Love in Zion National: A National Park Romance

I enjoyed the first National Parks romance and was looking forward to this one, but even the spectacular scenery and landmarks of Zion could not help this movie. It was so historically inaccurate that it spoiled the plot. Also, the ages of the characters did not work. The grandmother, a lovely character, looked about 50. Cindy is now 40 but was paired with a male lead that is 32 (and looked 25) and they had no connection at all. And I hope that David actually has ties to native heritage. His bio is sparse. They set out for a 6 day hike with small backpacks. Where was their food, water, clothing, supplies, etc. Just not believable at all. Even the vases looked fake and simplistic. This is a popular park but they did not meet anyone on their hike. And are campfires safe these days what with all of the fires burning across the west? There were just so many little annoying features that took away from the story. If there are others in this series, I hope they are much better and more realistic than this sad excuse for a movie.

IN A NUTSHELL: The romance is directed by Sam Irvin. The writing credits go to Jacob Cooney and Bryar Freed.

Assistant curator, Lauren, is out to prove a set of ancient vases belong to the Pueblo Nation. While in Zion, she meets Adam, a native Puebloan park ranger, who helps her on her mission.

THINGS I LIKED: I had never seen any of the actors in anything before. They all did a fine job and include Cindy Busby, David Gridley, Raquel Gardner, Michelle, Murphy, Monique Filips, Bourke Floyd, and Liam Woodrum.

Zion means "sanctuary." If you're hoping this movie will include a lot of beautiful scenery of the famous national park, you're in for a real treat. The cinematography is gorgeous.

The movie shows a passion for nature.

I appreciate that some of the characters work very hard to ensure some ancient artifacts are protected and restored to their rightful owners.

We learn a little bit about Indian culture.

It made me laugh that Lauren talked about how she grew up hiking around Zion National Park and knew her way around the national park, but then got lost within minutes. Ha ha Fun fact: Zion National Park is 229 square miles of beautiful red rock landscapes and vistas. It's one of the most filmed national parks in the USA.

THINGS I DIDN'T LIKE: Sadly, the Anasazi disappeared about 1000 years ago, so the plot line of the story doesn't actually work. I live in Las Vegas near a street called Anasazi! A few years ago, I visited a museum on the UNLV campus that showcased a number of Anasazi artifacts. I wonder why the writers chose to feature the Anasazi Native Americans, rather than an actual tribe that had living descendants today.

It drove me nuts how Cindy Busby mispronounced the name of the park.

The leading lady's character is a bit cocky and unlikeable.

The difference between the leading couple distracted me. He looked way younger than her. He's actually 32, although he looks much younger. Cindy Busby is 40 years old.

Some of the dialogue is not very good.

It always annoys me when characters hide things from each other and don't just communicate.

There was no chemistry between the leading couple. The final kiss was super forced.

The Kachina doll looked like it was bought out of a souvenir shop rather than a handmade artifact passed down through generations like we were supposed to believe.

Are hikers allowed to actually light fires in Zions National Park? I'm thinking no. That didn't seem believable.

It just looked like not much thought went into the details. For example, the Ranger and museum curator took off for a week-long trek in the park with just a little backpack. Where were their water bottles, food, and supplies?

She was staying in a big room somewhere on site and didn't bother to put out the fire in the fireplace right before leaving for a week-long trek in the park. Stuff like that bugs me. How about you?

It was said that some judge was going to decide on the case any minute now. Without all of the facts or witnesses? That's not how the law works.

Shouldn't the Park Ranger prohibit bad guys from removing artifacts from the park? It's hard to believe he's the only Ranger in the entire park.

As an author coach, I have several clients who write fantastic romantic comedies. I wish Hallmark would tap into their talents rather than try to rush a script through and miss all of the details that make a story rich and enjoyable.

TIPS FOR PARENTS: The movie is definitely clean enough for family viewing.

There's nothing really controversial or offensive in the content.

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Beautiful desert backdrop to this Hallmark romance which was heavy on an Anasazi mystery. I love the Southwest and I am really enjoying Hallmark highlighting National Parks. I also really love Native American culture, but I am by no means an expert. I was left questioning things in this film however...like aren't Kachinas a Hopi tradition? Wouldn't it be cultural appropriation if the Anasazi are making and-or selling Kachinas? Also, I appreciated that the grandmother, played wonderfully by Monique Filips, mentions the three sister and how that was a way of planting used by the natives...but didn't explain why (how one steals nitrogen out of the soil and one puts nitrogen back in...).

The story is about a museum worker who upon unboxing donated artifacts (three Anasazi wedding vases), determines that there is a missing vase and with the donor's journal goes to Zion National Park to find the missing vessel. There she is assigned a park ranger as a guide and this is how she meets "native" Adam Proudstar, his technology loving brother Tate and his grandmother Kaya. These three are the best part of this film which is more of a mystery than a romance.

I recommend this film to mystery lovers and those who love the southwest...romantics might be disappointed...or they might also fall in love with the Proudstar brothers!

6.7 stars.

Nothing stands out as this being a re-watchable Hallmark duplicate of a duplicate plot. I feel sorry for Busby who is cast in most of the Hallmark national park, state park, outdoorsy movie sets. I can't differentiate between them after a while. Was this already done in 'Marry Me in Yosemite', or 'Warming up to You', or 'Chasing Waterfalls', or 'Love in the Forecast'? Take your pick. Here is a quote from my review of 'Chasing Waterfalls': "Trust your instincts, because YES, you've seen this movie before..."

This is a movie about a single woman who works at a museum, and let's face it she aint getting any younger (Busby looks really good for her age, actually). She goes on a hunt for a Native American artifact to complete a set of four vases that a money grubbing man is trying to claim and sell on the market (if and when he discovers the secret). It's an interesting plot, but it's too generic and lacks adventure and mystery. It's basically just a couple of people walking in the hills talking about lore and stuff and some quasi native history that is not believable. The park ranger's grandmother looks about 50 years old, and he's like 30.

I don't know, there is a lot of lost potential here. The end was good, however it's about preservation of Native American vases from hundreds of years ago, which had a lot of missed potential (like I said), but the romance was lacking. However, the cinematography was brilliant and the ending was uplifting enough for a higher rating than originally planned.

Great scenery but unrealistic in all other aspects,does Hallmark even care? I think quality over quantity matters. The leads had no genuine-acting chemistry,that would be fine if this wasn't a romance themed movie.. What didn't help was,the appearance in their ages. Cindy isn't a horrible actress,but not a first choice & maybe do a casting call for new talent or ethnicities as leads not side characters. Being so unprepared for their park adventures,was a bit foolish especially considering he was a professional ranger. Also what park has those type of accommodations,yes its a movie but how about keeping it realistic.

Sad but seems this was filmed in Canada,pretending to be other locations.. Hallmark are you that poor or just cheap,to use some actual places or not stock footage? If they wanted to do a background around culture & so forth,at least keep it accurate or stick to another topic.. Altgough glad it wasn't about a festival,etc.

Overall casting to acting is average,decent cinematography & as mentioned scenery.. Music over talking was ok,is it worth seeing? If bored,like park views or the actors.