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Forgiveness (2015)
Realistic Christian movie
I would challenge the assumption by another review that suggests this movie doesn't have a Christian message. It does. But also there is cursing and brief near nudity. Christian films are not automatically family friendly. But a 14+ teen watching it with parental supervision, maybe followed by frank discussion, would work well IMO.
If You're Gone (2019)
Terrible Ending--SPOILER ALERT
When Brad is finally found, his former girlfriend, who is supposedly the hero, gives him a completely impossible choice. He must immediately leave his dying biological mother, risking her death while he is gone, or she will just break up with him forever, although "forgiving him." At least she gave the ring back.
Instead of a true reunion between his two families, perfectly plausible under the circumstances, it apparently never occurs to either of them that a compromise could be reached in any case. His bio mom was clean now, and needed him. His adopted family clearly would have understood, and might have even been willing to help the biological mother in her last days. .
She also completely forgives his brother for totally deceiving her repeatedly, but not Brad, who she said she would have loved forever if he had only been honest. Yet both had good intentions in their lies. Do I detect a bit of hypocrisy here?
I can only hope the book was better. But the movie was a hideous example of Christianity. Oh, and I forgot her best friend since childhood abandoned her totally for awhile because she was in such grief that she could not function for awhile. She was to either get it together or forget the friendship. Great friend.
Worst movie ever on UPTV, which usually has better religiously themed movies than Hallmark. This one was more like something on "Frightful family and friends" night on Lifetime.
Overlook (2020)
"A little off..." I would say so
Reed turns out to be the nice daddy (technically stepdad) of the main character, yet casually but deliberately watches his new step-daughter making it with her husband. This is never explained, nor addressed in any way later.
He also strips down to the Lifetime equivalent of nude (tight black boxer briefs) while his other step-daughter watches. Yet there is no sign of an affair or even other connection between them, other than his buying her ice cream after her mother dies, as it turns out by her botched plan to kill her sister, who she at that point does not apparently know she is related to her.
The eye candy was delicious. But it added very little flavor to the movie itself. I say watch it anyway. The story line, though preposterous, was true LMN all the way. And next time the actor playing "boy toy dad" makes a movie, perhaps he will kindly lose the boxers. The world awaits.
The Deep End of the Ocean (1999)
Period Piece
Clearly so much has changed even in the 20 years since this movie was made. It was as if it was an either/or choice as to whether the child is forced into a family situation that the parents, as well as the social services, could only bring trauma all over again to the child after he is found. And that it did.
Why would he need to choose between the man, 2 blocks away, who considers him dad and the biological parents, no matter how the situation occurred? The simple answer is he should not have had to make such a choice. Even the ending does not resolve that issue. Could he not have spent half his time with his bio family and half with his adoptive dad, at least until he was ready to decide who he was most ready to live with? Or perhaps just keep it open and let him consider both families his?
The parents act as though the adoptive father was an enemy and do not even invite him into the house. Downright cruel and creepy. I am glad that social services now realize more often that both adoptive and biological relationships are forever important to the child in question. Period. Apparently they didn't know it back then, and yet I think even at that time open adoptions and other such arrangements were possible.
All in all I thought it was a poor movie, yet well acted. Some of the reviews see it exactly the opposite--great movie but not well acted, but I think as stated that the rigid either/or choice given to Ben/Sam was utterly traumatic and not something that helps anyone concerned. To me that was the real false dilemma created by the unwillingness or inability to think outside the box here.
Avouterie (2015)
One spoiler only
First of all, to the concerns of the "fake" accents, Sean Faris is actually from Texas, so the complaint that he sounded Texan is a bit silly in my estimation. Who is to say he didn't live in Texas in some earlier time not dealt with in the movie? Second, the guy has an amazing range and does some very believable roles on such diverse networks as Hallmark and Lifetime. Some absolutely great people and some not-so-nice. But all complex. I think he is very underrated and, although not difficult to look at, he is far more than eye candy. Also as to the reviewer who complained about him showing his muscles, he happens to be a fitness expert in real life. He in my opinion was not showing off to the camera but simply looks good from any angle.
As to the movie itself it is one you have to watch constantly in order to follow, and that is actually part of the power of it. Much of the dialogue is done without musical background and causes one to pay more attention. The only spoiler I will say is that you are left, even at the very end, not knowing for sure exactly what parts were fantasy and which were actual memories or conversation. The writing could have been slightly better but even that not bad for the most part. I found myself invested in all 3 of the main characters and honestly sympathetic to each.
Final Recourse (2013)
Maddening and Creepy
CONTAINS SPOILERS--The only reason I rated this movie 2 instead of the 1 or 0 it truly deserved is that the acting, overall, was really well done, particularly the main character played by Teri Polo.
Here is what I would have done at the end, if my family ever, even under such dire circumstances, would have treated me in such a way. I would have acknowledged that, yes, it did keep me from my drinking and smoking. Thanks. And then I would have sued that unethical psychiatrist and the staff to the point of any financial ruin possible. I would also have taken that ring, which apparently within 5 minutes won her back, and thrown it down the nearest sewage hole on the street, filed for divorce, and told the husband he could have the "best friend," as I would never have trusted either of them again, much less in the 3 minutes it took for him to convince her that he "did it all for love." Oh, and I would have sued for, and won, total custody for putting my one living child through a month of believing I was dead. Lastly I would have gone to the police and suggested jail time for all involved, as they wasted huge sums of taxpayer money in this endeavor to again show me that I was crazy, to say nothing of a false police call involving multiple officers when she reported her situation to them after escaping.
Lastly I would have gone to the press, or possibly Lifetime Movie Network, and told my story for the world. Oh wait that part was done already:).
And I would then have gone on with my new life.