In-Lawfully Yours

The acting is top notch, especially the lead. Chelsey holds this ensemble together. Hopeful story. Lovely movie. In this day & age where dystopian life is romanticized, a movie is made showing how love & family works.

Almost turned off in beginning but we gave it a a little more time... so glad we did as we enjoyed it so much! Smiles, laughed and yes it made me "feel good!" Chelsey was adorable and shined throughout as did Joe Williamson; fabulous chemistry too! Refreshing!

My title refers to "the genre". Trouble is, I'm not sure whether this is primarily a Rom/Com or an inspirational movie (a la UpTV where I viewed it). Either way, this isn't typical. The premise isn't common and the way it develops is even more uncommon. Perhaps some general outcomes are predictable, but I thought there were some minor twists and turns along the way.

This movie combines irreverent humor, championed by the in-your-face leading lading, with thought provoking questions and an inspirational message. It also has a truly hate-worthy villain who makes me think of an incompetent J.R. Ewing. There are definitely funny moments including some based on physical comedy.

You may note my less than stellar rating, but I don't think that reflects the potential for it to appeal to the right people. I'm just not a fan of a number of devices used in this movie. It's my personal buttons. Right up there near the top is that leading lady, Jesse, whom I might find very appealing if she weren't so unintentionally bent on destroying Ben's life. (The elders in that church had a right to be concerned, especially when Chaz shows up with his claims, but the elders approached the situation completely wrong. Ben makes a good point when he accuses the church of chasing away the lost sheep.)

There is a faith based message. It may be a little too subtle or maybe not - at least one reviewer is offended by it. (There's no reason to be offended if you don't like the message because you can just ignore it, unless the message hits home.) To be truly a Christian message, there are some more elements of the gospel that need to be included.

Despite a narrative with occasional weaknesses, In-Lawfully Yours explores interesting themes of Christianity left untouched by both secular and religious filmmakers. Where some might see a hackneyed approach to the relationship of questions and faith, a theme that features prominently in the film, it struck me as more authentic because the questions were human questions instead of artistic questions. In other words, the film accurately reflected that most people's questions are not original. So while the dialogue had moments of brilliance, it also had moments that were authentically routine without devolving into cliché.

In all, the acting and writing were capable. The characters were good but not great, deserving more development and depth. Where others see a lack of chemistry I see an intentional exploration of the routine aspect of relationships. Where the film shines is in its willingness to explore things as they are, not as art wishes them to be. The pastor's strange refusal to ask God for personal things, for example, is appropriately un-profound, just as Naomi's grief is muted and opaque. This is not to say that the film abandons artistic considerations, but it also refuses to abandon certain aspects of the narrative just because they are mundane.

I don't usually like romantic comedies. And *Christian* romantic comedies are usually super cheesy with terrible acting.

BUT this is one of my favorite movies! I love the main character Jessie-she's smart, funny, brave and yet normal. The dialogue is sharp and witty, and the film delightfully Christian without being overbearing (a rare trait in this genre.)

An underrated film in my opinion.