The Vows We Keep

I really like Fiona Gubelmann and wanted to love this movie. It was nice but not much of a romance. The settings were beautiful but the constant obstacles plot has been used so many times that it ended up kind of boring. The lead actor is a great second lead as a best friend but he doesn't act like a romantic lead. There were no sparks at all between the two leads. They seemed like brother and sister until the very last minute of the movie. And one more thing- worst boutonnière ever on the dad's tuxedo.

PROs: The acting was good. Everyone did the best with what was given to them.

The script, like most newer movies, had an absence of the standard tropes or the tropes were done differently.

The scenery was nice, filmed at Harrison Hot Springs in BC and nearby Abbotsford. (We like to Google and check maps and images to figure out where exactly it was filmed).

It had a different vibe than expected.

It tries to be deep and philosophical, and sometimes it works.

CONs: In the noble effort to diversify, it is given precedence over personality. The leads had absolutely no romantic chemistry whatsoever. They would be friends, that's it.

The male lead was absent for a good chunk of the movie. The romance was nonexistent, and unnecessary.

The show tried to infuse drama, but it ended up forced and maudlin ( I looked that word up to be sure it was appropriate for this situation). Tears here and there in several parts of the movie. Way overdone and would have been more effective if used sparingly.

The ending was rushed and wrapped up quickly with no knowledge of what happened to make it all okay. We had to guess.

A voice over narrative at the beginning and ending which many would see as a nice touch, I found didn't make complete sense because I listened to what was actually said. The end voice gave reference to the title, which was made to sound more meaningful than it was. Or I just didn't get it.

The movie is all style over substance.

This weekend's premieres, for the first time ever, bombed, imho.

I was going to give it a 6, but going over what I wrote, I can't give it above a 5.

A waste of good actors.

Many will love it, as there is no Hallmark movie where someone doesn't say it's their favorite and they watch it over and over. #thevowswekeep SMH.

The new Hallmark movies are tripping all over themselves trying to appease the woke crowd by being super "inclusive." In this movie the "romance" is so forced it's ridiculous. The love connection that is supposed to happen is obvious form the first scene and it just falls flat. Plunk. But at least the production company can say they tried and check off that box.

Loved all the characters but the only decent relationship was the sisters. No romance at all. The best story was with the two older sisters. There could have been much more with them. Basically, good acting and bad execution with the story.

Sadly, I see an overall low rating for this movie. The scenery is outstanding and adds to the scope of the story immensely. The casting was excellent. The storyline was sadly all tocommon where the brilliant long time employee who is a female gets passed over for a male not qualified for the job. But fortunately circumstances smile upon two people who are disenchanted with their jobs. And they find love and work that satisfies the both of them together in this pleasant and lovely movie. The flowers, the setting, the story, all add up to a pleasant evening of watching a worthwhile movie from Hallmark.