With an established pattern of OVER-rating Hallmark movies - this time I am more out to hate a particular premise: that there is some specific virtue in folksy; that mighty Texas is better than New York City; that hicks are better or better off than any other ignoble creature. Given the recent national history of folksy Texas hicks, I will abstain. Nay - I will decry. Virtue is an attribute of neither urban nor rural: it is inherent in the character of the individual.
The actors are all very attractive personifications of the underlying premise - beautiful people in denim. The first problems arise from the writers - some deep bias against things not folksy pervades even the opening scenes introducing the gutsy woman who somehow deluded herself to believe that she was more than just an accessory to "the guy", and "ran away" to a career success in the big city among the Philistines and other non-folksy types. After Cathy has overcome the numerous and gleefully predicted obstacles to succeeding as a single mother, we are next introduced to all the downsides of having been doubted and denied by that "guy", Dylan; of having been cast out by the "folksy" to manage as best she can among those to whom she is indentured, of needing the affirmation of success among those Phillistines and so being forced to sacrifice some of the virtues of family. By the time we suffer through the indignity of being force-fed the cultural biases, we have begun to despise an admirable woman. There is to be no redemption for her until she has renounced all the admirable traits, all the strengths and successes, in favor of cloying levels of folksy.
Other players do a great job of supporting that bias, of reinforcing the perception of country as real, of urban as inherently delusion. Ultimately the transformation of Cathy and her child to acceptance of the wonders of legal coercion just grates to the extent of bringing me to curse aloud each of three viewings. At least Dylan has grown through the course of the years, to the extent of admitting that his fear of new or different milieu was the obstacle to accompanying his wife to the big city; of praising her strength and honesty; perhaps even of admiring her success.
Separately, this IS pro-family, and emphasizes the advantages of intact families for the child(ren) although the chosen method of reuniting the family is wrong, and wrongs both the woman and the child; perhaps wrongs even the husband Dylan. I am country, so this is not a reverse bias: I just got so tired of the polite lies of those with whom I began to grow that I found an explanation: they are afraid - of everything. And this movie emphasizes nothing so much as that pervasive fear couched as I had seen it - in folksy.
The actors are all very attractive personifications of the underlying premise - beautiful people in denim. The first problems arise from the writers - some deep bias against things not folksy pervades even the opening scenes introducing the gutsy woman who somehow deluded herself to believe that she was more than just an accessory to "the guy", and "ran away" to a career success in the big city among the Philistines and other non-folksy types. After Cathy has overcome the numerous and gleefully predicted obstacles to succeeding as a single mother, we are next introduced to all the downsides of having been doubted and denied by that "guy", Dylan; of having been cast out by the "folksy" to manage as best she can among those to whom she is indentured, of needing the affirmation of success among those Phillistines and so being forced to sacrifice some of the virtues of family. By the time we suffer through the indignity of being force-fed the cultural biases, we have begun to despise an admirable woman. There is to be no redemption for her until she has renounced all the admirable traits, all the strengths and successes, in favor of cloying levels of folksy.
Other players do a great job of supporting that bias, of reinforcing the perception of country as real, of urban as inherently delusion. Ultimately the transformation of Cathy and her child to acceptance of the wonders of legal coercion just grates to the extent of bringing me to curse aloud each of three viewings. At least Dylan has grown through the course of the years, to the extent of admitting that his fear of new or different milieu was the obstacle to accompanying his wife to the big city; of praising her strength and honesty; perhaps even of admiring her success.
Separately, this IS pro-family, and emphasizes the advantages of intact families for the child(ren) although the chosen method of reuniting the family is wrong, and wrongs both the woman and the child; perhaps wrongs even the husband Dylan. I am country, so this is not a reverse bias: I just got so tired of the polite lies of those with whom I began to grow that I found an explanation: they are afraid - of everything. And this movie emphasizes nothing so much as that pervasive fear couched as I had seen it - in folksy.