The Beach House (2018 TV Movie) User Reviews

Better cast than usual

[phd_travel · 8/10 · 15 September 2018]

With a better than usual cast, a slightly more serious story and pretty scenery this is above the usual Hallmark standard. Minka Kelly is prettier than TV movie standard. Andie Macdowell is lovely here. Chad Michael Murray uses a rather exaggerated accent.

A city girl comes home and of course you know where she will end up. Her mom is not well. The turtle births are cute to see.

Worth one watch.

The beautiful beach house

[TheLittleSongbird · 8/10 · 4 August 2022]

Saw 'The Beach House' primarily for that it was part of a Hallmark completest quest that was begun just over three years ago, beginning with just the Christmas output and then moving on to the other seasonal blockings. Really appreciate it too when Hallmark tackles serious family issues and relationships (and they have done this very well numerous times) and some Hallmark Hall of Fame films are well worth watching. Chad Michael Murray has come on a lot generally.

'The Beach House' impressed me a lot on the whole and is up there among the better 2018 Hallmark films, a strong contender for the best of the films aired between January and April of the 2018 output. It does fall short of being a great film, but it is not hard to see why it was chosen as a Hallmark Hall of Fame film and has the trademarks of them and the quality of the best of them. A lot of things are done really well and the issues and relationships that 'The Beach House' were tackled very well indeed in my view.

It isn't perfect. It does agreed end on an anti-climactic note.

Also thought that Murray was on the wooden side here in an underdeveloped role and his terrible accent is a distraction.

However, there are a lot of very good things here. Most of the acting is very good, with Andie MacDowell and Mackenzie Vega giving nuanced, moving performances and Minka Kelly to me did bring heart and charm to her role, despite the film being a case of the supporting characters being more interesting and fleshed out than the leads. Donny Boaz to me was fine. While the two lead characters are rather typical, a lot of effort was done developing the characters and allowing one to relate to them. MacDowell's is especially well realised.

For me, Kelly and Murray did have a nice low key chemistry that didn't feel forced but it's the family relationships that are more developed and investable, the mother and daughter one was relatable.

It is a good looking film, especially the scenery. Something that Hallmark often delivered on, even in their misfires. The music isn't over-scored or too constant. The script isn't awkward and has a few amusing moments amongst the many very sweet and touching dramatic ones while keeping sentimentality at bay. The story is not innovative but clearly knew exactly what it wanted to be and do, and has lightness, warmth and charm. As well as well meaning honesty and poignancy.

Overall, very nicely done. 8/10.

Love and loss are intertwined in this sweet southern romance with some serious star power.

[cgvsluis · 6/10 · 15 September 2021]

Caretta looses her big city advertising job and returns to her southern island roots...only when she gets there things aren't what she thinks they are.

Her mom is ill, but has kept it from her, living with a pregnant girl and taking care of turtles on her precious beach. Her brother has turned in to a dominating southern male, like her deceased father, controlling her mother's estate.

It's not long before Cara wants to leave because she doesn't like watching how her brother treats her mom. Her mom, played by the gorgeous Andie MacDowell, convinces her to stay a little longer and she reconnects with her childhood boyfriend. He becomes the first one she confides in about loosing her job.

Heartaching story about love, loss, dying, and being a woman.

"We don't have time for a single sad moment."-Mama

Emotional roller coaster, but well worth it. As mentioned I love Andie MacDowell and I really miss watching her in Debbie Macomber's Cedar Cove as the lovable local judge.

Sweet, must see southern romance about love, loss and family.

Very pleasant Hallmark movie with attractive actors on Tybee Island.

[TxMike · 10 May 2022]

Set in South Carolina but filmed in Georgia, Savannah and Tybee Island. A 30-something daughter left home some 15 years earlier to make her career in Chicago. A very difficult dad was her impetus. Now dad is long gone and she is coming home to visit mom and brother, but also with a secret, she has lost her job and has some life decisions to make.

She quickly meets up again with an old friend who had been more, they have sparks right away but she is very reluctant. She fully expects to head back to Chicago soon and doesn't want to start up something again.

This get really complex when her mother tells all of them she has an inoperable condition and this is probably her last summer. The movie follows a typical clean Hallmark path and my wife and I enjoyed it as pleasant entertainment.

At home streaming from Amazon .

More than a Hallmark romance

[Jackbv123 · 6/10 · 26 May 2018]

There are deeper levels of family issues than your average Hallmark Saturday night premiere. Everyone has some history they need to address.

Some of the acting was better than others. Minka Kelly was OK and held her own. Andie McDowell had her moments also. Others, not quite as good, certainly not Donny Boaz.

The tone was a little more somber than I was looking for on Hallmark for Saturday night.

a bit unusual plot for a Hallmark movie

[novagirl11 · 7/10 · 14 July 2018]

The plot is a bit more unusual for a Hallmark movie, though not completely original. Some scenes were frustratingly uncomfortable. Chad Michael Murray's attempt at a southern accent made me laugh at times. The beautiful scenery of the South Carolina island is the best highlight! I saw lots of advertisements for this movie leading up to the premiere, but I was not expecting the story to be so emotionally heavy. Have tissues ready!

Andie's best performance

[HotToastyRag · 7/10 · 25 July 2019]

My mom and I had a really bad day, and we were looking forward to vegging out in front of a Hallmark movie with Andie MacDowell. We thought The Beach House would be just what we needed: Andie fixing up her family's beach house, looking at the coast with a mug of tea just like she did in Cedar Cove. However, this movie was not what we needed, so if you and your mom find yourself in the same situation, watch Cedar Cove instead.

The good news is Andie MacDowell gives arguably her best performance in The Beach House. She shows unexpected pain and thoughtfulness as she stars as a terminally-ill mother trying to fix up her house and her daughter's life before it's too late. I am glad I watched this movie, because I like Andie and she did an excellent job, but it would have been better to watch it on a different day. Minka Kelly plays Andie's daughter, and in the tradition of Hallmark, she comes from the big bad city, finding herself and love in the small town of her youth. Chad Michael Murray is Minka's love interest, so if you're not watching this movie for Andie-but why wouldn't you?-you'll be relatively entertained.

If you liked the book, or if you're in the mood for a good cry, go ahead and rent this Hallmark Hall of Fame. You'll see the beautiful shoreline of South Carolina, the fun and cute journey of baby turtles crawling from their eggs to the ocean, and Andie's great acting chops.

Wow!

[vukmiljkovic · 7/10 · 26 January 2019]

This movie is not about how someone is acting. It's more about what it is important in life, what is the happiness for you. Where do you see yourself in 5 years. And when those 5 years pass, what will you say, how many moments you will remember.

Such a beautiful story

[jennyelaine-03685 · 10/10 · 21 April 2020]

This one was VERY different from the usual Hallmark movie. It wasn't the typical plot and the characters weren't the typical "cheesy" actors. It was a real-life, gritty story with real issues. It was moving, emotional, touching, and thought-provoking. The scenery was breathtaking, the story & plot were very well written, and the actors were amazing. I really, really loved this movie!

breezy lite Hallmark fare

[SnoopyStyle · 6/10 · 9 July 2018]

Caretta "Cara" Rudland (Minka Kelly) returns home to South Carolina to visit her mother Lovie (Andie MacDowell) as her life in Chicago falls apart. Lovie had taken in young pregnant stranger Mama Toy (Makenzie Vega) and trying to hide her illness. She spends her time caring for sea turtles and her finances are being controlled by her son Palmer. Cara reconnects with her ex Brett Beauchamps (Chad Michael Murray) whom she left behind to go to Chicago.

This is a breezy romance from the Hallmark Channel. It's all nice but without any real tension. It's like a summer on the beach reading a romance novel. One drinks ice tea while the kids build sand castles. It's easy, lovely, and hopefully no drama. This has no weight but that what one expects.

Sub-par acting, decent story

[beckymcevans · 4/10 · 13 May 2018]

I have always forgiven Andie MacDowell because she's lovely and has some charm, but she really is not a good actor. Minka Kelly is on about the same level. Not crazy about Chad Murray, either.

However, the story is somewhat interesting--particularly the evil Southern father and son elements--along with the wonderful turtles, of course. I liked Flo and Toy a lot. But honestly, had I not started this, I wouldn't have missed anything by skipping it.

An Emotional Family Story

[omijer · 9/10 · 30 April 2018]

The Beach House is a rare, welcome departure from typical Hallmark movies in that it depicts a troubled family, characters that are multi-dimensional (for the most part), and emotions that are not all positive and cheery. It also provides the viewer with two eye-catching visual experiences. One is the lovely, mature Andie MacDowell..and the other is Tybee Island, a beach and community South of Savannah, GA. Having spent many summers at Tybee Island, this viewer can confirm that it is still one of the most unspoiled, peaceful and beautiful communities. The filmographer who takes us there in this movie certainly confirms that description of the island. The beauty of the scenery, the ocean waves, the foliage, the stately, yet simple homes..are all photographed with respect and reverence for this undiscovered island. The other treat for ones eyes is Andie MacDowell, who portrays a woman beset by both family and personal problems that need to be resolved. This fine , serious actress is a pleasure to watch as she goes through seemingly insurmountable roadblocks to resolving her many issues. her performance is nuanced and not diminished by any needs to appear glamorous. The other lead roles in the story are handled in more typical Hallmark fashion. The prodigal daughter, who has left her troubled family to succeed in the big city, comes home after a disappointing work experience. Her island boyfriend, again in typical Hallmark fashion, has not moved on with his life after losing her. Minka Kelly, as the daughter, brings almost no drama to her role. She is beautiful and she smiles lot. Chad Michael Murray, as the boyfriend, is an undefined character, who simply seems to be someone to lean on and fall back on in difficult moments. Both actors belong in a more typical Hallmark movie, rather than in this one, which explores so many deeper issues in a complex life. There is also one other cast member, a young pregnant woman, who seems to have no definition in the story except, perhaps, to serve as a Greek chorus in reflecting the family's unresolved and secret issues. The subplot of the film revolves around the protection of sea turtles, and reflects a symbolic reference to birth, life, death and renewal. However, all that notwithstanding, this film belongs to Donny Boaz, who plays the family son. This young actor, relatively unknown (at least to this viewer) portrays the rich Southern son with such authenticity and swagger, it is impossible to take ones eyes off him..He embodies the Southern attributes of confidence that comes with wealth. He is arrogant, he knows his place in the bright light of Tybee. The actor looks the part..with his body gestures, his perfect not-quite-too-long hair, perfectly coiffed, and his snarling mouth. This viewer has known many of these young men who are born into privilege and who never become more than this cliche persona. Boaz depicts this son with pitch perfect accuracy. The Beach House is a serious family drama, not a typical Hallmark film, and very well worth watching..but bring your Kleenex!

A pleasant surprise

[mdamato4 · 7/10 · 18 March 2023]

My wife and I just spent a week on the Isle of Palms, South Carolina. In our rented condo was a book called "The Beach House" and I read it while we stayed the week. I bring all of this up because not one review I've read here has mentioned that the story takes place on Isle of Palms! Yes, the film was shot on Tybee Island in Georgia, but the story takes place on the southern end of Isle of Palms, which is a beach community outside of Charleston, SC. Anyway, I was surfing Amazon Prime and chanced upon the movie and watched it - and enjoyed it. I didn't expect Lovie to be as young as Andie MacDowell, but the character of Cara was spot on. By the way, Isle of Palms is beautiful and a wonderful destination - check it out!

Tybee Island, Georgia

[pmtilton-88051 · 5/10 · 6 September 2021]

I'm not sure where this movie was filmed, but several reviewers say it was Tybee Island. Other reviewers say there is beautiful scenery of the South Carolina coast. Again, not sure where this is supposed to take place, but Tybee Island is in Georgia! And that is more like a two hour+ drive to Charleston, yet they refer to the trip to Charleston as an hour drive.

OK, I'm confused, but the scenery is beautiful in this film.

The Beach House

[beachy-38431 · 8/10 · 12 May 2018]

I'm glad to see Hallmark finally getting back on track with a good Hallmark Hall of Fame movie rather than their usual Hallmark romantic junk.

Too serious for me

[HallmarkGuy · 24 February 2021]

I watch Hallmark movies to be entertained or to be engaged in a story, not to feel depressed. This one is way too serious for me. I stopped watching after about 1/2 hour into it. I never smiled once while watching it. I have watched some serious Hallmark movies before to the end before, but not this one.

Regular love movie

[emeliefridstrom · 5/10 · 5 April 2022]

Typical love movie, nothing spectacular.

Just like anyone els. You can see it if you want to kill 90min but there's better drama movies to waste your time with.

WOW: LOVED IT.

[jewelch · 9/10 · 28 December 2020]

Wow this one is 5 star all the way, absolutely love it. James Welch Henderson, Arkansas 12/27/2020

Not much of a story and pretty bad acting-even for Hallmark movie

[cdebuois · 3/10 · 29 April 2018]

I only watched this movie because Minka Kelly is beautiful to look at, of course. I will never forget the first movie I saw her in the lame yet funny"horror" movie, The Pumpkin Carver, where she had that real little girly girl voice which only added to her sex appeal. Unfortunately, or fortunately(depending on your preference), much of that little girl voice is gone in this movie. As adorable as Minka is, she is not a good and believable actress in the least.

Not to digress, the overall cast is fairly well-known. Despite her being an actress for a long time and her prominence in the movie industry, I have never found Andie MacDowell interesting, funny or a decent actress -she always seems so disingenuous in anything I have seen her in and this movie is no exception. I thought the overall acting among all the characters in this film not terrible but definitely below par-even for a Hallmark movie.

Surprisingly, I probably found Chad Michael Murray to be the most believable, genuine, likable and down to earth for his character role. And the young pregnant girl who lived with Andie MacDowell was a decent actress and her character was likable as well; unfortunately, she was not in much of the movie.

The movie itself just starts off kind of strange with Minka going to visit her mom, played by Andie, whom she has not seen in about 15 years. In the initial meeting scene, those 2 characters meet and seem to have no real genuine reaction/chemistry for a mother-daughter relationship in the least-it is like watching 2 strangers, meeting for the first time, react with one another on set who have never seen each other or read the script. (They might as well had a staring contest during their first meeting scene instead-would have been more entertaining.) There was no genuine loving chemistry of a mother-daughter dyad. Both characters were pretty wooden which was like watching two cardboard cutouts "acting" and at points where real emotion was required when finding out about Andie MacDowell's condition, for example, her children's reaction was quite abysmal and felt forced with little to no tears. The young pregnant girl was much more believable with emotion concerning Andie MacDowell than her own biological children. And the guy who plays Andie MacDowell's son was a pretty lame and arrogant actor as well- a Bradley Cooper wannabee if you will.

The worst part of this movie was the ending which was totally anticlimactic-in fact they passed right over it(the tear-jerker scenes, probably because the son and daughter could not muster up the tears) where we see Andie MacDowell drop a photo which we can only reckon is indicative of her death. There is no funeral, memorial for her, a tribute to her life, reaction/tears of her children or anything regarding her death; hence, absolutely no tears. They just skip to the one year later bit with everything being back to normal as if nothing ever happened with everyone playing with turtles on the beach. Apparently, there is some kind of analogy with rebirth/life/life after death message with the turtles on the beach and the newborn/new life of the pregnant girl's baby and Andie MacDowell's death and/or life after death. However, the analogy and parallels between these two stories are weak and makes the story no more touching or interesting in the least.

This movie could have been much better if the characters had chemistry and they could actually look like they were really crying or upset when necessary. Or, as much as I dig Minka, if they recast the mother and daughter roles since they were the 2 main characters.

I did not care for this movie and the highlights are basically the beautiful scenery of Tybee Island and if you are into turtles, the turtle scenes.

Tybee Island Treat

[moho-40260 · 9/10 · 5 August 2018]

I really did like this movie a lot, so much so that I read the book after watching the movie about three times. Andie McDowell is very well cast as Lovie who, I think, the book is truly about. I am not a Minka Kellly fan and in all honesty, I did not find her right for the part of Cara. I hadn't even read the book yet, and I just found something offputting about her--I believe she was miscast. She was very superficial--I didn't believe she was able to channel any depth for this important character. I thought Chad Michael Murray was outstanding as Brett as was Mackenzie Vega as Toy. But I think the actor who really portrayed his character well was Donny Boaz as Palmer. Well cast in my opinion with the exception of Minka Kelly. There were a couple of scenes that I did not think play out very well but all in all a very good Hallmark Hall of Fame presentation. Plus, it's a little close to my heart as I was in Savannah in April when this movie premiered and what a beautiful area of the United States it is.

Sad

[dbranch-32259 · 2/10 · 29 April 2018]

This is a very sad and depressing movie with very little to enjoy.

I've seen this before

[ninj0s · 8/10 · 30 July 2021]

The fact that this movie is inspired by the Last Song with Miley Cyrus is not hard to see. But that doesn't mean I didn't like it! Its worth the watch.

Over the top

[kmr-22308 · 1/10 · 2 June 2021]

Yet another movie completely ruined by Andie McDowell's horrible acting.

A Nice Family Movie.

[rjspear · 8/10 · 2 June 2018]

I don't understand some of the comments about the acting. The dialog was a bit formulaic but it is a Hallmark Movie. The scenery by itself would make this movie worth watching. The characters are well developed and well acted. Andie MacDowell and Minka Kelly are wonderful as a mother/daughter relationship. It is a bit weird seeing Chad Michael Murray in the Carolina's again but it was also fun. Makenzie Vega as an adult was interesting after being use to seeing her as the young daughter on The Good Wife and does a nice job. I think if you are a fan of Hallmark Productions you will enjoy this movie.

1a Touching Family Drama

[omijer · 9/10 · 29 April 2018]

The Beach House is a very much-publicized Hallmark drama, perhaps because it stars Andie MacDowell. The other star of this film is the beautifully-filmed setting of Tybee Island ..the beach community South of Savannah , Ga. Having spent many summers at Tybee Island, this viewer can attest to its stunning, almost untouched beauty. the photographs showed this beach and community in a truly authentic manner, and it is almost the larger star of this film. Beyond that, there is very little new or original or worthy of positive praise in this film. The story is, indeed, a bit more dramatic and emotionally gripping than most Hallmark movies. It does not aim for the typical path towards a predictable happy ending, even though all Hallmark endings are, in some form or other, resolved as happy. This film explores a family very much torn apart by strong emotions and conflicting needs. Without revevealing the plot details, there is much here that will touch more viewers than the average Hallmark cliche film. There is the prodigal daughter, the ailing lonely mother, a lost love, and a defiant, selfish son. All these relationships conflict and ultimately do resolve..but the road to that resolution is paved with many stormy confrontations and conflicts..(There is also a very graphic hurricane to deal with, so the family drama is enhanced and symbolically play out in a weather event), The characters in the film are sadly, one-dimensional..The beautiful daughter, who left to seek her success in the big city, the boyfriend she left behind who never moved on from this rejection, the ailing mother, and one character that does not seem to have any place in the film..except to add a sympathetic voice to the story..That is the young pregnant woman living with the ailing mother..a sort of Greek chorus to the action swirling in this family. There is also the additional plot theme of sea turtles ..birth, death,and rebirth..a metaphor for the film's theme. Minka Kelly does her best as the daughter..She is beautiful and has a perpetual smile. Andie MacDowell is always lovely to watch. Chad Michael Murray as the abandoned boyfriend lacks any definable attraction strength that would explain the daughter's love for him..but this is Hallmark, after all.

Acting kudos belong to Donny Boaz, who plays the son. The film almost 'belongs'' to him, he is that captivating. ..He is unfamiliar to this viewer but he is a truly a fine actor. He absolutely embodied the role of the arrogant, entitled, wealthy son, with his mannerisms, his stance, his perfect hair and clothes. Many a Southern son looks like this. His acting was pitch-perfect, and kept this viewer interested in his character's development more than in any of the other cast members.

This is a Hallmark movie of some deeper quality than most..but it misses the mark because of some perfunctory, shallow acting on the part of the two young sweethearts..There is absolutely no chemistry between them..and there could have been, had the script attended to developing that .

Still, this is a very warm, touching family movie ..with more depth and drama than most Hallmark films.