The Bridge

After suffering a devastating loss, Donna (Faith Ford) and Charlie (Ted McGinley) move to Franklin, Tennessee to open cafe/bookstore The Bridge. It's 2009. Molly (Katie Findlay) from Seattle is looking for independence in the smaller Belmont University instead of following her media mogul father's expectations. He is overprotective ever since losing her mother at the age of seven. Helpful college student Ryan (Wyatt Nash) takes her to The Bridge where they study music appreciation. Kristen returns to see childhood sweetheart Ryan having agreed to take a break until Christmas. Ryan is hesitant about his music dream while Molly does not wish to work for her father.

Everybody is all smiles and helpful. It's a very light bright beginning. It's not until Kristen when any drama starts and quite frankly not the highest of drama. Everybody is photogenic and appealing. Tension is left simmering at a low level. This is the first of two parts. This moves rather slowly. It's Hallmark. It's also shot in Canada and has that Canadiana feel. While I like the actors, the film moves too slow. What the father does is laughable and would be simple to undo by the young couple talking frankly. It's very sitcom.

The only "spoiler" here is that the movie is a spoiler. It's not a movie! It's an EPISODE.

It's pretty good when it comes to production & characters. But it's not a complete story! To blindside viewers with a "to be continued in 2016" is unforgivable. This is billed as a MOVIE - not a show. Not a series. Not a part 1 of ___. And now the resolution is a YEAR away?

You MUST tell your viewers what they're getting into. NOTHING happens & nothing is resolved in this 2-hour setup.

There's more story in the first 2 minutes than the entire rest of the 2 hours until the continuation blindside. Those 2 minutes were what kept me watching to the "end" that isn't an end.

Not cool.

Rather than upset viewers, be honest upfront & then maybe the entire thing wouldn't feel like 2 hours wasted. Might even help create anticipation rather than letdown.

log line posted on the day of airing 12/6/15: When Molly Allen finds out that The Bridge, a beloved bookstore back in her hometown of Franklin, TN, is in jeopardy along with the bookstore's owner, she returns to help, only to come face to face with her old flame.

The log line/description provided here on IMDb is completely bogus - probably matches the book, but not the movie. Even if Part 2 does resolve it to match the storyline somewhat, it isn't & never was the lead character's "hometown." And her name is not Molly Allen. So everything about this production is false advertising.

In other words, someone really screwed up here, ruining what may turn out to be a nice little series, but not when it's doled out like this.

I am writing this in the fall of 2024 while watching this on Hallmark Family. "The Bridge, part 2" is on right after so I won't have to wait a year for the second part which was the complaint of most of the original posters from 2015. I guess this was before the streaming services (Netflix, Prime, etc) got us used to waiting a year (or more) for subsequent seasons. Katie Findlay and Wyatt have great chemistry. I first saw them in another Hallmark movie "Love Strikes Twice" which I highly recommend. "The Bridge" is typical Hallmark with the usual tropes but the cast delivers. I especially enjoyed seeing Faith Ford and Ted McGinley playing the bookstore owners. Steve Bacic and Andrea Brooks, Hallmark regulars, always give a good performance.

7.8 stars.

In and of itself, 'The Bridge' is a dynamic film full of compassion for aimless book readers, and full of endearing characters and two in particular who wish to be together and follow their dreams. The main female's father is authoritarian and we see this on a few occasions. We don't like him, we aren't supposed to like him, he's the bad guy. The main male's mother is very likable, and we see even a bit less of her, she's a fringe person in the story.

As the two of them grow closer over several months at university as "study partners", it's apparent they are meant to be. It's a very slow buildup to what would seem to be the perfect ending, although I was wondering why there was only 2 minutes left and things were not wrapping up smoothly. And then... "to be continued". Oh boy. Well, I really like this movie and where it ends is pretty tantalizing, Of course, you have to pay for the sequel (unless you have a subscription to the channel-which I do-kudos to me).

It is a MOVIE!! This is like any movie that has a sequel!! Ignore ALL the other reviews on this!! It's a great, heart warming movie that pulls you in. It leads up to the second and final part to the movie series!! It is based on a book & they try to be close to said book but no movie has been spot on. I strongly suggest you want this if you are a fan of hallmark and good love stories.