Love in Zion National: A National Park Romance (2023 TV Movie) User Reviews

Gorgeous National Park backdrop and two hunky brothers

[cgvsluis · 6/10 · 29 May 2023]

Beautiful desert backdrop to this Hallmark romance which was heavy on an Anasazi mystery. I love the Southwest and I am really enjoying Hallmark highlighting National Parks. I also really love Native American culture, but I am by no means an expert. I was left questioning things in this film however...like aren't Kachinas a Hopi tradition? Wouldn't it be cultural appropriation if the Anasazi are making and-or selling Kachinas? Also, I appreciated that the grandmother, played wonderfully by Monique Filips, mentions the three sister and how that was a way of planting used by the natives...but didn't explain why (how one steals nitrogen out of the soil and one puts nitrogen back in...).

The story is about a museum worker who upon unboxing donated artifacts (three Anasazi wedding vases), determines that there is a missing vase and with the donor's journal goes to Zion National Park to find the missing vessel. There she is assigned a park ranger as a guide and this is how she meets "native" Adam Proudstar, his technology loving brother Tate and his grandmother Kaya. These three are the best part of this film which is more of a mystery than a romance.

I recommend this film to mystery lovers and those who love the southwest...romantics might be disappointed...or they might also fall in love with the Proudstar brothers!

Bloopers galore

[chicago85 · 6/10 · 22 May 2023]

Other reviewers have pointed out the cultural and historical mistakes rightfully. But I would like to point out the modern ones. The main character stays in a spacious lodge for one. She leaves, including for a trip of a week, without turning off the lights, locking the door, or even putting out the unneeded fire in the fireplace.

She and the park ranger never wear a hat for protection against the sun. They have no canteens of water or are seen staying hydrated. If I were going out in the wilderness for a week, I would charge up my cellphone, spotty reception or not. She did use it to take pictures with.

She also told the ranger she was taking only a few power bars for food. It also might have seemed more authentic to have at least a few Native American cast members as extras.

The inside of the grandmother's house looked like a modern suburban house. Many Native Americans living in rural isolation have a jerry-built home or an old trailer house. These are just a few thoughts off the top of my head. The scenery was the bet part.

There was no chemistry between the leading couple. The final kiss was super forced.

[trinaboice · 6/10 · 1 November 2023]

IN A NUTSHELL: The romance is directed by Sam Irvin. The writing credits go to Jacob Cooney and Bryar Freed.

Assistant curator, Lauren, is out to prove a set of ancient vases belong to the Pueblo Nation. While in Zion, she meets Adam, a native Puebloan park ranger, who helps her on her mission.

THINGS I LIKED: I had never seen any of the actors in anything before. They all did a fine job and include Cindy Busby, David Gridley, Raquel Gardner, Michelle, Murphy, Monique Filips, Bourke Floyd, and Liam Woodrum.

Zion means "sanctuary." If you're hoping this movie will include a lot of beautiful scenery of the famous national park, you're in for a real treat. The cinematography is gorgeous.

The movie shows a passion for nature.

I appreciate that some of the characters work very hard to ensure some ancient artifacts are protected and restored to their rightful owners.

We learn a little bit about Indian culture.

It made me laugh that Lauren talked about how she grew up hiking around Zion National Park and knew her way around the national park, but then got lost within minutes. Ha ha Fun fact: Zion National Park is 229 square miles of beautiful red rock landscapes and vistas. It's one of the most filmed national parks in the USA.

THINGS I DIDN'T LIKE: Sadly, the Anasazi disappeared about 1000 years ago, so the plot line of the story doesn't actually work. I live in Las Vegas near a street called Anasazi! A few years ago, I visited a museum on the UNLV campus that showcased a number of Anasazi artifacts. I wonder why the writers chose to feature the Anasazi Native Americans, rather than an actual tribe that had living descendants today.

It drove me nuts how Cindy Busby mispronounced the name of the park.

The leading lady's character is a bit cocky and unlikeable.

The difference between the leading couple distracted me. He looked way younger than her. He's actually 32, although he looks much younger. Cindy Busby is 40 years old.

Some of the dialogue is not very good.

It always annoys me when characters hide things from each other and don't just communicate.

There was no chemistry between the leading couple. The final kiss was super forced.

The Kachina doll looked like it was bought out of a souvenir shop rather than a handmade artifact passed down through generations like we were supposed to believe.

Are hikers allowed to actually light fires in Zions National Park? I'm thinking no. That didn't seem believable.

It just looked like not much thought went into the details. For example, the Ranger and museum curator took off for a week-long trek in the park with just a little backpack. Where were their water bottles, food, and supplies?

She was staying in a big room somewhere on site and didn't bother to put out the fire in the fireplace right before leaving for a week-long trek in the park. Stuff like that bugs me. How about you?

It was said that some judge was going to decide on the case any minute now. Without all of the facts or witnesses? That's not how the law works.

Shouldn't the Park Ranger prohibit bad guys from removing artifacts from the park? It's hard to believe he's the only Ranger in the entire park.

As an author coach, I have several clients who write fantastic romantic comedies. I wish Hallmark would tap into their talents rather than try to rush a script through and miss all of the details that make a story rich and enjoyable.

TIPS FOR PARENTS: The movie is definitely clean enough for family viewing.

There's nothing really controversial or offensive in the content.

!

Another Hallmark prodution..

[ts-0000 · 23 May 2023]

Great scenery but unrealistic in all other aspects,does Hallmark even care? I think quality over quantity matters. The leads had no genuine-acting chemistry,that would be fine if this wasn't a romance themed movie.. What didn't help was,the appearance in their ages. Cindy isn't a horrible actress,but not a first choice & maybe do a casting call for new talent or ethnicities as leads not side characters. Being so unprepared for their park adventures,was a bit foolish especially considering he was a professional ranger. Also what park has those type of accommodations,yes its a movie but how about keeping it realistic.

Sad but seems this was filmed in Canada,pretending to be other locations.. Hallmark are you that poor or just cheap,to use some actual places or not stock footage? If they wanted to do a background around culture & so forth,at least keep it accurate or stick to another topic.. Altgough glad it wasn't about a festival,etc.

Overall casting to acting is average,decent cinematography & as mentioned scenery.. Music over talking was ok,is it worth seeing? If bored,like park views or the actors.

Poor Cindy Busby

[MickyG333 · 7/10 · 26 October 2023]

6.7 stars.

Nothing stands out as this being a re-watchable Hallmark duplicate of a duplicate plot. I feel sorry for Busby who is cast in most of the Hallmark national park, state park, outdoorsy movie sets. I can't differentiate between them after a while. Was this already done in 'Marry Me in Yosemite', or 'Warming up to You', or 'Chasing Waterfalls', or 'Love in the Forecast'? Take your pick. Here is a quote from my review of 'Chasing Waterfalls': "Trust your instincts, because YES, you've seen this movie before..."

This is a movie about a single woman who works at a museum, and let's face it she aint getting any younger (Busby looks really good for her age, actually). She goes on a hunt for a Native American artifact to complete a set of four vases that a money grubbing man is trying to claim and sell on the market (if and when he discovers the secret). It's an interesting plot, but it's too generic and lacks adventure and mystery. It's basically just a couple of people walking in the hills talking about lore and stuff and some quasi native history that is not believable. The park ranger's grandmother looks about 50 years old, and he's like 30.

I don't know, there is a lot of lost potential here. The end was good, however it's about preservation of Native American vases from hundreds of years ago, which had a lot of missed potential (like I said), but the romance was lacking. However, the cinematography was brilliant and the ending was uplifting enough for a higher rating than originally planned.

Not too bad.

[msh1973 · 6/10 · 29 February 2024]

This movie was average. I'm not a big fan of Miss Busby, her acting leaves a lot to be desired. The scenery was beautiful. I was a little taken back that she never wore a hat out in the sun and the heat of the day. She took very little food or water on her six day journey with the park ranger. Many people have complained about the age difference between Busby and the leading man who turns out to be her love interest... They're only seven years apart. I take offence to that since my husband and I are eight years apart. She doesn't look like a senior citizen she's a young woman of 41 and was actually not even 40 when she made this movie. Ageism has become quite a problem in the United States.

If you're going to do history, don't screw it up ...

[VetteRanger · 2/10 · 21 May 2023]

These writers frequently mention the Anasazi ... referring to them as a current Native American tribe. If you're going to pick the name of a Native American tribe out of the hat, don't you think it would be a good idea to spend at least three minutes in research?

If they HAD, they'd have discovered the Anasazi were an ancient tribe and they would not have called themselves the Anasazi. That was a name assigned to them by later tribes who settled the area and came across the relics of the Anasazi civilization.

The Anasazi themselves completely disappeared circa 1000 years ago. So the park ranger character here would NOT be a member of the Anasazi tribe. The so-called Anasazi "vases" (obviously actually urns) would not be the rightful property of such a tribe since they have not existed in 1000 years.

Even though it's theorized that the Hopi and Pueblo might be some sort of descendants of some elements of the Anasazi, even that is only conjecture with no direct evidence.

How do I know about this? I wrote a flash fiction about the Anasazi a couple of years ago, and even to write 650 words, I spent a considerable time doing MY homework so I wouldn't butcher the subject as this movie does.

Outside of that, the writers even blew the legal side of contesting a will, lots of dialogue is just off, and the female lead's acting was unconvincing to me. Perky is no substitute for professional. The male lead was a bit wooden.

I gave an extra star for the scenery, otherwise I consider this film an utter failure.

Cute Formula Hallmark movie

[wishinamission · 8/10 · 21 May 2023]

Another cute Hallmark movie full of the things we all love about them. Cindy Busby plays a museum curator on the hunt for a missing artifact in Zion National Park with the help of a conveniently handsome Park Ranger. Several scenes have cgi backgrounds and scenery photo shopped from other parts of Utah/Arizona, but overall a fun movie with beautiful red rock mountains.

Somewhat disappointed that the actors didn't research how to correctly pronounce "Zion". Us Locals call it "Zy-un" NOT "Zy-yawn".

Also, please do not remove any artifacts from National Parks or other historic sites. Zion is a treasure that needs to be preserved for future generations by staying on the designated trails and camping only in approved campsites. You also need permits or reservations for many areas in Utah. Remember proper safety equipment and always pack plenty of water.

Complete Nonsense - Historically Inaccurate

[elizabethjeanhampton · 1/10 · 21 May 2023]

The Ancestral Puebloans, also known as the Anasazi, were an ancient Native American culture that lived in the present-day Four Corners region of the United States, comprising southeastern Utah, northeastern Arizona, northwestern New Mexico, and southwestern Colorado. They appeared in the area around 1250 AD but left after a generation. So why is Hallmark talking about present day Anasazi Elders in this movie when that tribe left the Zion area about 700 years ago. Why on earth wouldn't Hallmark tell a love story with factually correct history versus a ridiculous love story talking about the Anasazi tribe like they were present day Native Americans.

Conviction for family

[jenjacka · 9/10 · 29 February 2024]

After reading the reviews I understand people can be passionate about the accuracy abt the plot. I am 10% Cherokee. Hallmark I felt this Movie put you through an emotional reminder of what we all individually hold in our hearts no matter the Nationality. It made think of my relatives..Cherokee, French, Welsh...The main Actors delivered exceptional scenes of balance, curiosity, and compassion. It was the full Hallmark package why we all watch and hope someday baby step of kindness will seep into everyone. I tell my son your first smile of the day is for yourself, you never know your smile may define someone's day. I say a Hallmark happy smile because it's from your heart.

Great sceneries, cultural salad.

[gfrasmd · 4/10 · 21 May 2023]

It appears that Hallmark planned this production with a triple intent: shell out their weekly romantic flick, while highlighting Utah's natural beauty, and paying homage to a relevant form of Native American heritage. Quite an ambitious , perhaps too ambitious, project. It would have required a far less superficial understanding of, and a deeper respect for the subject. The profound historical absurdity of the story has been well exposed by two previous reviewers. What's more, the misuse of traditional elements, thrown into the movie, rather than paying homage, makes it unwillingly offensive. The producers could have elected to create fictitiuos names for the "Anasazi tribe" and symbols of their culture. After all, the entire plot is a fantasy. Isn't it regularly done, in movies with Royals of nonexistent Kingdoms, somewhere in Europe? Instead, they chose real traditions and names and even conferred a major role to a "Kachina" doll. Now, just a few Nations could rightly identify as descendant of the Ancient Puebloans and carry on with this tradition. The Proudstars must share into Hopi or Sio (Zuni) heritage, where the Kachina [a Hopi word) tradition mostly belongs.

Here is where things do not square out.

The rudimentary vases that play a role in the movie, share little in common with the much finer Hopi or Tewa-Hopi pottery, adorned with very different motifs and patterns, still similar to those produced centuries ago. Grandma Proudstars lives in an environment, filled with generic southwestern styled decorations and fake-Pendleton blankets, that suggest nothing of Hopi making or that would be cherished by a person purportedly deeply immerse in her traditional spirituality. Kachina dolls were and are carved in the image of spiritual beings who appear in ceremonial dances, to teach children and women how to recognize them. They were not used as amulets. It is hard to believe a true Hopi would give one as a "guiding spirit", let alone to a complete outsider! The doll in the movie, itself, is not a Kachina. It is a horrible imitation with mask and garments that do not fit the appearance of any of the about 300 authentic ones which are known, beside, apparently, not being carved out of cottonwood roots, as tradition dictates. It suspiciously look like one of the cheapest tourist-fakes produced in spades by Navajos. Which is ironic, when one considers that the term "Anasazi"is a Navajo etymon for "Ancient Enemy" and the Hopi Kachina that represents the neighboring Navajo is named "Tasup", for "Head-basher".

Coming to the other intents of the production, the romantic story is poorly eventful and moderately insipid.

Zion Park, on the contrary, is as beautiful as expected and the filming renders it justice. For this accomplishment alone, the movie may be worth a look, and my rating was not completely negative.

Really, Hallmark??

[jlbsword · 4/10 · 22 May 2023]

I enjoyed the first National Parks romance and was looking forward to this one, but even the spectacular scenery and landmarks of Zion could not help this movie. It was so historically inaccurate that it spoiled the plot. Also, the ages of the characters did not work. The grandmother, a lovely character, looked about 50. Cindy is now 40 but was paired with a male lead that is 32 (and looked 25) and they had no connection at all. And I hope that David actually has ties to native heritage. His bio is sparse. They set out for a 6 day hike with small backpacks. Where was their food, water, clothing, supplies, etc. Just not believable at all. Even the vases looked fake and simplistic. This is a popular park but they did not meet anyone on their hike. And are campfires safe these days what with all of the fires burning across the west? There were just so many little annoying features that took away from the story. If there are others in this series, I hope they are much better and more realistic than this sad excuse for a movie.

Denver museum curator heads to Zion National Park to hunt for a long lost vase.

[TxMike · 21 January 2024]

There are several negative reviews here that smash the movie for its concept, using the Anasazi, an ancient tribe, as a modern day inhabitant of the Utah area in and near Zion. So I will not comment on that, just say it represents fiction and discuss the movie itself.

Cindy Busby is Lauren, the Denver museum curator, she has a long attachment to Zion National Park from childhood when she would visit with her now deceased mother. Now an older lady has died and willed her three ancient Anasazi pottery pieces to the museum. But her grand nephew shows up, announces he will contest the will. He doesn't care about the historical value, he thinks they are worth a lot of money.

So Lauren studies the designs and figures the set had originally been four, one was missing and she would find it in a remote section of Zion, somehow this would also prevent the set being taken away. There she meets a park guide assigned to help her, and keep her safe, David Gridley as native American, Adam Proudstar.

Things develop from there, my wife and I really enjoyed the scenery, we had been to Zion but were not able to explore it much. The movie itself, it is OK but not particularly good. It was decent diversion after our usual Saturday evening steak dinner with a bottle of red Bordeaux, nothing more.

Streaming on Peacock.

Romcom with Teeth

[vjf36 · 8/10 · 21 May 2023]

One of Hallmarks better movie. Busby never disappoints the viewer and the love interest was so so. I Like the Grandmother who I thought stole most of her scenes The scenery was beautiful. What ever location it doesn't disappoint you.

Here once again no hidden messages, no wile issues It was a very good romcom and a nice Saturday night movie. If Hallmarks keeps this up maybe they will get back to producing family viewing movies. The cast was convincing and the story line to me was convincing. I liked that this movie had an educational value plus a mystery.

I hope Busby stays with Hallmark. She always delivers and nice to look at.

No

[ladycatherine-04337 · 2/10 · 22 May 2023]

Let me tell you the problem I have with this particular movie. The guy on the helicopter got permission to do a flyover for photography. They illegally landed. They illegally excavated without a permit. Then they illegally removed it from the park and the tribal people. So, you use the satellite phone, call ahead have the federal government meet them when they land and seize the property that belongs to the tribe.

I honestly don't expect much from these Hallmark movies. Or, movies from other channels like them. However, I really expected them to have at least a better train of thought than this. Very simple way to finish it. Still could've got another half hour into the movie. Things like this just anger me.

One of the worst Hallmark moves I've seen

[mschuler-55168 · 1/10 · 23 May 2023]

This was probably the worst Hallmark movie I have seen in a long time. Not sure why Cindy Busby continues to do the same outdoor adventure movies these days and I'm not sure why Hallmark keeps casting her. Maybe all the decent actresses have gone to GAC? The movie plays the same old way with some decent scenery and some very terrible storyline. Busby was so dull I began to read emails while I watched the final half of the movie. The male Lead was not only also very boring, but there was zero chemistry between them and he looked half her age. Not believable love story, very stiff acting, very bad plot. Please go for a hike yourself and skip this terrible movie.

Great Cinematography, and little more.

[cincy-47983 · 2/10 · 29 May 2023]

First...and I have said this in other Hallmark Movie reviews... hire a reality-check team. I will gladly take the job. The photography is great but nothing more. As other reviewers have cited, the movie is wildly historically incorrect - embarrassingly so. And, for the male lead who is theoretically a Native American.... couldn't they actually find a Native American actor to take the role... or would none of them touch this movie. The pacing is very very slow. The relationship evolves at an overly fast pace, and, again, the whole Anasazi thing was a big detraction from what little story there was. Hallmark.... please, please, please, do some research before picking up a camera to make your movies. I like the concept of using National Parks as the background for a set of movies but there just needs to be some care put into the making of them.

It's Official, Hallmark isn't even Trying Anymore

[kmr-22308 · 1/10 · 22 May 2023]

To get the obvious out of the way: I suspect Cindy Busby is had at bargain-basement pricing, because why else would they keep using her in movies? She's just SO in the wrong line of work. Maybe a CPA or Data Analyst. Something behind all the scenes.

And where are they hunting for this year's batch of male leads? They're a smidge on the pitiful side.

Are there editors or previewers or test audiences or ANYthing?? Lol.

I agree with the other reviewers about the nonsensical script, the plot holes, bloopers, and mistakes.

Hallmark is off the festival thing and stuck on national parks now. I think they should go back to festivals; they don't require much thought or research or aptitude in, well, anything.

What a shame 2023 has been for Hallmark movies. Nice drone footage more easily found on YouTube only goes so far.

Unreal

[bibingka · 3/10 · 22 May 2023]

I used to like some previous actings by Cindy Busby but she seems to be unconvincing on this movie. I agree from previous reviewer that lead male character is a little woody. Aren't you guys supposed to wear hats on this kind of hiking on an opened hot mountain. Why is Cindy's hair like that. It keeps covering her face on windy times. She should have short hair if she doesn't want to wear a hat. This movie was rushed. This movie I believed wasn't research properly. As previous reviews mentioned, some of the historical facts were not true. They lengthen the story. If grandmother knew the history, she should have shown the picture right away. Positive side was the park views were nice. I guess Hallmark did a quick quality review on movie story. Sorry just my thoughts. I always watch Hallmark movies but this one is rotten to me.

Illogical story line!

[steve1620-638-301414 · 3/10 · 26 May 2023]

The whole premise of the story line is illogical and totally unbelievable. First, the Zion Park ranger tells the museum archeologist that she cannot remove native artifacts from Zion Nat'l Park. Then he gets a "permit" for her to go "looking" for artifacts. Then a permit is given to someone to do a high-level photo flyover, but the ranger witnesses the helicopter make an illegal landing in the park, remove the said artifacts, load them in the helicopter, and fly away with them. He is talking with the thieves, watches them make off with the treasure, and says nothing - other than acknowledging that it was too bad that they got to the artifacts before the museum archeologist. (The viewer is wondering why he didn't tell them that removing artifacts from a National Park is illegal.) Then, the "only way" to save the artifacts is - no, not to charge the thieves with a crime - but rather to have to prove that that artifacts are "owned" by a relative of the ancestral native that originally crafted them. Where's the logic? Should Hallmark really portray National Park Rangers as stupid? Or think that their viewers are this stupid?

I would give this movie's story line a 0, but I generously gave the movie a 3 just for the beautiful Zion scenery throughout the movie.

Grandma goes hiking....

[Racingphan2 · 4/10 · 24 May 2023]

I know, I'm exaggerating, but really, Cindy Busby looks like a senior citizen next to the park ranger she ends up with.

I usually like her a lot, but here she comes over like that creepy older teacher dating the senior class in high school.

The scenery though is absolutely spectacular. Zion is amazing, and the incredible HD camera shots show the park beautifully.

It really is time for Hallmark to start developing a new generation of female leads. All the best of this current generation defected to that other channel.

Okay I still have 50 characters to meet the IMDB minimum. Anyone have a password to GAC?

Learn the correct way to pronounce Zion.

[tracyleeroberts · 2/10 · 14 June 2023]

I agree with what many others have said with their reviews about Native American History, disregard for artifacts, and being prepared for the elements. No-one should ever enter the park without water at the very bare minimum. They should have a hat, sunscreen, backpack with first aid, some type of protein snack. It gets really hot at Zion.

I also agree with the many other reviewers when it comes to the historical accuracy regarding the Native American Tribe. Also the laws about excavating and taking artifacts without a permit

I also want to say that there is not way the characters are from Denver. Those from the four corner states know how to correctly pronounce Zion.

It isn't zi ON. It is pronounced more like Zi an.

Purely fiction!

[ssch-1 · 5/10 · 17 July 2023]

This story is NOT based on a true story. They can use anything they want to build their ficticious story. It does not matter if it resembles parts of a true story or not.

I honestly see no reason for all the harsh words on a romance story.purely made for entertainment.

I would think you discovered you did not care for the story line within fifteen minutes and could have simply changed the station to watch something else.

Instead, you chose to watch and critique the entire fictional story just so you could pick it apart with what you think should have been added or left out of the story line.

No

[Jackbv123 · 5/10 · 7 June 2023]

It was a totally predictable snoozer outside of the Grady plot thread. That popped in and out quickly and overlooked one glaring legal point observed by another reviewer. I don't know much about these particular circumstances, but I do know it was a serious crime and it would not have been unthinkable for the bad guys to kill our heroes to avoid detection. But that wouldn't fit the story. Also I don't buy that they had enough to go on to find the place even with a helicopter. The means found to restore the relics was a little more sentimental than the crime angle. I'm very glad the writers skipped any court scenes. The way it was done was both effective and moved the story along.

I'm not a Cindy Busby fan and she didn't score any points with me here. There was no chemistry with David Gridley, despite their having a lot of screen time together.

I thought the dialog was flat. Also the story had strong similarities to at least one other Hallmark movie and maybe a couple. These included the handsome guide and his grandparent supplying clues to their quest.

If scenery is enough to satisfy you as a viewer, then this one might do it for you.

not for me

[ronbokirk · 3/10 · 22 May 2023]

I have been reviewing movies for over 30 years, and publishing them on various print and digital media.

The writers of this one obviously did no research. They are way off historically and legally .

The location was little more than mediocre but beautiful. The story was more of a mystery than a romance, and there was no chemistry at all between the leads. It doesn't explain why our leads have to hike 3 days to an unknown location and their nemesis can fly right to it in a helicopter. Cindy Busby turned in a really good performance, but that did not make up for the lack of chemistry with the male (mediocre) lead. The best supporting character was the grandmother.

I rate the movie one star but I gave two bonus stars because it was actually family friendly with no liberal propaganda.