Sweet Home Carolina (2017 TV Movie) User Reviews

Stick with it

[Jackbv123 · 5/10 · 14 May 2020]

A couple reviewers quit after 10 minutes or so. Yes, that 10 minutes was hard to watch. I think the mother might have elicited less harsh criticism if the script hadn't had her acting so childish. I don't disagree with how she felt especially about Mother's Day, but for a 30 or 40 something woman who also has years of experience as a professional, her behavior, between her virtual tantrum at work and heavy obsession over mother's day, was overplayed badly. And for the daughter of 19 years (yes played by a 26 year old) not to have a little better dose of reality given she's living with a single mom, that either makes her a spoiled brat or her mom too indulgent, or both. This family totally fails to gain the sympathy the single mom typically gets in stories like this.

Once they moved to Marion, the movie gets considerably better. I enjoyed not only her blooming relationship, but also Andrea's. I enjoyed the almost family like community atmosphere. And Paul Greene is always good.

The story isn't bad, but it doesn't have much high or low and it uses a lot of well worn plot devices. I did like the way they did the ending.

BTW: How did they fit all that stuff, which should have included luggage for 3 for a cross country trip into a CRV?

real life done wrong

[vickibaker-1 · 5/10 · 18 September 2018]

The other reviewer who said it was 'giddy' - I get that. I'm 113 minutes in to the 124 minutes and getting more pissed off every second. Could have been really good. No chemistry. Angsty teenager was the best thing about this movie...

Nice Message

[mrdissatisfied · 7/10 · 16 June 2017]

In a time and space where movies are so saturated with over produced and completely CGI offerings, it is a nice break to get back to the basics of film making (story telling). This message is a good one, and even though the themes have been seen before, you will not go away feeling worse than when you started watching. Even though it is kind of my thing...I was not dissatisfied with this film.

Diane is not a likeable character.

[dianalyn79 · 2/10 · 24 November 2018]

I love Paul Greene and he plays his part well but the main character, Diane, just isn't likeable or relatable. She isn't the most caring parent and she is incredibly selfish.

Hilariously bad

[jennycook-93045 · 6/10 · 19 January 2021]

I watched this while off work sick. Maybe I'm sicker than I realise.

This film is terrible. The mom is overworked, with a terrible ex husband. The older daughter is bratty and unhelpful. Mom gets fired(?) / put on a leave of absence, then finds out that her great aunt left her a house, in the town Mom's ex boyfriend still lives.

Within 24 hours of arriving (it seems), the house is miraculously repaired and repainted, the mom and older daughter have jobs, mom has made a friend who comes to the house to cook for them (are people from the South really that friendly?), ex boyfriend is back in her life.

The story is ridiculous in itself, but can be done very well (see Christmas Everlasting - inherit a house and pet, must live in it for a year, reassess big city life, reunite with childhood sweetheart). BUT. This is filmed like a college film course assignment, the plot has massive holes, the lighting is terrible, the acting is terrible - almost like it's all one take improv.

The moody daughter is the only character that seems to develop at all!

But, all this makes it a great film to watch. With wine probably. Drink every time someone has a glass of wine, drink every time the dog is being walked around the house on a leash, down your drink when daughter takes her nose ring out.

Don't take it seriously and it's a great film for mindless watching. If you want a serious plot, choose something else.

Could have been Much better

[lesliek-71217 · 3/10 · 23 August 2019]

The story itself is not a bad thing. Paul Greene also never disappoints. He's the reason I gave it at least a 3.

Someone mentioned that Diane, the mother, was selfish and not a caring parent. My take is that, in the beginning, she should have been honest with her kids and let them know how hard she was trying to hold everything together. I didn't find her to be uncaring at all, she just had a lot on her plate and was really stressed, while trying to be a single parent.

The teenager, Andrea, was the snooty, immature, rude and disrespectful brat. She played her part very well.

I kept getting more and more agitated while watching this movie. Reading the responses here, someone hit the nail on the head. TOO GIDDY. Way too much laughing, or nervous laughter for everything. My goodness, Diane couldn't hardly say a word without the constant annoying laugh. It surprises me that the director kept all that in.

It would really be a great movie to watch again if you could cut out all the annoying laughter.

They tried to warn me and now I am warning you. (No major spoilers but a few details)

[daysky · 5 February 2021]

I don't always trust the judgment of other of other reviewers. But I found most of the comments were pretty accurate for this film.

Negatives 1. Absolutely no chemistry between the characters. 2. They did not develop the romance at all so you didn't feel any sense of rooting for the characters. Luke seemed nice, but he never had anything interesting to say so he wasn't really impressive. Diane was stressed about a lot of things and taking it out on everyone else. The writer really didn't give you any reason why they should be together. They should have done some flashbacks of their previous relationship, some interactions with her ex so we can see him treating her not so nice, and some cool conversations or fun times with the main characters. They don't even show a date unless you call asking for a cup of coffee while standing in a restaurant a date. 3. The subplots were not well-developed either. They would introduce a potential issue and your interest might be piqued. But then they would just drop it without any resolution being shown... Instead they would drop it or explain it away..."Oh yeah that could have been a problem but not anymore." 4. It was unrealistic. Everything fell together too easily 5. My biggest annoyance was the house. It is supposed to be a big disaster, but it's really a mansion with some dirt on the siding. They walk around saying Ew, gross to antique furniture covered in drop cloths. The best thing they could muster to carry the idea of an overwhelming project was showing a brief cleaning scene where they get rid of some old newspapers and hired someone to fix the squeaky door. 6. She keeps talking about how awesome it was there and how many good memories she has but never shares anything specific, never shows anything (like cool places she remembers) to her daughters. 7. Nobody seems to have any friends. 8. Just stupid goofs that make me feel like there was no editor. Like the daughter comes home from school and is told to do her homework. After dinner, she's told to do her homework. Like, would it have been so hard to change the line to "Did you finish your homework?" Or have the child say, I did it already (missed opportunity to characterize the mom as checked out or not as bad as you think. Instead, it's just bad writing." 9. The main actress wasn't great. Maybe the script limited her but the furrowed brow and vapid smiling did get kind of old after a while. Even the dog didn't want to be there... he was just as checked out as everyone else. Anyway, I could go on and on. But I want to list the positives too...

Positives 1. It was clean. The teenager communicated her "teenagerness" just find without cussing her mom out. You can watch it in a classroom with kids without worrying about inappropriate content. No sex either.

That's all I got. I didn't turn it off like some movies that are completely unwatchable, but I won't remember it tomorrow, won't recommend it. It's one of those movies that makes you think you have a career in screenwriting just waiting for you because anyone can do better than this.

I enjoyed this movie

[brueggemanntami · 7/10 · 10 September 2020]

I honestly don't understand why this got such bad reviews. I thought it was sweet. We are all faced with unexpected changes. Decisions that have to be made in order to find what we want out of life. The only thing I that disagree with was their reaction to the house. I found it absolutely charming and would love a place like that. At the same time, career and the goals that we spend all our time working towards are important too. Sometimes hard choices must be made.

not one of Hallmark's 'gems'

[linda-plant2 · 3/10 · 26 February 2019]

So, the daughter 'Andrea' - a 27 year old actress who has played the lead in many other Hallmark films, is now, we are led to believe a truculent teenager ??? really ? Cant the Hallmark stable of actors/actresses come up with a more age related character ?

Like another reviewer says, there is no chemistry between the leads, though in real life there is a 10 year age difference, but with good acting that shouldn't be an issue. Its an ok film if you don't want to think of anything for a couple of hours.

Just okay

[herrcarter-92161 · 6/10 · 16 September 2023]

This was a sweet movie, and I wanted to like it. It was the classic tale of a big city dweller going to a small town and learning that they love small town life better. Add the love interest in the small town, and you've got the basic plot for at least half of the Hallmark movies out there. It's not a bad plot, but it certainly is well-worn.

Sadly, this has been done better in other movies. The acting in this one was not bad. Heather McComb as Diane gave an emotional, heartfelt performance. Paul Greene as her love interest Luke portrayed the classic nice, sincere, uncomplicated Southern guy, though I wish he had at least attempted a Southern accent. The supporting characters were more mediocre, but certainly not horrible.

The screenplay was pretty weak. Some of the plot points seemed a little absurd, particularly the stipulation that Diane and her family live in her aunt's house for a year before they could inherit it. It seemed like a very contrived way to get the city girl out of her element and into the charming country town. You can suspend your reality for that. But one thing I really didn't like was the lack of development of the relationship between Diane and Luke. They use the classic lazy scriptwriter's trick of showing the relationship development in a series of montages. Sure, they had already had a relationship in the past, but that is no excuse for not developing the relationship in the present. The character of the teenage daughter Andrea was awful. She was so over-the top rude and selfish at the beginning, and then she abruptly changes character and becomes nice and sweet. Too much change too abruptly to be believable, I'm afraid.

So, this wasn't a bad film. But the script made it less than enjoyable, because it seemed kind of amateurish.

Giddy rubbish

[wildcapturedangel · 3/10 · 2 September 2017]

I have been watching romantic movies on the Hallmark channel now for a couple of years. But unfortunately they have been getting worse and worse and this one is pretty awful. It could have been so much better. There was no on screen spark between the couple, it just seemed all too giddy.

Inspirational clean movie challenging presupposition of sacrificing family for money & power

[jewelch · 9/10 · 9 February 2021]

The storyline of this movie tugs at our hearts. Any with teenagers that seem at war with Mom & Dad? Anyone feel stuck in a grind of making it to the top, only to anxiously wonder if all will fall apart any day? This movie will challenge the popular big city culture pushing for more money & power at the cost of sacrificing family, friends and most important eternal connections. Love the actresses natural smile and giggle as she reconnects from lost life to renewed fun in simple small town connections. The 'when calls the heart' doc also did a wonderful job of connecting to his long lost girl. There was a point when temporary break up and get together were too abruptly scripted. Only important item that would have made this a 8 star movie would have been the reality of core spiritual connection with God and Church family that is most often part of our small town folks, who haven't forgotten what matters most. Yes I Highly Recommend it James Welch Henderson, Arkansas 2/8/2021

Yikes

[stephsmith-74748 · 3/10 · 2 May 2020]

That was some seriously bad acting. I tend to have a low bar for entertainment, and this was bad even for me.

Characters miscast

[horns005 · 3/10 · 10 February 2021]

The storyline is predicable but not horrible. M The lead actress was miscast and they didn't do her any favors by keeping her hair up in a librarian's bun most of the time with minimal makeup. The eldest daughter is at least 10 years older than her character. I think they missed the mark on taking a movie that had the chance on being above average & turning it somewhat boring with a cast that honestly didn't put much effort into their craft.

Wow I can't even finish this movie

[susanshawnbrown · 1/10 · 26 May 2020]

I love the cheesy romance movies. I know they will end with a happy ending and everything will be alright. I can't even finish this one and I made it more than halfway through. Just don't waste your time. The story could have been good, but the acting is horrible and that makes the story seem horrible. I never stop a movie and rate it like this, but this one is not worth my time. Don't waste yours.

Ruined by a bad lead actress

[mlyhancock · 1/10 · 25 June 2020]

While movies like this tend to always have cheesy scripting and predictable outcomes, I generally still enjoy watching them for the feel-good benefits. However, this movie was ruined because Heather McComb was truly terrible. Who laughs that much during normal conversations? Sad moment-LAUGHTER. Confusion/hard decision-LAUGHTER. Love interest shows up unexpectedly-LAUGHTER. Guy proposes- you guessed it, OBNOXIOUS LAUGHTER. Not to mention, the script was even more cheesy and awful (plus, super choppy) than most. Just baaaaad.

A perfect movie to watch during a drinking game.

[yollya · 4/10 · 24 May 2020]

Same boring story told a million times. Take a shot everytjme the mom puts her hand on her face. Your gonna be wasted by the end of the movie.

One awesome actor Paul Greene!

[BurberryGal · 10/10 · 10 April 2019]

If you love Paul Greene and his onscreen presence you will love this movie. I will watch anything and everything Paul is in. One of my favorite hallmark actors of all time. You will not be disappointed. Watch this movie. Another home run for Paul.

The casting in this...ohhhh boy.

[echers-32918 · 2/10 · 14 June 2020]

This movie had the potential to be a cute little romance. The lead actress was not very good. She laughed and giggled through her lines and before long, it actually got disturbing to watch. Her frog throat acting made it doubly disturbing to listen and watch.. As a protagonist character she wasn't well written in the script at all..Everything that happened to her was just lucky and she never went out and made any of her good fortune. Everything fell into her lap and that makes for a flat script and dull writing. I gave it 2 stars just for the fact that with a different lead and another couple of re-writes, it could've been a cute little Hallmark movie.

don't waste your time

[bishopclisa · 1/10 · 12 March 2020]

Paul Greene was pretty good. He did the best with what he had to work with, plot and co-star wise. I've seen him do better in better movies. Heather McComb started out okay, but went downhill as the movie went on. Lexi Giovagnoli was awful, as always. I don't know who told this girl she is an actress, but they were wrong. I've seen her in a few movies now, and she is bad in every one. Very bad overacting. The plot started out okay and seemed to be moving at a good pace until the last part of the movie, when everything was wrapped up very quickly and the two main characters seemed to get over their problems with no discussion at all. Also, the house they moved to started out looking like it had been neglected for 50 years and then suddenly with a bit of cleaning and tweaking it looks like a show home, when no major repair work has been done on it. Seriously? Heather's character was broke and working a part-time waitress job. She had no money for major house repairs. She was subletting her house in LA, (which was never explained how they were able to move back into before the year was up), but would have had to use that money to pay the mortgage. Too many plot holes and bad acting to enjoy the movie. Spend your time on better movies.

Poor Paul Greene...

[kirsten68 · 4/10 · 7 June 2021]

I, like so many other women, absolutely adore Paul Greene. PAY ATTENTION, Hallmark Movies!! We need more Paul Greene vehicles!! He is gorgeous, a fine and pliable actor, and he adds a likability to every character he plays. Please use him more, and PLEASE for the love of ALL things holy, cast a woman who is worthy of him as his love interest!

Siiiigh...oh, the pain of this movie!! I don't believe in being unkind, so I will simply say that the actress that was cast as the lead, could have GREATLY benefited from some hair and make up, and acting direction. I simply did not find it at all believable that a man as good-looking and charming as Paul Green's character, could be attracted to someone as plain, awkward, and at times completely unpleasant as the lead actress was. It was almost unbearably awkward to watch.

The obviously older woman who was completely miscast as the bratty teenage daughter, was also over the top. But, alas, because I am a fan of Paul's (duh) I stuck it out. This movie could have been done so much better with greater direction, and better casting. But hey, it was raining, and I had nothing better to do.

And...there was Paul Greene.

Wanted to like it

[crosemnnc · 4/10 · 20 January 2021]

The story was probably a good one, but the actress that played Dianne just didn't 'click' Which made this movie hard to watch.

Had trouble watching this until the end.

[ebolivar173 · 3/10 · 31 May 2021]

This movie had the potential to be a good movie but I was super annoyed by the lead actress, Heather McComb. Every other scene included an exaggerated grin followed by an annoying giggle or the rubbing of her temple. I would've had a easier time watching with a different lead female. Paul Geene, who played the male lead, did a good job and Lexi Giovagnoli, who played the older daughter, also gave a good performance.

Who cast this movie

[kcpuppies-346-794253 · 5/10 · 17 August 2021]

Right from the start I couldn't get past the obvious fact that the teenage daughter was being played by an adult actress. It was almost all I could think of through the rest of the movie.

Lead actress poor choice

[evans5-2 · 1/10 · 28 April 2022]

The female lead, was simply annoying. If she said "uh" less than 100 times throughout the movie, it would surprise me. The only good acting came from Paul Greene, but he was surrounded by such weak actors, that the movie was not enjoyable.