As I watch the movie I completely forgot what they were trying to save or do because of the main girl's crazy eyebrows and the mom's random dancing. Her eye brows are so distracting! What made her think to pluck them so much? It's not the 90s! The random happy dancing was so funny and kept me engaged in the movie. She sure plays the happy delusional hippy mom character very well. The movie must have had a good budget to have all these extensive flashbacks!
10 Reviews
Good but not great Hallmark-style movie
Eric_M_Blake15 April 2015
Warning: Spoilers
This is a very by-the-numbers kind of film one would expect to see on the Hallmark channel. It's quite good, by those standards...but it isn't particularly great, either. It's the sort of thing that will almost certainly charm you if you like films that are "charming" but little else.
The plot is dramatic enough to provide legitimate motivation--the heroine travels to her childhood town with her mother in order to preserve a piece of her past (and, it's implied, to have some quality time with her mother in order to reconcile some quirky differences between them). Her mother, meanwhile, is trying to push her past to the side and forget.
Speaking of the mother: She is played, of course, by none other than the magnificent Shelley Long, the legendary Diane of "Cheers" fame. Needless to say, it's been several decades since she's done anything "big" (unless you count her recurring secondary character in "Modern Family")...and it kinda shows. Shelley is a great actress--one of the most underrated in Hollywood history. (Hollywood did her a big disservice by basically forgetting about her in the 1990s.) And yet, here she seems to be "phoning it in" a bit--and it often sounds like she's yawning her lines a little. Fortunately, her acting picks up in the last third of the film (once her character reconciles with her former love).
The other actors do their roles, and do them well. The heroine and the lawyer are excellent, and their chemistry feels solid.
My biggest complaint, actually, is the music. Aside from the all-too-common tendency of TV-movies and small-scale indie films to rely on mellow acoustic guitars (which frankly only works for me when the movie involves fishing or some other use of a lake or river or what-have-you), for all the talk about Shelley's character being a child of the '60s, I (an "oldies" aficionado) certainly never recognized any of the songs being played in the flashbacks, or played when she's dancing to the music. (And sadly, Shelley dancing in this movie does NOT have the same charm of her dancing in Troop Beverly Hills. She's one of my favorite actresses of all time...and I'm sorry to say I *cringed* a bit in the "dancing" sequences, here.)
Perhaps it's a minor nit, but--the girl in the flashbacks doesn't look too much like Shelley way back when. Now, I LOVE the blink-and-you'll-miss-it use, early in the movie, of a photo of Shelley in her younger years...but it makes the issue of the flashback actress even more apparent.
In the end, it's an okay movie. It thankfully avoids the sappy, maudlin melodrama this sort of film is notorious for. Still, it's no "classic"--it's the kind of film to watch once, smile, and forget about.
The plot is dramatic enough to provide legitimate motivation--the heroine travels to her childhood town with her mother in order to preserve a piece of her past (and, it's implied, to have some quality time with her mother in order to reconcile some quirky differences between them). Her mother, meanwhile, is trying to push her past to the side and forget.
Speaking of the mother: She is played, of course, by none other than the magnificent Shelley Long, the legendary Diane of "Cheers" fame. Needless to say, it's been several decades since she's done anything "big" (unless you count her recurring secondary character in "Modern Family")...and it kinda shows. Shelley is a great actress--one of the most underrated in Hollywood history. (Hollywood did her a big disservice by basically forgetting about her in the 1990s.) And yet, here she seems to be "phoning it in" a bit--and it often sounds like she's yawning her lines a little. Fortunately, her acting picks up in the last third of the film (once her character reconciles with her former love).
The other actors do their roles, and do them well. The heroine and the lawyer are excellent, and their chemistry feels solid.
My biggest complaint, actually, is the music. Aside from the all-too-common tendency of TV-movies and small-scale indie films to rely on mellow acoustic guitars (which frankly only works for me when the movie involves fishing or some other use of a lake or river or what-have-you), for all the talk about Shelley's character being a child of the '60s, I (an "oldies" aficionado) certainly never recognized any of the songs being played in the flashbacks, or played when she's dancing to the music. (And sadly, Shelley dancing in this movie does NOT have the same charm of her dancing in Troop Beverly Hills. She's one of my favorite actresses of all time...and I'm sorry to say I *cringed* a bit in the "dancing" sequences, here.)
Perhaps it's a minor nit, but--the girl in the flashbacks doesn't look too much like Shelley way back when. Now, I LOVE the blink-and-you'll-miss-it use, early in the movie, of a photo of Shelley in her younger years...but it makes the issue of the flashback actress even more apparent.
In the end, it's an okay movie. It thankfully avoids the sappy, maudlin melodrama this sort of film is notorious for. Still, it's no "classic"--it's the kind of film to watch once, smile, and forget about.
Why???
mneufeld8223 September 2021
I was so distracted by the leads eyebrows it was extremely difficult to focus on the storyline. What I did manage to pay attention to seemed decent enough, but seriously, how did nobody notice how horrible those brows were?? They look like they were drawn on with sharpies! Nobody in makeup thought, "I'm just going to make these look a little less atrocious while I'm at it"? Also, Crown Royal is a subpar Whiskey and mixing it with ginger ale is being kind! Canadians are smart enough to know this.
Lots of wonderful elements in this romantic drama, go find it fans!
inkblot1123 April 2014
On the day that Sarah (Emmanuelle Vaugier) hosts a not-so-successful showing of her latest oil paintings, this beautiful young woman is also dumped by her boyfriend! In truth, Sarah hasn't made enough time for the relationship, although the rejection stings. Therefore, she heads to her mother, Jeanie's (Shelley Long) house for comfort. Yet, Mom is bothersome, too. Sarah is neat and organized while Jeanie hasn't been the same since becoming a widow. The older woman's home is messy and shows signs of one neglected hobby, like learning the ukulele, after another. In a heap of mail, Sarah is aghast to learn that her grandmother's house is in the process of being sold to make way for a large development in a quiet little village. No, no, it can't happen, cries Sarah. The two ladies waltz off to the nearby town, where they find a city councilperson and lawyer, Roger (Mark Devlin). His advice is that they only way to stop the process now is to find something historical about a small chapel that sits near grandma's house and is part of the land purchased. Two more things occur. Sarah and Roger like the looks of each other, as singles, but spar frequently at various encounters. Then, amazingly, Jeanie is startled to learn that a former beau she thought was killed in Vietnam is ALIVE and living in her hometown, too. He, like her, is widowed. Will there be romance in the air AND will the beloved properties be saved? This lovely, wonderful flick is just right for any fans of romantic drama, with some comic elements, too. Long may be the only well-known cast member but Devlin and Vaugier are attractive, talented folks who charm the audience very well. Then, too, the small town scenery is gorgeous while the story has some twists and turns that keep the entertainment on a high level. There is likewise no objectionable material, so even tween girls will enjoy it. Do you sense that you are a viewer who will like this movie a lot? Don't delay, get it soon!
Textbook "Hallmark" but the flashbacks are played beautifully -
sheldonlinda9 April 2020
I watched this film when I I saw that it had the beautiful Cindy Busby who plays young Jeanie. I am familiar with her from her secondary role in the long running Canadian drama "Heartland" where she plays the snotty rich friend "Ashley." She did not disappoint me in this film. In fact I was so annoyed by the two leads and their counterparts - I was somewhat fascinated though by the actor and character of the older man - that I would have preferred that the film had soley been about young Jeanie and Larry and their story. Busby maybe could have put a bit more into what was almost a one dimensional role, but for the most part she beautifully played the role with that mystic ethereal quality that memories are made of, and memory scenes should be made of. Because so many similiar stories have had the "Jeanne" character left pregnant when her boyfriend leaves, I was a bit confused - almost disappointed - to find out that older Larry was not Sarah's father.
The film did have all of the issues mentioned in the other reviews. It is not the most original story, the best acted, or the most realistic or believable. It was pretty textbook of the "Hallmark" genre - Hallmark and like movies - unhappy big city girl returns home to her small town - or what she is feels is like home - as with this character - and after a series of mishaps along with a few comic small town characters find love. In spite of those things however, if you do have an hour with nothing else to do, it is worth watching.
.....
More stuff - January 21, 2021
The film did have all of the issues mentioned in the other reviews. It is not the most original story, the best acted, or the most realistic or believable. It was pretty textbook of the "Hallmark" genre - Hallmark and like movies - unhappy big city girl returns home to her small town - or what she is feels is like home - as with this character - and after a series of mishaps along with a few comic small town characters find love. In spite of those things however, if you do have an hour with nothing else to do, it is worth watching.
.....
More stuff - January 21, 2021
more tripe
sandcrab2779 November 2019
Mark deklin reminds me that jerk from last man standing that was married to kristen ... joking all the time and saying nothing funny but very very smug ... i think its peculiar that canadians ruin a perfectly good whisky like crown royal by adding ginger ale to it and calling it ginger and rye ... i felt badly for shelley long during this film
I liked it
dawalker-5432016 June 2022
Emmanuelle Vaugier was great and beautiful but like others have mentioned, I couldn't stop staring at those eyebrows. Lol I had no idea that was Shelley Long or Cindy Busby. Worth watching I think. It was a bit different.
Very good
jewelch10 May 2021
Uninspired and newly single painter Sara is down on her luck and wants nothing more than to get away from her problems. When she decides to take a trip to visit her mom, she becomes involved in a mission to save a local church which is in danger of being closed down. Determined to help preserve the historic building, Sara embarks on a mission that not only gives her a new outlook on life, but enables her mother to rekindle a long lost love from her past. Starring Emmanuelle Vaugier, Mark Deklin and Shelley Long, The Wedding Chapel is a story about love, forgiveness and embracing new beginnings James Welch Henderson Arkansas 5/9/2021.
Love this
mitchellrharl18 October 2020
Good movie, but missed being great
hqfedlegion-14 October 2019
Warning: Spoilers
In a previous review, it pretty much tells the story of the movie. The plot is decent, the actors good at what they do. And I have always said that movies should suspend belief. And watching this movie once will do that. But then I go back and watch it again to see the things that I thought I had saw the first time that chipped away at the reality.
The plot is good. While my art is behind the camera (professional photographer for 16 years), I can understand where the critique of emotion and feeling in a work of art comes from. But I think the critic in the movie, was being over the top so as to advance the plot. Again, that's not a nit pic just a plot device to keep the story moving. The flashbacks were a bit 'if you blink you missed it' as it took me a bit to realize there were two different boys in her flash back, although you can tell by watching her face that she had different feelings for each. And when Sarah asks if Larry was her father, I thought that was a valid question. All in all, a good story. Roger was great and good chemistry with Sarah. The whole movie is very good.
But.
If you look at where her grandma house is and the church, that is going to be one BIG super center. That started the bumps in my suspending disbelief. Her house and the church should have been closer.
Next was the uniforms and the flashbacks. Those were bdu's and not worn in Viet Nam. Tiger stripes or solid fatigues were the norm of the day. And while it's nice to think that people held signs welcoming home the vets, we know that is not what happened. While there might have been a get together at church, it wouldn't have been like that. Looking at Larry; if this is supposed to be set in today's time, he was a little too young to be in Nam; while Shelly Long was about right. Unless you are familiar with the military, none of this would have been a problem.
Again, forgive my nit picks, but for me, those tend to be speed bumps that slow my unbelief when I was watch a movie.
Still, with those two points it was a good movie. And for me, the best line was when Roger said he liked a place where everyone knew his name, just as Shelly Long's character came in. Straight out of Cheers.
The plot is good. While my art is behind the camera (professional photographer for 16 years), I can understand where the critique of emotion and feeling in a work of art comes from. But I think the critic in the movie, was being over the top so as to advance the plot. Again, that's not a nit pic just a plot device to keep the story moving. The flashbacks were a bit 'if you blink you missed it' as it took me a bit to realize there were two different boys in her flash back, although you can tell by watching her face that she had different feelings for each. And when Sarah asks if Larry was her father, I thought that was a valid question. All in all, a good story. Roger was great and good chemistry with Sarah. The whole movie is very good.
But.
If you look at where her grandma house is and the church, that is going to be one BIG super center. That started the bumps in my suspending disbelief. Her house and the church should have been closer.
Next was the uniforms and the flashbacks. Those were bdu's and not worn in Viet Nam. Tiger stripes or solid fatigues were the norm of the day. And while it's nice to think that people held signs welcoming home the vets, we know that is not what happened. While there might have been a get together at church, it wouldn't have been like that. Looking at Larry; if this is supposed to be set in today's time, he was a little too young to be in Nam; while Shelly Long was about right. Unless you are familiar with the military, none of this would have been a problem.
Again, forgive my nit picks, but for me, those tend to be speed bumps that slow my unbelief when I was watch a movie.
Still, with those two points it was a good movie. And for me, the best line was when Roger said he liked a place where everyone knew his name, just as Shelly Long's character came in. Straight out of Cheers.
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