creative. What Noah said during this proposal made the situation feel heart-felt. This entire scene was one of the best scenes from any of this year’s Hallmark movies (so far)!
The messages and themes: Hallmark is known for incorporating messages and themes into their films that are uplifting and inspirational. Wedding of Dreams is no exception, with Debbie providing messages of being true to one’s self and finding your passion in life to other characters as well as herself. These messages and themes are relatable and can make the audience feel good about watching this film as they see the characters applying these same messages and themes into their own lives with positive results.
Reduced focus on Debbie’s music class: What was so charming about Summer of Dreams was the story about Debbie and the students in her music class. In this story, we, the audience, not only got to see Debbie’s interactions with these students, we also got to know some of the students and see how music came to influence their lives. In Wedding of Dreams, there was not as much story-time given to Debbie’s music class like in the first movie. We don’t get to see Debbie interact much with her class and we aren’t given the chance to get to know some of the students, but only become familiar with them. While it’s understandable that this film had two interconnecting plots and that the incorporation of the aforementioned subplot would have made the movie feel like there was too much going on, it feels like some of the identity from the first movie was absent.
If you would have told me, two years ago, that Hallmark would give Summer of Dreams a sequel, I would have debated with you on why For Love and Honor was the most deserving movie out of those six films of receiving the achievement. However, I thought Wedding of Dreams was even better than the first movie! While thinking about both Summer of Dreams and Wedding of Dreams, I realized that Hallmark has created a special series out of these two films! Though Hallmark has, so far, not made any announcements about any future films in this series, I would love to see a third movie called “Christmas of Dreams”. Just the thought of Debbie Gibson singing Christmas songs in a Hallmark movie makes me really happy! Seeing a Youngstown Christmas appear in a “Countdown to Christmas” line-up would truly be something special.
Overall score: 8.4-8.5 out of 10
What are your thoughts on Summer of Dreams and/or Wedding of Dreams? Would you like to see “Christmas of Dreams” become a reality? Let me know in the comment section!
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