Hallmark movies offer light entertainment and a temporary escape from the
world of responsibilities and difficulties.
Hallmark mysteries are cozy mystery movies that provide a who-done-it story
without gory or graphic images. Our emotions and senses are rarely dragged through the wringer. They are
not epic sagas that will haunt us for days, but sometimes that is exactly
what is needed. Most often, we are able to step away at the end of a
Hallmark movie feeling unburdened and happier. They can provide a much
needed break and balance to our everyday lives.
I recently watched "The Dancing Detective" starring Lacey Chabert and Will
Kemp. It was an unusual Hallmark movie because I couldn't figure out
who the killer was before the end. Hallmark movies have frequently
been referred to as cookie-cutter movies. I would not use that term to
describe this Hallmark mystery movie.
A good mystery with a touch of romance, humor and excellent dancing made
this movie a wonderful reprieve from reality.
The Dancing Detective: A Deadly Tango
When an American business owner dies unexpectedly in Malta, his brother,
Senator Aston, requests that an American undercover detective be sent to
Malta to investigate. It is imperative that they go immediately since
Aston's ballroom dance company is currently hosting their annual employee
dance competition where all of the suspects are present.
Even though Detective Constance Bailey is an excellent detective that
solves crimes, she doesn't work well with partners and she doesn't
dance. In Malta, she will be required to collaborate with Sergeant Ana
Spiteri from Interpol, alongside her new partner: dance partner that
is. Fortunately for Bailey, Sebastian Moore is a dance instructor and
former actor, which will be helpful since he will also be playing the part
of her husband. Bailey, aka Sally, is supposedly a newly hired married
employee who was invited by Mark Aston
to bring her husband, Stuart Miller, to Malta and join the employee dance
competition.
It is fun to watch this duo work together, dance together, and solve the
murder together.
With the promise that this will be a new Hallmark Mystery series, I look
forward to the next episode!
I
watched this new Hallmark Mystery Movie on Frndly TV. It is not yet
available on DVD or Amazon, but you can see it on any service that
includes the Hallmark channel.
There is currently a placeholder link for the movie on Amazon so you can add it to your watchlist now and watch it when it does become available.
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Memorial Day in the United States is a holiday to honor and mourn U.S Armed Forces personnel who lost their lives during military service. For many, this day represents a three-day weekend, travel, and barbecues. As a young adult I thought of the weekend only as the unofficial beginning of summer. I didn't fully appreciate the somber meaning of this day until my own children were active duty and deployed overseas. Now I spend part of Memorial Day weekend each year learning the names of a few of those for whom this holiday was created.
I read a book or watch a movie that highlights those who lost their lives while serving our country. I have a deep respect for those who choose to serve our country to begin with. Personally, it is important to me to learn the names of at least one persona KIA (killed in action) and to keep their memory alive.
The story is about an American military base in Afghanistan in 2009. The base is set in a valley fully surround by mountains. Not distant mountains but mountains towering over the base. Even a civilian like me knows that this isn't a safe position to be in when dealing with the Taliban during that time of conflict. But American troops are sent there because of the proximity to Pakistan and some of the supply routes coming out of that country and into Afghanistan.
It is heart-breaking when this vulnerable outpost is attacked and the Battle of Kamdesh results in many deaths. This battle is historic for many reasons. I am not sure of any way that I can tell more about the storyline without giving spoilers. So I won't. I will say that, as an army mom, it gave me an idea of what our deployed family members went through with limited contact with home, deciding what to say and what not to say when that contact is made, and their "austere" living conditions. We know that our Armed Forces members are sent into harm's way. But sometimes it appears that some of the risk is preventable.
This is a difficult story. But I believe it is an important one. When searching for recommended "Memorial Day movies" I found it listed on a military site. For that reason, I thought that the movie must be viewed as important or realistic - or both. I hadn't heard of this movie or seen advertising for it otherwise.
This will be one of the movies I watch more than once. A movie I will probably add to my annual Memorial Day tradition.
Additional Links:
In 2019 I read Dog Company You: A True Story of American Soldiers Abandoned by Their High Command. You can see the original post here.
In 2018 I learned about the Bataan Death March in the 1940s and about a special reconnaissance mission was occurring in Afghanistan in 2005 (Lone Survivor). You can see my original post for that year here.
In 2017 I read World Changer: A Mother's Story: The Unbreakable Spirit of US Navy SEAL Aaron Vaughn by Karen Vaughn. You can see the original post here.
I don't believe I have ever reviewed the movie Saving Private Ryan. I do not have the words to adequately describe that powerful movie. I do watch it every year during Memorial Weekend. If you have never seen it, I highly recommend it.
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We can always rely on Hallmark for a wonderfully romantic Valentine's Day
movie!
I recently stumbled across My Secret Valentine on a new streaming
network (Frndly TV) I am trying out. This Hallmark movie is available
through several services, including
Amazon.com, but I like being able to
stream a movie for free on a network where I already have a subscription.
My Secret Valentine is a movie you could watch anytime. The
story just happens to take place during the month of February when the
Grange Family Vineyard & Winery is hosting their annual, week-long,
Valentine's Day Wine Festival.
This movie originally aired on Hallmark in 2018, but I just discovered it
this "Loveuary" on FrndlyTV.
My Secret Valentine Hallmark Movie Synopsis
Seth Anderson (Andrew Walker) is an employee for Stratosphere boxed wine
company, which wants to buy the Grange Winery. Chloe Grange (Lacey
Chabert) does not want to see her family's business sold, but she
understands her father's need to retire. Chloe has her own life in Portland, Oregon
and her job is about to take a whole new turn toward a much-desired
partnership.
My Secret ValentineCheck PriceThe Grange family also owns a lovely cabin that has not been used in
years. The manager of Grange Winery is overseeing the repairs to the
cabin and has placed it with a rental agency. It is immediately
snatched up and rented.
When Chloe stops by the cabin to check the condition, she impulsively
decides to leave a message on the cabin chalkboard. She doesn't expect
an answer, but a fun reply is exactly what she gets. He signs the note
as "Handyman" and she signs her next response as "In Need of Repairs",
referring to the cabin's needs for more repairs.
Chloe has to do a lot of sole-searching during her visit home, trying to
decide what she really wants now that she is faced with the sale of her
family business. She is adamantly opposed to selling to a "boxed wine"
company and constantly finds herself at odds with the representative from Stratosphere. Her only moments of levity are as a result of her
unknown correspondent staying in the cabin, exchanging notes with her on the
cabin chalkboard.
In the meantime, Seth is working hard to prove that he really does care about the Grange winery and that Stratosphere is the right company to buy them out.
If you are already familiar with the actors in this movie, the dvd cover
has most likely given away a good bit of the story, but it is still a fun
watch!
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It is true! Hallmark Wedding Veil Trilogy fans are rejoicing and waiting in anticipation of the 2023 sequels to the very popular Hallmark Wedding Veil trilogy of 2022. The trilogy of movies were in the top of popularity for Hallmark in 2022.
Lacey Chabert announces the Hallmark premiere with her Hallmark fan Jimmy Fallon.
When and Who Stars in The Wedding Veil Sequels
The great news is the cast of the original Hallmark trilogy is returning for the 2023 movies aka as the sequel trilogy of the Wedding Veil. Lacey Chabert, Alison Sweeney and Autumn Reeser will all reprise their roles. Each will be the star of one movie with the support of the other two actresses.
January Debut
Get ready for a fun lineup of Wedding Veil sequels in January 2023. No worries if you have missed any of the movies at the debut date as Hallmark will rerun the movies throughout the month.
Saturday, January 7th begins with the first sequel as Lacey Chabert and Kevin McGarry return in The Wedding Veil Expectations. The teaser certainly hints to the key word of Expectations ...
Saturday, January 14th brings the next sequel with Autumn Reeser and Paolo Bernardini in The Wedding Veil Inspiration as they use their inspiration to 'do good'.
Saturday, January 21st debut The Wedding Veil Journey with Alison Sweeney and Victor Webster as the journey includes retrospection and future choices while stranded on an island.
Wedding Veil Binge Opportunity
Mark your calendar for January 21st for a Wedding Veil viewathon. All six movies will be shown in succession ending with The Wedding Veil Journey.
The Wedding Veil series with its' A team of Hallmark stars and solid writing is a 2023 fans can look forward to! And it can be Christmas anytime of the year with the replay of Hallmark Christmas movies ...
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Daniel Lissing, once again, charms his way into our hearts in the movie,
A December Bride. This Hallmark movie is sure to be a favorite
on the list of many Hallmark romance fans.
Jessica Lowndes, another beloved Hallmark actor, joins Lissing to create a
love story just in time for a December wedding. The movie takes a
difficult situation and turns it into a fun, romantic and even humorous
story.
This movie was released in 2016, but I only recently discovered it. Turns
out, it is one of my own favorite Christmas movies for this year.
A December Bride (2016) Hallmark Movie
Layla O'Reilly is right on track, following in her mother's footsteps, to
be a December bride. It has been her life-long plan to have her own
wedding in the month of December, just like her parents. However, her
plans are shattered when a casual friend, Seth Murphy, introduces Layla's
fiance, Jack, to Layla's cousin, Jessica.
A December Bride Available on Prime Video or DVDCheck PriceIt is pretty obvious that it is love at first sight for Jack and
Jessica. Not only does Layla lose her fiance, but she loses her
opportunity for an upcoming December wedding. Now, she must decide if
she is going to attend her ex-fiance's and her cousin's wedding. Of
course, this wedding is important to her family, just as her wedding would
have been. She is hesitant to accept the invitation, but decides she
really should make peace and go, but she does not want to go alone.
When she sees her neighbor, Cooper in the hall, she decides to ask him to
attend the wedding with her. He initially agrees, but when he ends up
with the flu, he is unable to attend. Desperate to find a "date" for
the wedding, she asks Seth to go with her. After all, they are both
attending the wedding.
Things are made even more "interesting" when Seth tells everyone at the
wedding that he and Layla are engaged. He meant to make Layla feel
more at ease around Jack and Jessica, but that created more uncomfortable
situations, and humor for the those of us watching.
Seth also gets roped into adding his home to the Holiday of Homes charity
project by his bosses wife. Since Layla is an interior decorator, it
seems logical to ask her to decorate his home for the tour. Plus, Layla
would love to land a job staging homes for a big realty company and Seth is
friends with the owner of Malcolm Realty. That means spending a lot of time together over the next 3 weeks.
One thing all Hallmark fans know, it doesn't take long for romance to develop. Much less than 3 weeks! In fact, in less than 2 hours, these two actors can create the perfect love story.
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Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris is an absolute gem of a movie. I
discovered it while perusing American Airlines' in-flight entertainment
selections during a recent flight home from California. This comedy/drama was
released earlier this year and received enthusiastic positive reviews from
film critics and audiences alike. However, likely because it wasn't promoted
heavily or well, it had only a short run in theaters and I hadn't heard about
it before. (Such a shame to stint on the marketing for such a terrific
picture!) It deserves a much wider audience.
I am delighted to share my review of this wonderful, delightful, inspiring
movie, which is available to purchase or rent via DVD or streaming media.
Based on the First of Paul Gallico's Bestselling 1958 Novel
Mrs. 'Arris Goes to Paris
Paul Gallico started his career in the 1920s as a sportswriter, sports
columnist, and sports editor of the New York Daily News. After
switching to writing fiction in the late 1930s, the prolific author wrote 41
books, numerous short stories, 20 theatrical movies and 12 TV movies and had a
TV series based on his Hiram Holliday short stories. Two of Gallico's most
famous works were the short story The Snow Goose (1941) and
the novel The Poseidon Adventure (1969), which was also
adapted for the big screen.(Source)
Mrs. 'Arris Goes to Paris (1958) was the first of Gallico's four
novels about the adventures of Mrs. Ada Harris, a war widow and hard-working
charwoman for London aristocrats. Mrs. Harris's adventures continue in the
subsequent books in the series, Mrs. 'Arris Goes to New York (1960),
Mrs. 'Arris Goes to Parliament (1965), and
Mrs. 'Arris Goes to Moscow (1974).
Mrs. 'Arris Goes to Paris has been adapted multiple times for stage and
screen:
A 1958 American TV episode for the television series Studio One starring
British comedian Gracie Fields.
A 1982 West German TV film, Ein Kleid von Dior (A Dress by Dior) starring Inge Meysel.
A 1992 television movie starring Angela Lansbury, Diana Rigg and Omar Sharif
(produced by Lansbury's production company and directed by her son, Anthony
Shaw).
A 2016 musical-theatre adaptation, Flowers for Mrs Harris (the
Gallico novel's UK title) produced by Sheffield Theatres in May 2016, with a
new production mounted in 2018 at Chichester Festival Theatre, which was
streamed online in April 2020.
The 2022 feature film adaptation I am reviewing, Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris (note the tweak to the title).
A Fabulous Cast of Characters
Here are the main characters of this charming movie set in the mid-1950s:
Ada Harris (Lesley Manville), a charwoman in London who cleans up the
messes of her well-heeled, arrogant clients. She learns that her beloved
husband, Eddie, a soldier who had been missing for seven years, was killed
in action.
Violet Butterfield (Ellen Thomas), Ada's best friend, who also works
"in service." Vi encourages the grieving war widow to try to enjoy herself
and get on with her life now that she finally knows Eddie's fate, taking her
out to a dance club in the evening and to greyhound races on their day off.
Archie (Jason Isaacs), another friend and bookie who takes their bets
at the races. Although he fancies Ada, she thinks it's too late for her to
love again and makes it clear their relationship is strictly platonic.
Giles Newcombe (Christian McKay), a womanizing bachelor and house
cleaning client.
Pamela Penrose (Rose Williams), another of Ada's clients, is a
beautiful but spoiled, scatterbrained, pouty and self-centered actress who
is also a slob, tossing and leaving her clothes and accessories all over the
floor for Ada to pick up and put away.
Lady Dant (Anna Chancellor), another client who spends lavishly on
parties and clothes (including a one-of-a-kind, beaded and sequined
Christian Dior dress that Ada falls in love with at first sight), yet
repeatedly deflects Ada's requests to be paid her long-overdue wages.
Christian Dior (Philippe Bertin), the world-famous
haute couture fashion designer whose first collection under his
own label in 1947 was dubbed "The New Look" by the editor-in-chief of
Harper's Bazaar.
Claudine Colbert (Isabelle Huppert) is the directrice of
the house of Dior and guardian of its refined, elegant, exclusive image. She
is offended and supercilious when an English charwoman invades the hallowed
halls of Dior, mistakes Madame Colbert for a shopgirl and naïvely assumes
she can purchase one of the master's iconic, one-of-a-kind
haute couture creations just because she has brought enough
money to Paris with her to pay with cash.
Marquis de Chassagne (Lambert Wilson), a wealthy, aristocratic
widower whose late wife used to enjoy attending the exclusive Dior couture
shows. He continues to attend in her honor and, when Ada is rebuffed by
Madame Colbert, the marquis invites her to attend as his guest. He
subsequently buys her roses and invites her over for tea.
Natasha (Alba Baptista), Dior's top model with an Audrey
Hepburn-eque, waif-like beauty. She would rather be at home curled up on a
couch, wearing a plain black sweater and reading Sartre than parading around
as a fashion model.
Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris is a story about how kindness, courage,
honesty, hard work, a willigness to dream big and a single-minded commitment
to achieving your goals can, indeed, make your dreams come true.
It's a modern fairy tale grounded in some historical fact. Director Anthony
Fabian takes some liberties with Gallico's story. In an interview for a
July 22, 2022 article in Town & Country magazine, Fabian said, "The key to this story is that it is magic realism, so it has
to have an equal dose of magic and reality. If you go too far into magic, you
won’t believe it; if you go too far into the realism, it wouldn’t have that
uplifting fairy tale quality."
Check Out the Official Movie Trailer
If you are reading this on a mobile device and the video player doesn't
display, you can click on this line to watch the MRS. HARRIS GOES TO PARIS Trailer (2022) on YouTube.
Stream, Rent or Buy This Heartwarming and Inspiring Film
There are multiple options for watching this movie, including:
This wonderful story encourages us to dream big but also keep our priorities
straight. I definitely plan to rent or buy the movie so I can watch it again
and plan to get the audiobook as well. Both the movie and the book would make
a lovely gift for any occasion, as well as a great stocking stuffer.
Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris: A Wonderful, Delightful, Inspiring Movie — Reviewed by Margaret Schindel
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The term "Gaslight" has become commonly used to describe a form of deceptive and cruel mental manipulation. A vunerable victim won't recognize what the other person is doing to them as they challenge their memory. It is not as simple as having a different
perception of an event, or even a different opinion. It is a much more
sinister, intentional manipulation of someone's memory or perception causing
them to question their own sanity.
I'm not sure if I ever actually watched the movie "Gaslight" in the past,
or if I am simply familiar with the movie plot from trailers. Some of
my favorite movies are classics (pre-1950). When I was much younger, I
often stayed up late watching old movies on the original AMC movie
channel. I may well have seen the movie back then.
My husband & I recently decided to watch the 1944 version of the movie
Gaslight, starring Charles Boyer, Ingrid Bergman & Joseph
Cotten. I was reminded of how much I loved the old classics where
actors really had to carry the entire movie. There were no special
effects or colorful scenes to help captivate an audience. It was all
up to the writers and actors to entertain us.
I had not realized how much I missed the classics, or that fabulous
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer logo lion, until we watched "Gaslight". We cut the
cable cord nearly a decade ago and I no longer pull out our old vhs tapes to
watch movies.
Wow! It has been so long that it is like rediscovering cinematic
brilliance. I plan to go in search of a new way to watch those old
classics again. If there is no channel available, I'll dust off my old
vhs tapes and hope my player still works, but for now, I want to tell you
about the movie "Gaslight".
Gaslight (1944)
Gaslight Available on Prime Video, DVD, Blu-ray, or VHSCheck PriceWhen the renowned singer, Alice Alquist is murdered, her niece and ward,
Paula (Ingrid Bergman) is sent to live in Italy with her aunt's best friend,
Maestro Guardi who spends years training her to sing professionally.
When Paula confides in Signore Guardi that she has fallen in love, he
encourages her to embrace happiness, even take a break from her singing for
a while. He has no way of knowing that he is throwing her into the
arms of an insidious predator with ulterior motives.
Gregory Anton (Charles Boyer) is lying in wait for her to come to him after
she speaks to the maestro. He is thrilled to find that everything is going as
he wishes and he pressures Paula to marry him even though she hasn't known
him for very long.
After Gregory & Paula are married, he masterfully manipulates her into
moving back to London, and back into her aunt's home. That is when he
fully commits himself to "gaslighting" her and she is very nearly convinced
that she is insane until Joseph Cotten appears on the scene.
Now, you must watch the movie yourself to see what happens!
Interesting Facts About Gaslight
Ingrid Bergman was actually singing in this movie
Ingrid Bergman won the Academy Award Best Actress for this film
Charles Boyer did not play the piano, but he did study psychology before
he became an actor.
It is also worth mentioning that 17 year old, Angela Lansbury, was also
in this movie.
To "gaslight" someone was not a psychological term prior to 2010. The
title of the movie actually refers to the gas lights in a home that would
dim when additional lights were lit and demanded a share of the gas
supply. One of the things that made Paula think she was going insane
was that the gas lights would dim even when no one else was home lighting
more lights.
The movie "Gaslight" provides an excellent example of the act of
gaslighting someone. After all, the movie/play is the origin of the
term.
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When scanning the current Christmas movies, I came across
Catering Christmas starring Merritt Patterson and Daniel Lissing. It is a great romantic movie to add to your "must see" Christmas movie
list. As a matter of fact, I plan to watch it again.
I was not previously familiar with Merritt Patterson, but after seeing this
movie, I really like her. I have seen Daniel Lissing in other movies,
notably When Calls the Heart series where he played the part of Jack
Thornton. He was extremely popular on that series because of his
gentle and caring demeanor. That personality trait shines through in
Catering Christmas as well.
While this movie may be predictable, it is still entertaining. Both
main characters are adorable and several times made me laugh. It is always
nice to find an uplifting movie to watch and I highly recommend this
movie.
Catering Christmas (2022) Review
As the owner of a catering business, Molly Frost (Merritt Patterson)
is working hard to succeed in her community, but she needs clients.
All to often, she loses bids to cover events to her competitor. When
she is approached by Jean Harrison to cover the local Christmas Gala
sponsored by the prominent Harrison Foundation, she is over the moon, until
she finds out she will have to compete to get the job. Jean requests that
she come to her home and prepare a meal for her evaluation and comparison to
the other caterer.
Molly is in need of a sous chef to help her prepare the meal and quickly
hires her employee's friend. She doesn't know him, but she trusts her
friend/employee. The "friend" is to meet her at the Harrison
estate. When the unknown man enters the Harrison kitchen, Molly assumes
he is her sous chef for the day. Intrigued, Carson Harrison (Daniel Lissing)
plays along, until the real sous chef shows up!
-----
Jean Harrison is ready to pass the torch of the Harrison Foundation to her
reluctant nephew, Carson. He is a successful photographer and is not
ready to accept full responsibility of the foundation, but he does agree to
help his aunt by taking over this year's annual gala. His first task
will be to set the menu for the evening. He doesn't really care and is
content to pass that off onto the caterer, but Jean does not approve of the
dinner selections.
There are big adjustments and changes for everyone involved. It is
rather entertaining to watch the various relationships evolve. I even found
myself laughing a few times.
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Garland is back! Yes, one of our favorite Christmas Hallmark towns in Alaska has made a resurgence in a new must see Hallmark Christmas movie A Cozy Christmas Inn.
If the words, "It's Garland, you know" ring familiar from your Hallmark Christmas movie past that you will undoubtedly be delighted the town and its' main characters (including Garland) have returned.
The sequel to Christmas Under Wraps
Always a Hallmark favorite and in my top ten of Hallmark Christmas movies with Candace Cameron Bure and David O'Donnell is Christmas Under Wraps. Candace plays a city doctor transported without choice to practice in Garland - the Alaska town which is all about Christmas in true Hallmark style.
David O'Donnell returns as Andy to A Cozy Christmas Inn and fills the viewers in with referenced remarks to the first movie. But no worries for new viewers, the references are a veiled wink to the first movie and not needed for anyone to enjoy this fun Hallmark Christmas movie.
Jodie Sweetin ironically replaces Candace Cameron Bure as the love interest for Andy! Andy has traded his plane in for architecture and refurbishing a country inn. Jodie Sweetin arrives representing a possible purchaser and who knew, who could predict, but of course the two have a history.... and off we go for a traditional tried and true Hallmark Christmas movie.
Who Is Back?
Andy
Andy's dad (who just happens to heavily resemble Santa)
Hattie and the coffee shop
The theme music, one of the best for Hallmark
Garland town
The "shipping company" and the "elves"
Jeans lined with sweatpant material and the general store
Stars, pilots and airplanes - shoewear, heels, and boots
Mark your viewing calendars for Christmas Under Wraps and A Cozy Christmas Inn this holiday Hallmark season. Both Hallmark movies with A actors, A chemistry and overall grade of Hallmark A!
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News of the World is a western drama movie in which a Civil War veteran finds himself responsible for an orphaned child. Both girl and man have suffered great losses and face many continued dangers traveling the across the southwest with a goal of taking her home to reunite with family. Since he's taking her to Texas, he may finally return to his own home. At one point, he says, "We all have demons to face going down this road". This movie is beautifully acted and set in a rugged, wild setting.
Years after the end of the Civil War, Captain Jefferson Kyle Kidd has not yet returned home to San Antonio. Instead, he travels by horseback from town to town reading the news to those who would pay ten cents. He is welcomed and paid for his readings. In small towns, often with either people who cannot read or towns so remote that news from the outside world is rare, his reading is information and entertainment. The country is still torn with settlers taking Indian lands, Indians killing the settlers, the military killing the Indians, and settlers clashing against each other. But the Captain travels alone and minds his own business. At least until the day he finds a hanged man who had been transporting a young Kiowa girl. Her blonde hair and her agency orders inform the Captain that this Kiowa girl was abducted six years ago and is now being returned home to her biological family. As he is at the scene of this ruined wagon and murdered man, the military rides up. They question the Captain and allow him to go. They advise him to fetch her to Red River to the command post. And he does. The glitch is that Captain Kidd is informed there that the next Indian agent in line to take responsibility of the child is not due to return to the area for months. Captain is expected to care for her until that time.
We soon learn that no one wants this child. She no longer speaks English or German. Only one other person they come across speaks Kiowa. Most people consider her to be wild and treat her as such. No one wants her except for the one group of men who want her for nefarious reasons.
Can Caption Kidd keep her safe and help her find home? Can young Cicada/Johanna find a place in the world and a family of her own? Will the Captain return to his home? These questions will be answered as they battle would-be kidnappers during an out-gunned shootout, roadside desperados, a dust storm, and long days of travel across the dry and rugged Texas terrain.
I enjoyed this movie very much. It deals with issues of grief and loss. And finding family after family is gone. It deals with how people respond to children who are different and how different cultures view each other. Young actress Helena Zengel was mesmerizing. She seemed to be genuinely experiencing the loss, fear, uncertainty, and return of memories during their travels. Tom Hanks' performance was wonderful but there was one occasion that I was taken back to his role in Saving Private Ryan. Regardless, the pairing of Hanks and Zengel was amazing and both were perfect for those roles.
There are bonus sections at the end of the DVD version of the movie that I also enjoyed. The bonus sections included outtakes, interviews, behind the scenes, and commentary by the writer-director. My favorite was the section showing the Kiowa tribe members who came to tutor actress Zengel and to be a part of the movie.
This movie is available on DVD, Blu-Ray, and Amazon Prime Video.
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Hallmark begins the Christmas movie season with the premier of Noel Next Door starring Natalie Hall and Corey Sevier. Get ready for the tried and true Hallmark Christmas theme with neighbors, Grinches and the holiday season.
Noel is the next door neighbor who is attempting to reestablish her life with her young son. Jeremy is the Grinch next door neighbor with medical challenges as he attempts to navigate the season along with his grouchy holiday attitude.
As the two neighbors unknowingly interact outside of the neighborhood, the misunderstood neighborhood Grinch and Noel begin to establish a friendship and you know what happens in Hallmark movies!
Chemistry And Christmas Grinches
The key to any Hallmark Christmas movie or any Hallmark movie is the chemistry. Noel and Jeremy have good banter and believable chemistry. The storyline is Hallmark, nuff said which is why... Hallmarkies love Christmas Hallmark movies.
Overall I'd rate Noel Next Door a Hallmark B. Worth watching, but probably not on the rewatch list. And if you know Hallmarkies, rewatching is also key to Hallmark Christmas movie season!
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I enjoy reading more than keeping up with the newest movie releases so I have mixed feelings when one of my very favorite novels is adapted for the big screen. I am often disappointed in the movie version. But not this time. Not with Where the Crawdads Sing. I have enjoyed this movie so much that I've re-watched it several times since purchasing the DVD just a few weeks ago. I think the producers did a phenomenal job bringing Kya to the screen and keeping her story true to the book.
Movie Review: Where the Crawdads Sing
The setting is a small town near the marshlands of North Carolina. The town is shook in the 1960s when the popular young man, Chase Andrews, is found dead at the lookout tower that stands watch over the marsh. But the story begins years before that with the Clark family.
The Clark family lives in a small shack near the water's edge, in the marsh. Mr. Clark is clearly fighting some sort of inner demons and takes it out on those closest to him. Mrs. Clark is a mysterious lady. She lives in that marsh, with an angry man, a handful of children, and a pair of alligator shoes. She is an artist of some sort; painting plein air. She loves her children. Including her youngest, 6 year old Kya.
Over time, the Clark family grows smaller. At one point, young Kya is living alone with the man who physically abused everyone in the family. She trusts no one, has abandonment trauma, and relies on the marsh. Missing her brothers, it is not surprising that she grows to become happy when she sees her youngest brother's friend in his boat. At first, she can only wave and call a greeting to young Tate while her scowling father steers their boat past.
Living at a level of loneliness that is suffocating, the marsh supports Kya. The townspeople call her "marsh girl". They bully her the one day she attended school as a very young girl. On any rare occasion that a human comes to her home, Kya runs and hides like a wild animal; disappearing into the marsh.
Kya slowly begins to trust the waterfront shop owners and they grow to love her. As she becomes a beautiful young woman she becomes more interesting to Tate and to Chase Andrews. We see that she has inherited her mother's artistic ability but what else will she inherit?
When Chase Andrews is found dead at the tower that overlooks the marsh, everyone immediately defines it as murder and everyone immediately blames "the marsh girl". Was it murder? Was it an accidental fall?
The marsh knows.
Behind the Scenes
This movie is gorgeous. The scenery is wonderful with birds, tides, water, vast expanses and micro close-ups. In the special features, the producers (Reese Whitherspoon and Hello Sunshine) talk about the setting.
This movie is emotional. You feel the changing moods of the people as clearly as you see the changing times of day on the water.
The actors and actresses were amazing. Most all of them were new to me and I look forward to seeing them in other roles.
This movie stayed true to the Kya I met in the novel. Author Delia Owens appears in the features also. It was interesting to see them speak about choosing the actors, setting, and how to get through the timeline of Kya's story in the condensed movie version. I think they pulled it off wonderfully and could only be improved (and not by much) in a mini-series length.
Special Features included with the DVD:
Adapting a Phenomenon
Lyric Video "Carolina" by Taylor Swift
Creating the World
Women in Focus
If you have never seen this movie, or read the book, I highly recommend both. It may be more interesting to see the movie before you read the book in order to avoid the spoiler of knowing how Chase Andrews came to be dead.
Where the Crawdads Sing was such a good book that two of us reviewed it here on Review This Reviews. You can read my review of the book (and see a photo of the marsh near where I was living) here and read Treasures by Brenda's review of the book here.
Note: The author may receive a commission from purchases made using links found in this article. “As an Amazon Associate, Ebay (EPN) and/or Esty (Awin) Affiliate, I (we) earn from qualifying purchases.”
Hallmark movies offer light entertainment and a temporary escape from the
world of responsibilities and difficulties.
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