The More Love Grows

7.4 stars.

It's very rare for Hallmark to give us a story centered around an actual divorce that is in the works rather than a retroactive one, or the usual death of a spouse.

In this case we have a film starting out seemingly normal, but we know something has to go wrong, because the husband is a chump and the leading female is obviously not feeling normal as a housewife of sorts. From there we see the transformation of a woman who is blindsided by the news that husband is unhappy with the marriage. But is she really surprised?

This film is mostly unfinished in a sense, but the story is fully told. The leading male/love interest's role is half developed, the husband is a ghost of a character, and the daughter is only secondary; so we miss out on anything coming to fruition. The leading female is uncertain of herself which wasn't explored correctly. Therefore, 'The More Love Grows' is not a completely fulfilling experience. But I still enjoyed it because the acting is great and the flow and dialogue are satisfying. Hard to explain, but this is actually an entertaining movie (the dog helped).

This is already one of my favorite films.

It had a really strong theme of growth, among several of the characters, in some surprising ways. And there were opportunities to take the easy way out for a lot of the characters, and it was interesting what each ultimately chose.

Rachel Boston and Warren Christie were natural together, and it good to see them each growing and maturing as actors. And we certainly saw a new side of Linda Boyd.

There were some characters that seemed like they were going to be important that got lost in the shuffle for a while, but that really is how life goes sometimes.

Yes, there are a lot of weak spots in this movie, but the longer I watched it, I appreciated how it delved into the important issues that the first minutes of it made you think were going to handled lightly. Though I was put off by many of the tropes that were introduced in the beginning, I appreciated the deft way they handled them as the movie unfolded, and how they reflected real world experiences for many of us.

I actually would love to see a sequel. Maybe this is just a transitional relationship and they end up finding other loves, but remain friends. Maybe they take that trip to Paris they both want to take and realize they aren't meant to be together. Maybe their kids end up in a relationship that causes all sorts of complications. Maybe Elmer becomes a dad. So many possibilities for this fine cast to explore further.

As a fan of "Heartland," I loved seeing Alisha Newton's character being a less than positive influence, as opposed to her Heartland character, Georgie.

Outside of the dog in this movie there really isn't much to like about it. The main story lines for the human characters are just too depressing that they really don't capture the viewer's attention or interests. So much so that you find yourself wondering if they would have just made this totally about the dog in a sort of Benji way - would that have made the movie more interesting for the viewer? Given the actor an actress in this movie and knowing their ability based on past performances I just couldn't get into this one at all and I wanted to. Should have been happy for the final outcome for the dog but the rest was hard to watch.

This new Hallmark movie had so much potential! Sadly, it missed that opportunity. Rachel Boston, the leading actress, has shown in all her past films that she has a very limited range. Her tendency to giggle during any lapse in dialogue is almost her signature behavior. Her giggle fills space that could be just as well be left silent. And her giggle is most often inappropriate to the moment in the script.

The story that this film offers is so contemporary,and so relevant to a large audience. A marriage suddenly ends. The couple, mature enough to have daughter in college, needs to deal with the reality of two lives that have to move on. This topic could have been explored in a much more mature and sensitive manner. Unfortunately, it wasn't.

Acting kudos go to the leading actress' mother, played by Gabrielle Rose, who has an impressive range of emotion, expressions, and very convincing delivery of her lines.

If the viewer can overlook the giggling of the leading lady as well as her broad smile throughout any emotional scene, this is a movie that could deliver a profound message about moving on, discovering ones untapped talents and gratifications.

In the end, this movie belongs to the wonderful dog who stole every scene. He was a marvelous actor, a real trouper, and saved the viewer from all the unsettling smiling and flat giggling of the leading lady,.