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Showing posts with label Pure Flix. Show all posts

Friday, August 21, 2026

Meet Me in the Margins Movie Review

Sometimes, we just want a delightful movie to watch that doesn't cause stress or tug too hard on any emotional strings. That is exactly what I was looking for last Sunday when I found the movie, "Meet Me in the Margins".

I was also thrilled to find a new-to-me actress that I really like. Merritt Patterson has a really kind and intelligent persona. Someone I would love to have as a friend and the type we all need in our families to provide a calm presence in any situation. I also like both of the prominent male actors in the movie. Liam McIntyre and Austin Valli both seemed thoughtful and attentive. They listened and heard when others were speaking. Being heard is something we all value!

"Meet Me in the Margins" is based on a best selling romance novel by Melissa Ferguson. I enjoyed the movie so much, I now want to read the book, which I have already downloaded to my Kindle, that inspired the movie. Most often, I prefer the book for greater detail. Once the book is made into a movie, I don't always agree with the actor choices. However, in this case, I will already have a faces attached to the characters. Since I liked those faces, that is perfectly fine with me.

Meet Me in the Margins Synopsis

Meet Me in the MarginsCheck PriceSavannah Cade (Merritt Patterson) has been working on writing her first romance novel for 3 years. She already works as an editor for Pendleton Publishing, but they do not publish romance novels. Therefore, she has all the normal concerns about publishing a book, plus the appearance of communicating with the competition.

She has confided in a few co-workers about her book, but it is not universal knowledge. When the owner's son is introduced during a meeting as a new employee, Savannah is not really paying attention. She accidentally drops her manuscript during the meeting. William Pendleton (Liam McIntyre) helps her pick up the pages and discovers her secret, but keeps the confidence.

Later, she leaves her book draft in a rarely used room in the Pendleton Publishing building. When she returns to retrieve it, she finds that someone has been leaving critique notes in the margins. Thus, the title, "Meet Me in the Margins". The notes recommend ways to improve the content, which Savannah decides to use. As the exchange continues and more notes are left, she wonders about the identify of her mystery developmental editor. Some of the notes seem to be directly related to her own personality, not just the book. She starts looking at co-workers with a questioning eye. One in particular, Sam Swift (Austin Valli), seems the most likely individual since he is always encouraging her and it is believed he has a crush on her.

Of course, the identity is revealed before the movie ends, but by then they are already "friends" through the writing process.

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I highly recommend this movie for light entertainment on a laid-back day. Oh! I almost forgot to tell you, I watched it on Pure Flix which is linked through Amazon in the video images.

Meet Me in the Margins - VideoCheck Price Meet Me in the Margins - BookCheck Price

Friday, January 3, 2025

Finding Normal - Movie Review

"Finding Normal" was released in 2013, but I only recently watched it on New Year's Day this year. Ironically, I thought it had the perfect message for the beginning of a new year.

The title might make one think of finding what is normal. However, there is a double meaning in that title. The town in the movie is named Normal. A big city doctor, Lisa Leland (Candace Cameron Bure), discovers Normal when she is pulled over for speeding through the place and ends up having to spend several days there. She is truly taken by surprise by the slow-paced, caring for each other, lifestyle she finds in Normal.

In my own world, the holidays always make me feel like I have so much extra to do that I end up speeding through my normal day, perhaps missing some of the things that are most important in life, like special hugs or catching up with each other through normal everyday chats. This year, I never seemed to find time to drive around and look at the Christmas lights, which is one of my favorite things to do during the holiday season. By racing around and "doing", I didn't make time to do some of the things I enjoy the most.

The theme of the movie is based on how it is so easy to get wrapped up in making a living that we forget to make a life. In my case, by trying to make Christmas be our "normal" traditional Christmas, I missed a lot of the real daily beauty of Christmastime.

As we embark upon the new year, may we all stop and consider what is really most important in life and make sure we embrace it. Some of us, just may need to find a new "normal".

Finding Normal

Finding NormalCheck PriceDr. Lisa Leland has everything by world standards. She is leaving Los Angeles to join her doctor-boyfriend in a boutique practice 3000 miles away in The Hamptons as concierge doctors (doctors who get paid well to be on call to a limited number of wealthy patients). She is driving her BMW to New York because "it has to get there somehow". She quickly finds out that driving 90 mph through Normal (population 321) is going to get a reaction from the local sheriff. When Officer Lester O'Toole discovers she has 23 parking tickets and a warrant out for her arrest, he has to take her before the town judge.

Appearing in court gives us all a quick view of what Normal is like and how "behind the times" they are. When Lisa can't come up with $2000 to pay her tickets & fines, the judge orders 24 hrs, 8 hours a day, of community service in lieu of the money.

Dr. Leland has a very condescending attitude toward the locals. That seems to be based on her "higher" education as well as the inconvenience of having to spend days in this rural town, which has put her in a bad mood. The town people are obviously accustomed to visitors and their assumptions. Most of them seem to take her condescension in stride and try hard to be kind to her. However, after she calls Lucas, "Jethro", and talks to him like he is an imbecile, he wishes her a nice day and moves on. When they see each other later at the judge's home for dinner, they start bickering with one another. As the movie progresses, his "$5 charm and $10 smile" starts to grow on her. Actually, the entire town of Normal starts to appeal to Lisa, but her life is set in a different direction.

This movie reminds us that not every path in life is set in stone.

Where to Watch "Finding Normal"

I watched Finding Normal on the Pure Flix subscription streaming channel. Pure Flix offers movies and shows that are suitable for the whole family and are often Christian based movies. They are owned by Great American Media.