New This Week in Theaters, August 20, 2015

Posted on August 20, 2015 by laurarachel4

New poster for American Ultra. American Ultra Rated R
Opens on Friday, August 21
Starring: Jesse Eisenberg, Kristen Stewart, Topher Grace

A stoner – who is in fact a government agent – is marked as a liability and targeted for extermination. But he’s too well-trained and too high for them to handle.

HITMAN: AGENT 47 US poster  Hitman: Agent 47 Rated R
Opens on Friday, August 21
Starring: Rupert Friend, Zachary Quinto, Hannah Ware

An assassin teams up with a woman to help her find her father and uncover the mysteries of her ancestry.

 Sinister 2 Rated R
Opens on Friday, August 21
Starring: Shannyn Sossamon, James Ransone, Robert Sloan

A young mother and her twin sons move into a rural house that’s marked for death.

  Digging for Fire Rated R
Opens on Friday, August 21
Starring: Jake Johnson, Rosemarie DeWitt, Anna Kendrick

The discovery of a bone and a gun send a husband and wife on separate adventures over the course of a weekend.

 Some Kind of Beautiful Rated R
Opens on Friday, August 21
Starring: Pierce Brosnan, Salma Hayek, Jessica Alba

A drama about a Cambridge poetry professor who begins to re-evaluate his life of Byronic excess.

  Learning to Drive Rated R
Opens on Friday, August 21
Starring: Patricia Clarkson, Ben Kingsley, Grace Gummer

As her marriage dissolves, a Manhattan writer takes driving lessons from a Sikh instructor with marriage troubles of his own. In each other’s company they find the courage to get back on the road and the strength to take the wheel.

 She’s Funny That Way Rated R
Opens on Friday, August 21
Starring: Jennifer Aniston, Imogen Poots, Lucy Punch

On the set of a playwright’s new project, a love triangle forms between his wife, her ex-lover, and the call girl-turned-actress cast in the production.

 Slow Learners Rated NR
Opens on Wednesday, August 19
Starring: Adam Pally, Sarah Burns, Reid Scott

Jeff and Anne, two close friends and co-workers, are embarrassingly unlucky at love. They hatch a plan to transform themselves over the course of a sex-and-alcohol-fueled summer.

 Grandma Rated R
Opens on Friday, August 21
Starring: Lily Tomlin, Julia Garner, Marcia Gay Harden

Self-described misanthrope Elle Reid has her protective bubble burst when her 18-year-old granddaughter, Sage, shows up needing help. The two of them go on a day-long journey that causes Elle to come to terms with her past and Sage to confront her future.

 6 Years Rated NR
Opened on Tuesday, August 18
Starring: Taissa Farmiga, Ben Rosenfield, Lindsay Burdge

A young couple bound by a seemingly ideal love, begins to unravel as unexpected opportunities spin them down a volatile and violent path and threaten the future they had always imagined.

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New This Week on DVD, August 18, 2015

Posted on August 18, 2015 by laurarachel4

 Little Boy (PG-13)

An eight-year-old boy is willing to do whatever it takes to end World War II so he can bring his father home. The story reveals the indescribable love a father has for his little boy and the love a son has for his father. Starring: Jakob Salvati, Emily Watson, David Henrie, Michael Rapaport

 The 100-Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out the Window and Disappeared (R)

After living a long and colorful life, Allan Karlsson finds himself stuck in a nursing home. On his 100th birthday, he leaps out a window and begins an unexpected journey. Starring: Robert Gustafsson, Iwar Wiklander, David Wiberg, Mia Skäringer

 5 to 7 (R)

An aspiring novelist enters into a relationship with a woman, though there’s just one catch: She’s married, and the couple can only meet between the hours of 5 and 7 each evening. Starring: Anton Yelchin, Bérénice Marlohe, Olivia Thirlby, Lambert Wilson

 About Elly (NR)

The mysterious disappearance of a kindergarten teacher during a picnic in the north of Iran is followed by a series of misadventures for her follow travelers. Starring: Golshifteh Farahani, Shahab Hosseini, Taraneh Alidoosti

 10 Cent Pistol (R)

A story about two lifelong criminals who maneuver through the shady underbelly of Los Angeles in search of wealth, love and redemption. Starring: Jena Malone, JT Alexander, Damon Alexander, Joe Mantegna

 Atlantis: Season Two, Part Two (NR)

Far from home, Jason washes up on the shores of the ancient and mysterious city of Atlantis. Starring: Mark Addy, Jack Donnelly, Robert Emms

 The Blacklist: The Complete Second Season (TV-14)

Elizabeth ‘Liz’ Keen, a new FBI profiler has her entire life uprooted when a mysterious criminal, Raymond Reddington, on the FBI’s Top Ten Most Wanted List turns himself in and insists on speaking to her. Starring: James Spader, Megan Boone, Diego Klattenhoff, Ryan Eggold

 Catching Faith (UR)

From the outside, Alexa has the perfect life. Her son is the high school football star, daughter a straight A student and her husband is CFO of a booming start-up company. The sudden death of her father, however, causes Alexa to realize there is more to life than appearances. Her perfectly crafted social image is disrupted when she embarks on a journey of self-discovery. Learning to embrace truth, Alexa rediscovers her faith and what it means to be family. Starring: Bill Engvall, Lorena Segura York, Lauren Myers

 Grey’s Anatomy: Complete Eleventh Season (TV-14)

A drama centered on the personal and professional lives of five surgical interns and their supervisors. Starring:  Ellen Pompeo, Justin Chambers, Chandra Wilson, James Pickens Jr.

 The Jeff Foxworthy Show: The Complete Series (NR)

Air conditioning repair man Jeff finds himself a fish out of water living in Indiana with his Southern ways and humor. Eventually he takes his family back to Georgia and reconnects with his eccentric relations. Starring: Jeff Foxworthy, Haley Joel Osment, Ann Cusack

 The Killing: The Complete Fourth Season (TV-14)

A police investigation, the saga of a grieving family, and a Seattle mayoral campaign all interlock after the body of 17-year-old Rosie Larsen is found in the trunk of a submerged car. Starring: Mireille Enos, Joel Kinnaman

 The Love Letter (NR)

The Love Letter explores just how tricky things can get when your best friend is the opposite sex. Starring: Romeo Miller, Keshia Knight Pulliam, Jackée Harry, Marques Houston

 Mike & Molly: The Complete Fifth Season (TV-14)

A couple meet at an Overeaters’ Anonymous meeting. Starring: Billy Gardell, Melissa McCarthy, Reno Wilson, Katy Mixon, Swoosie Kurtz

 NCIS: Los Angeles – The Sixth Season (TV-PG)

The Naval Criminal Investigation Service’s Office of Special Projects takes on the undercover work and the hard to crack cases in LA. Key agents are G. Callen and Sam Hanna, streets kids risen through the ranks. Starring Chris O’Donnell, Daniela Ruah, Barrett Foa, Linda Hunt, LL Cool J

 NCIS: New Orleans – The First Season (NR)

A spin-off of “NCIS” that is set in the Crescent City. The cases and lives of the Naval Criminal Investigative Service’s New Orleans branch, which consists of Senior Special Agent Dwayne Cassius “King” Pride, Special Agent Christopher LaSalle, and Special Agent Meredith Brody. Starring: Scott Bakula, Lucas Black, Zoe McLellan, Rob Kerkovich, CCH Pounder, Charles Barber

 NCIS: The 12th Season (TV-14)

The cases of the Naval Criminal Investigative Service’s Washington DC Major Case Response Team, led by Special Agent Leroy Jethro Gibbs. Starring: Mark Harmon, Michael Weatherly, Pauley Perrette, David McCallum

 Once Upon a Time: The Complete Fourth Season (TV-PG)

A woman with a troubled past is drawn to a town in Maine where fairy tales are to be believed. Starring: Ginnifer Goodwin, Jennifer Morrison, Lana Parrilla, Josh Dallas

 Rookie Blue: Season Five Volume One (NR)

The stakes are high for five young cops fresh out of the Academy and ready for their first day with one of the most elite units in the city. Under the watchful guidance of their officers, Andy McNally and her four fellow rookies quickly learn that no amount of training could prepare them for this new world where every day is a first. Each case they tackle and choice they make will impact their lives, but it’s their personal relationships that may play an even greater role in defining the cops they become. Starring: Missy Peregrym, Gregory Smith, Enuka Okuma, Travis Milne, Charlotte Sullivan, Matt Gordon, Ben Bass

 The Royals: The Complete First Season (NR)

Drama about a fictional British Royal family set in modern day London, who inhabit a world of opulence and regal tradition that caters to any and every desire, but one that also comes with a price tag of duty, destiny and intense public scrutiny. Starring: Merritt Patterson, William Moseley, Alexandra Park, Jake Maskall, Tom Austen, Oliver Milburn, Vincent Regan, Elizabeth Hurley

 The Secret Life of Marilyn Monroe (NR)

A chronicle of Marilyn Monroe’s family life and how she succeeded in hiding her most intimate secrets from the press and an invasive world. Starring: Susan Sarandon, Kelli Garner, Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Emily Watson

 The Seventh Dwarf (PG)

When Bobo, the youngest of the seven dwarves, accidentally pricks Princess Rose (a.k.a. Sleeping Beauty) and sends the kingdom into a century-long slumber, Bobo and the other six dwarves must go on an adventure in order to revive Rose… and find that even the smallest dwarf can be a king. A hilarious mash-up of the best classic fairy tales for young and old alike, featuring a surprising dragon, a brave little dwarf, non-stop gags and toe-tapping songs. Starring: Katja Bruegger, Christa Clahane, Cameron Elvin, Joshua Graham

 Strangerland (R)

A family finds their dull life in a rural outback town rocked after their two teenage children disappear into the desert, sparking disturbing rumors of their past. Starring: Nicole Kidman, Hugo Weaving, Joseph Fiennes, Sean Keenan

 Welcome Back, Kotter: The Final Season

A compassionate teacher returns to his inner city high school of his youth to teach a new generation of trouble making kids. Starring: Gabe Kaplan, Robert Hegyes, Lawrence Hilton-Jacobs

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Orlando Bloom

Posted on August 14, 2015 by laurarachel4

 The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003) Rated PG-13 for intense epic battle sequences and frightening images

Gandalf and Aragorn lead the World of Men against Sauron’s army to draw his gaze from Frodo and Sam as they approach Mount Doom with the One Ring.

 The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001) Rated PG-13 for epic battle sequences and some scary images

A meek hobbit of the Shire and eight companions set out on a journey to Mount Doom to destroy the One Ring and the dark lord Sauron.

 The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (2002) Rated PG-13 for epic battle sequences and scary images

While Frodo and Sam edge closer to Mordor with the help of the shifty Gollum, the divided fellowship makes a stand against Sauron’s new ally, Saruman, and his hordes of Isengard.

 Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (2003) Rated PG-13 for action/adventure violence

Blacksmith Will Turner teams up with eccentric pirate “Captain” Jack Sparrow to save his love, the governor’s daughter, from Jack’s former pirate allies, who are now undead.

 The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug (2013) Rated PG-13 for extended sequences of intense fantasy action violence, and frightening images

The dwarves, along with Bilbo Baggins and Gandalf the Grey, continue their quest to reclaim Erebor, their homeland, from Smaug. Bilbo Baggins is in possession of a mysterious and magical ring.

 Elizabethtown (2005) Rated PG-13 for language and some sexual references

During an outrageous memorial for a Southern patriarch, an unexpected romance blooms between a young woman and man.

Synopsis by IMDB.

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New This Week in Theaters, August 13, 2015

Posted on August 13, 2015 by laurarachel4

The Man from U.N.C.L.E. (2015) Poster The Man From U.N.C.L.E. Rated PG-13
Opens on Friday, August 14
Starring: Henry Cavill, Armie Hammer, Alicia Vikander

In the early 1960s, CIA agent Napoleon Solo and KGB operative Illya Kuryakin participate in a joint mission against a mysterious criminal organization, which is working to proliferate nuclear weapons.

Straight Outta Compton (2015) Poster Straight Outta Compton Rated R
Opens on Friday, August 14
Starring: Jason Mitchell, O’Shea Jackson Jr., Aldis Hodge

The group NWA emerges from the streets of Compton, California in the mid-1980s and revolutionizes Hip Hop culture with their music and tales about life in the hood.

 

Underdogs Rated NR
Opens on Friday, August 14
Starring: Matthew Morrison, Bella Thorne, Ariana Grande

A young man named Amadeo sets off on an unexpected adventure with the players of his beloved Foosball game.

 

 Mistress America Rated R
Opens on Friday, August 14
Starring: Greta Gerwig, Lola Kirke, Seth Barrish

A lonely college freshman’s life is turned upside down by her impetuous, adventurous soon-to-be stepsister.

 

null Return to Sender
Opens on Friday, August 14
Starring: Rosamund Pike, Rumer Willis, Nick Nolte

A nurse living in small town goes on a blind date with a man who is not the person he says he is.

 

Poster for the documentary film Meru, shows a man climbing the side of a mountain Meru
Opens on Friday, August 14
Starring: Conrad Anker, Grace Chin, Jimmy Chin

Three elite climbers struggle to find their way through obsession and loss as they attempt to climb Mount Meru, one of the most coveted prizes in the high stakes game of Himalayan big wall climbing.

 

Big Sky Big Sky
Opens on Friday, August 14
Starring: Bella Thorne, Kyra Sedgwick, Frank Grillo

A teen traveling with her mother to a treatment center for her agoraphobia has to fight for their lives against a gunman who attacks them.

 

Air (2015) Full Movie Poster Air Rated PG-13 for some violence, language and sexual references

Opens on Friday, August 14
Starring: Norman Reedus, Djimon Hounsou, Sandrine Holt

In the near future, breathable air is nonexistent and two engineers tasked with guarding the last hope for mankind struggle to preserve their own lives while administering to their vital task at hand.

 

 One & Two
Opens on Friday, August 14
Starring: Kiernan Shipka, Timothee Chalamet, Elizabeth Reaser

Two siblings discover a supernatural escape from a troubled home, but find their bond tested when reality threatens to tear their family apart.

 

Once I Was a Beehive Poster Once I was a Beehive Rated PG
Opens on Friday, August 14
Starring: Paris Warner, Lisa Clark, Hailey Smith

Lane Speer is a 16 year old girl who spends her family vacations camping in the mountains. She takes the memories for granted until she loses her father to an unexpected bout with cancer. Only a year later, as Lane is still reeling from her father’s death, he mother remarries a guy that Lane hardly knows. Worst of all, he is a Mormon. To top it off, while they are on their honeymoon, they arrange to have her stay with her Mormon step-aunt who takes her away to a bible-themed girls camp with a bunch of young Mormon girls. Confronted with memories of camping with her family, she tries to find peace with her new surroundings and deal with the death of her father.

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Birdman: Or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance) (2014) Rated R

Posted on August 13, 2015 by laurarachel4

BirdmanAn actor, whose career has waned, opens a play on Broadway while his one iconic character continues to haunt him. Starring Michael Keaton, Emma Stone, Kenny Chin, Zach Galifianakis, Naomi Watts

It’s a rarity when everything comes together for a film: acting, directing, writing, music, cinematography, and editing. This film is reminiscent of Citizen Kane. It has both the long takes that allow us to walk with the character through the scenes and the continuity of taking all the elements of that characters life and weave them together seamlessly, like Citizen Kane did.   This story tells the life of an actor who wants to be both credible and relevant.  His conscience speaks to him about his existence- sometimes good things, sometimes bad- revealing the truth of his situations.  The film covers all dimensions of acting, from blockbuster hits to indie films, from the screen to Broadway.

I believe this will become a classic film school piece, shown to students for years to come.  It even includes a similar, haunting question akin to who or what was Rosebud.  This movie is worth a watch. FYI, there is language in the film.

 

 

 

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Just The Way You Are (2015) Rated TV-G

Posted on August 12, 2015 by laurarachel4

Just the way you areA matchmaker who has been married for 15 years feels her marriage has lost its spark. So, she and her husband try to rekindle their romance. Starring Carolyn Adair, Michael Antonakos, Rukiya Bernard, Candace Cameron Bure

What I love about this film is that the couple realizes that they are in funk and they try to revive their marriage. The husband seems to be a little- no, a lot- reluctant. She sets up rules that she gives to the couples she hooks up, but her husband seems completely disinterested, which frustrated me.  I wanted him to be emotionally involved in the process of “dating” his wife. Instead, he remains indifferent until the very end, when he surprises her with  a gift. This left me wondering if he truly loved his wife or just did it to please her. I would recommend this film for a good representation of working on a marriage, but it’s not the best film. It’s still worth a watch.

 

 

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Lies Between Friends (2010) Rated NR

Posted on August 11, 2015 by laurarachel4

lies between friendsFourteen years after graduating from college, a group of friends get together for a weekend to celebrate one of them getting married. When one of them dies, old secrets, wounds and lies emerge. Starring Gabrielle Anwar, Susan Hogan, Thea Gill, John Newton

I was rather surprised by this film. It’s one of those movies where you can sit back and just enjoy the mystery as it unfolds. Joss, the main character tries to figure out what happened to her friend- whether her death was a murder, accident, or suicide- but along the way she  discovers that their friends weren’t who she thought they were.

I thought every one of the actors did an amazing job. They all seemed comfortable enough with each other to be good friends, yet distant enough for not having seen each other in fourteen years. The only real detraction from the movie was Gabrielle Anwar’s (Joss) hair. I don’t know if it was a wig or her natural hair, but it was too distracting. This film is truly one of the better ones to sit down and enjoy for the evening. It’s worth a watch.

 

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New This Week on DVD, August 11th, 2015

Posted on August 11, 2015 by laurarachel4

 Hot Pursuit (PG-13)

An uptight and by-the-book cop tries to protect the outgoing widow of a drug boss as they race through Texas pursued by crooked cops and murderous gunmen. Starring Reese Witherspoon, Sofía Vergara,  Matthew Del Negro, and Robert Kazinsky.

 Unfriended (R)

A group of online chat room friends find themselves haunted by a mysterious, supernatural force using the account of their dead friend. Starring Shelley Hennig, Moses Storm, and Renee Olstead.

 2 Broke Girls: The Complete Fourth Season (TV-14)

Two young women waitressing at a greasy spoon diner strike up an unlikely friendship in the hopes of launching a successful business – if only they can raise the cash. Starring Kat Dennings, Garrett Morris, Jonathan Kite, Beth Behrs, and Matthew Moy.

 Dig: Season One (NR)

Peter, an FBI agent stationed in Jerusalem who, while investigating a murder of a young female archaeologist, uncovers a conspiracy 2000 years in the making. Starring Jason Isaacs, Anne Heche, and Ori Pfeffer.

 The Dovekeepers (TV-14)

Based in Alice Hoffman’s historical novel about the Siege of Masada, the miniseries focuses on four extraordinary women whose lives intersect in a fight for survival at the siege of Masada. Starring Cote de Pablo, Rachel Brosnahan, Kathryn Prescott, and Sam Neill.

 Hell on Wheels: The Complete Fourth Season (TV-14)

Cullen Bohannon, a former soldier and slaveholder, follows the track of a band of Union soldiers, the killers of his wife. This brings him to the middle of one of the biggest projects in US history, the building of the transcontinental railroad. After the war years in the 1860s, this undertaking connected the prospering east with the still wild west. Starring Anson Mount, Colm Meaney, and Phil Burke.

 I am Big Bird: The Carol Spinney Story (NR)

Caroll Spinney has been Sesame Street’s Big Bird and Oscar the Grouch since 1969; at 78-years-old, he has no intention of stopping. Starring Frank Oz, Jim Henson, Steve Whitmire, Dave Goelz, and Caroll Spinney.

 I am Chris Farley (NR)

A documentary on the life of comedian, Chris Farley. Starring Adam Sandler, David Spade, Dan Aykroyd, Bo Derek, Christina Applegate, Mike Myers, Molly Shannon, Kevin Farley, Tom Arnold, Jon Lovitz and Chris Farley.

 The Jeffersons: Season Eight (TV-PG)

A nouveau riche, African-American family who move into a luxury apartment building develop close, if occasionally fractious, relationships with other tenants. Starring Isabel Sanford and Sherman Hemsley.

 Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell (NR)

With magic long since lost to England, two men are destined to bring it back; the reclusive Mr. Norrell and daring novice Jonathan Strange. So begins a dangerous battle between two great minds. Starring Bertie Carvel, Eddie Marsan, and Marc Warren.

 The Knick: The Complete First Season (TV-MA)

A look at the professional and personal lives of the staff at New York’s Knickerbocker Hospital during the early part of the twentieth century. Starring Grainger Hines, Katrina E. Perkins, and Clive Owen.

 Law & Order Special Victims Unit: Year 16 (TV-14)

This show introduces the Special Victims Unit, a new elite squad of NYPD detectives who investigate sexually related crimes. Starring Mariska Hargitay, Ice-T, and Dann Florek.

 Maude: The Complete Second Season (NR)

This “All In The Family” spin-off centers around Edith’s cousin, Maude Findlay. She’s a liberal, independent woman living in Tuckahoe, NY with her fourth husband Walter, owner of Findlay’s Friendly Appliances. Starring Bea Arthur, Bill Macy, and Conrad Bain.

 Person of Interest: The Complete Fourth Season (TV-14)

An ex-assassin and a wealthy programmer save lives via a surveillance AI that sends them the identities of civilians involved in impending crimes. However, the details of the crimes–including the civilians’ roles–are left a mystery. Starring Jim Caviezel, Kevin Chapman, and Michael Emerson.

 Robot Overlords (PG-13)

Earth has been conquered by robots from a distant galaxy. Survivors are confined to their houses and must wear electronic implants, risking incineration by robot sentries if they venture outside. Starring Gillian Anderson, Ben Kingsley, and Milo Parker.

 Scandal: The Complete Fourth Season (TV-14)

A former White House Communications Director starts her own crisis management firm only to realize her clients are not the only ones with secrets. Starring Kerry Washington, Darby Stanchfield, and Katie Lowes.

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Love Finds You in Charm (2015) Rated NR

Posted on August 10, 2015 by laurarachel4

love finds you in charmA young Amish woman who is unsatisfied with her life at home and curious about the world outside visits her cousin for the summer and struggles with choosing which world to live in. Based on the book Love Finds You in Charm, Ohio by Annalisa Daughety. Starring Trevor Donovan, Danielle Chuchran, Drew Fuller

This movie is quaint and thoughtful in its handling of the subject matter. I was nervous that they would sugar coat this story, making light of what is a genuine struggle among the Amish youth, but they represented it in the best possible way.

Only two things they missed stood out to me.  The first was the absence of the Amish speaking Pennsylvania Dutch, or at least including key words and phrases to make it feel more authentic.  The second was the failure to make a clear distinction between the two worlds.  It seemed too easy for the main character to cross over to the ways of the modern world; I would have thought there would be more conflict over such a decision.  Other than that, this film is well-made and  worth a watch.

 

Posted in 2015, Drama, films, Movie reviews, movies, Rated G, Rated NR | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Love By the Book (2014) Rated TV-G

Posted on August 9, 2015 by laurarachel4

Love By the BookA bookstore owner meets the man of her dreams while working with a consultant to try to save her store. Starring Leah Renee, Kristopher Turner, Cherilyn Wilson

Touting a comparison to Jane Austen’s Emma., this movie looked promising. However, it reminded me more of The Shop around the Corner than Austen.  The only part resembling Emma were the characters’ names with a faint nod to their corresponding personalies.  Emma is no matchmaker in this movie; she, like her mother, is bookish, flighty, and romantic, in the loosest sense of the word.  Speaking of sense, her sister Jane has only slightly more than Emma.

When Emma’s love interest appears, he actually seems more interested than she does, her head is stuck so far up in the clouds.   And, her “Prince Charming” is about as unrealistic as she is.  This movie tried to be cute, but in doing so, lost all credibility for me.  With underdeveloped, unrelatable characters, it is a pass. 

Posted in 2014, Drama, Family, films, Hallmark Movies, Movie reviews, movies, Rated TV-G, reviews, Romance | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment