wbrasle-29744

I'm a Debby Gibson fan back to her first single. I am 77 (!) and have been in the record and music business all my life, also a journalist and journalism teacher, also have been an actor and singer and for 52 years taught at a high school and was in fact a National Journalism Teacher of the Year. I watched this film waiting for something/anything to happen but nothing did. There was barely a plot and barely any characters; everyone seemed similar and no one seemed like anyone in real life. I think Debby clearly has the talent and smarts to make memorable films and at the same time films for family viewing on Hallmark. But the movies must have consequential plots, must have interesting and rich characters and must have feeling. I got no feeling from this film; did not for a second believe Debby and future husband were in love (or for that matter, knew each other well or, for THAT matter, were given anything memorable to do or say by the script). All the characters were sweet, smiling and absent of any emotion otherwise. I think Debbie singing her hit songs needs to be dropped or at least contained and new music emphasized; she is not 16 any more. And every film needs tension, surprises and temperament and none of that was present. Hallmark does love small towns and wholesome people and that is okay but every film needs a sense of real people, real life, real conflict and a real payoff. This film had none of that.I hope all this can be thought over and I hope Hallmark and Debbie will continue to do films. There is no question she has the brains, talent and appeal to do it and she does look fabulous. But the bar must set higher.

I am nuts about Hallmark films involving royalty, particularly those involving royal locations. This one strikes me as particularly inviting. All the elements seem to come together--casting, location, script, cinematography and abundant elements of seriousness, laughter, predictability and surprise. The choice of actors here seems particularly felicitous; the characters emerge as genuine, situations plausible and there is great warmth to the entire enterprise. Waiting for it on DVD! I have a backlog of about 15 Hallmark films to get to. i am never disappointed, and this comes from a lifelong journalist, teacher, writer and one-time actor and singe who has seen it all. It is nice to enter a world of sanity, wholesomeness charm and a happy ending I guess.