I was surprised to see all the 10 reviews for this movie. Don't get me wrong. This movie has a lot going for it, but even relative to the genre it's in, is it a 10? (I'm all for giving a 10 to movies that don't have A list actors or appear in theatres if they have something special going for them. If it hits me in a special way.)
Hallmark has been in a rut now for a while with a lot of really bland movies. Sure, there's been a couple that were better than that, but many of us who rarely miss a Saturday night have felt something missing from so many of those movies. The same goes even more so for the other "knock off" channels.
I can see why so many people welcome this movie as a break from that. It has a lot of really good elements going for it. The dialogue is very good. The leads have chemistry. There are some little twists and turns here and there. There are a lot of nostalgic old school songs and even a couple of little dance routines. The one with the two kids is a lot of fun. The premise isn't quite the usual stuff. The moms make the viewer wonder about exactly what's going on there. It's a fun movie with a lot of upbeat moments and some slightly tender ones mixed in.
I can't personally give it a perfect score. The story is predictable especially the "misunderstanding". I thought the ending was rushed. I could have easily given the movie another 5-15 minutes screen time.
I had trouble with the background for the divorce. I can easily understand that Mia had good reasons, but the movie's explanations for Casey's failings fall short. For much of the movie, it seems like her only complaint was that his drinking led to some irresponsible episodes. Did they lose their apartment only because he lost his job? That doesn't seem to fit. Mia talks about his lies, but the way it's presented lacks gravity, at least until very late in the movie. Mia tells Casey that she's doing it for Rosie, but Rosie doesn't seem to display the wounds one would expect given her father's drinking. There doesn't have to be abuse to leave a child with trauma. I guess what I'm saying is that for anyone who hasn't seen what alcoholism can do to a family, the movie didn't explain the pain from which the family is trying to recover.
Krysta Rodriguez has a beautiful voice. I would have like to hear more of her. On the other hand, Santino Fontana had some spotty moments, especially early on. For the early part of the movie, I was thinking - this is a headliner? His performances later on get much better.
