Having seen the ads for a movie starring two of Hallmark's most popular regulars..Danica McKellar and Andrew Walker, this viewer could not wait to see this couple in a new film. Sadly, their names and star status did nothing to make this movie worth watching. The characters were formulaic. Career girl who leaves her small town to make it in the big city comes back to oversee a huge and challenging project. Surprise, surprise, the man she left in order to pursue her big city dreams is assigned co-partner with her and to add his talents to her work
.Predictable, old angers arise, who really left who, and old unfinished business gets note way of their working smoothly together. How often will Hallmark bring out this old premise in order to make a movie try to feel new?
These two stars are magnetic, each in their own way..McKellar is a forceful power in her private life as a mathematics genius, author of math books for girls, and even with a math theory named after her. Walker is a talented actor with great variation in facial expression and with sparking eyes. One of his best films, from some time ago, is Bridal Wave, If you have never seen it, look for it. It confirms his acting talents and his romantic appeal.
However, in Love in Design, none of this is visible. He is overshadowed by McKellar's perky, bouncy manner and her take-charge style. His role becomes one of a passive bystander with very few interesting lines, and even fewer opportunities to show any passion or romantic gestures..other than being remembered for brushing her hair off her face. Oh,my goodness..this is almost embarrassing.
The relationship between the stars falls flat. Of course, the ending is predictable, albeit contrived..This is a Hallmark movie,after all.
But one is left wondering WHY?? There is no chemistry at all between the stars or their characters. The ending is overly contrived.
Additionally, there is a scarcity of significant dialogue..way too many pauses, silences and frought facial expressions. McKellar's eyebrows turn upward, his face goes blank, no words are utter.
They both give the impression they can't wait for the filming to be over.
Another Hallmark cliche should be addressed here..The female character almost always has a best friend, supporter, cheering section. And recently, it seems to be role assigned to young talented women of color. I this a nod to diversity in films? Why not really become part of the new day and the new reality and make the heroine a woman of color and make her best friend a woman of any color at all? Time is fleeting..Hallmark needs to catch up.
Another cliche Hallmark needs to address is the over-use of the heroine's parents as the ideal married couple, middle aged and playfully in love, an ideal she is sure she can never achieve. This harks viewers back to the old tv shows, Father Knows Best, Donna Reed Show, etc..and has very little to do with today's reality. Time for Hallmark to catch up or to be forever stuck in a cliche that may have gone by the wayside years ago.
If you are looking for a bland, predictable, under-acted, under-written Hallmark movie, this is the one for you.
