This was hardly a perfect movie, but I found myself enjoying it quite a bit. This movie is from 2010, and I've realized I like a lot of the older Hallmarks better than many of the newer ones. That's because Hallmark has become extremely formulaic. Maybe 75% of their stories are about a big city career woman who finds herself in a small town and reevaluates her life and connects with a guy in the small town, usually an old flame. The older Hallmarks may not be quite as polished, but at least their plots seem more original.
I really liked the message of this movie, which was that trying to find the perfect partner with a list of desired characteristics isn't the best way to go. In this movie, our overly-analytical heroine Sarah goes way overboard on the wish list, with some really trivial deal breakers on that list. But I can relate to her. As a single guy, I certainly had an internal wish list, and the more girls I dated, the longer that list became, to the point I was eventually looking for some impossible amalgamation of all the best qualities of my past girlfriends, without any of the flaws. My eventual wife certainly didn't check all the boxes, but she checked many other boxes that I never even realized I needed or wanted. The same thing eventually happened for Sarah and Fred. That's how relationships in the real world seem to work.
I liked how they made Erik so disgustingly perfect that nobody in the real world could relate to him. He was like some Ken doll come to life. My favorite character was Fred. He was definitely obnoxious at times, especially when he condescendingly offered Sarah the coffee he thought she should have, rather than the one she ordered. But he was someone who seemed comfortable in his own skin and who, despite his imperfections, was still confident. I liked how he eventually showed his vulnerable side when he confessed his feelings for Sarah at the barista competition. David Sutcliffe played this character to perfection, making him somehow likable, even with his annoying characteristics. Jennifer Esposito was also okay, but I wasn't overly wowed by her performance.
There were certainly a few rough edges to this movie. For example, I didn't like how Fred asked Sarah on a date (and she accepted), even though he knew very well that she had a boyfriend. They should have found a way to make that not seem like so much of a date. Maybe he could have invited her to go to the club with some other friends who left early, leaving the two of them alone. It was just clumsily written. Also, the Saturday-Night-Fever-esque dance off between Erik and Fred was pretty bizarre. It really seemed out of character for Erik to be doing that.
Otherwise, I really liked this movie. I enjoyed the repartee between Fred and Sarah and I thought the chemistry between them was decent. I also liked her character arc, where she was finally able to loosen up. As I said, it wasn't a perfect movie, but it was, nonetheless, enjoyable. Definitely worth a watch.
I really liked the message of this movie, which was that trying to find the perfect partner with a list of desired characteristics isn't the best way to go. In this movie, our overly-analytical heroine Sarah goes way overboard on the wish list, with some really trivial deal breakers on that list. But I can relate to her. As a single guy, I certainly had an internal wish list, and the more girls I dated, the longer that list became, to the point I was eventually looking for some impossible amalgamation of all the best qualities of my past girlfriends, without any of the flaws. My eventual wife certainly didn't check all the boxes, but she checked many other boxes that I never even realized I needed or wanted. The same thing eventually happened for Sarah and Fred. That's how relationships in the real world seem to work.
I liked how they made Erik so disgustingly perfect that nobody in the real world could relate to him. He was like some Ken doll come to life. My favorite character was Fred. He was definitely obnoxious at times, especially when he condescendingly offered Sarah the coffee he thought she should have, rather than the one she ordered. But he was someone who seemed comfortable in his own skin and who, despite his imperfections, was still confident. I liked how he eventually showed his vulnerable side when he confessed his feelings for Sarah at the barista competition. David Sutcliffe played this character to perfection, making him somehow likable, even with his annoying characteristics. Jennifer Esposito was also okay, but I wasn't overly wowed by her performance.
There were certainly a few rough edges to this movie. For example, I didn't like how Fred asked Sarah on a date (and she accepted), even though he knew very well that she had a boyfriend. They should have found a way to make that not seem like so much of a date. Maybe he could have invited her to go to the club with some other friends who left early, leaving the two of them alone. It was just clumsily written. Also, the Saturday-Night-Fever-esque dance off between Erik and Fred was pretty bizarre. It really seemed out of character for Erik to be doing that.
Otherwise, I really liked this movie. I enjoyed the repartee between Fred and Sarah and I thought the chemistry between them was decent. I also liked her character arc, where she was finally able to loosen up. As I said, it wasn't a perfect movie, but it was, nonetheless, enjoyable. Definitely worth a watch.