User reviews

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.

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.

I loved the movie! The characters were what I like to see in a movie , warm and helpful, (unlike the real world at times!) and caring. I loved the Bookstore/ café and thought it was a great idea. I've always loved bookstores and the idea of having both together to read and relax with two owners that are just as caring, to me, is a town I'd love to live in! The storyline and was what you expect from Hallmark, but that is why I watch them. The scenes were beautiful and I loved the idea of two people connecting so well! I was curious as to why certain parts of the film were lengthened. I can hardly wait for the next episode, I just wish it had an ending, not be continued to next year, hard to wait to see the ending of a movie I enjoyed so much!

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.

The story is interesting and well done. As a 23 year old, I can attest to the fact that the fear of the future and of change is accurate and well told through the eyes of Molly and Ryan. The movie was well done and well told, that is, until the end... As another reviewer stated, the story is only half told in this installment, a fact which was not made known prior to the film's showing. We have to wait until next Christmas season to find out what happens. Good job, Hallmark. What a ridiculous idea. Then again, Hallmark seems to be expert at ruining things that have potential of late. (Their original series are prime examples of good ideas going terribly wrong.) Were this the pilot to a TV show I might understand it, but waiting an entire YEAR to resolve a story is absurd! Whoever at Hallmark made this decision should be fired. Do I want to know how the movie turns out? Yes. Will I remember that I want to know NEXT YEAR? Doubtful.

It is billed as a Christmas movie, but you could watch it all year long. Very heart-warming tale about how you can touch people's lives in positive ways without ever realizing it. It's also about learning to love someone enough to give them the freedom to be themselves. Very heart-warming, but not sappy. It's about community and coming together to help someone in need. You come away with lessons learned. I highly recommend this Part 1 and Part 2. James Welch Henderson, Arkansas 12/20/2020

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.

Great movie, great cast, great story.

It was outstanding, loved every minute of it.

Now that both parts are available at the same time, watch it again if you disliked part one. Maybe you will like it in it's ientirety.

My advice - watch it when you can get part 1 and part 2.

Hallmark is seriously delusional if they think anyone will care in 12 months what happens in this movie. The story is almost nonexistent, the young male

lead is vapid and has only one facial expression, and nothing really happens until the token "misunderstanding" that could have been resolved with one good question. The down and out bookstore seems to be the biggest game in town and has no problem staying vital to the community. Every cliché in the book is well covered in this trite and stale offering.

I do like Faith Ford and she does bring the only depth and story line to this sad effort.

A big letdown from the Hallmarks of the past. This is a clunker.

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).

We should not have seen this.Movies where a lonely piano is sounding and everyone are smiling and everything is so cute and nice are dull.We almost fell asleep.OK we should have turned this movie off but wanted to see the end. Only to read "to be continued".It will take a while before part 2 comes up in Sweden but we do not care about it any more.There are more interesting things to do like watching drying paint.

This is a good movie. It's a great story, and has a cute beginning. I will have to look into reading Karen Kingsbury's books. I saw this movie thinking that there was going to be a happy ending, like in all Hallmark movies. But there was no ending! There is a part 2! Why would Hallmark do that? And why would Hallmark air a good 2015 movie and not air part 2? When will they air part 2? When and where can I see part 2? Why do they leave us hanging? I've never heard of such a thing. TV airs a cliffhanger sometimes, but Hallmark movies shouldn't do that. We don't know when or if the part 2 movie is coming on! This is why I'm only giving it 2 stars.