Tomboy

For this faithful tv movie viewer, this film was clearly one of the most disappointing offerings in a very long time. The plot was so familiar, so predictable, that from first few minutes it was clear where things were going to go. There was very little to anticipate other than a happy ending, achieved by predictable behaviors and relationships. The wonderful Mackenzie Vega, who was so impressive as the daughter in the series The Good Wife, was sadly wasted in this movie's very silly leading role. Ms. Vega is a fine actress.. She deserves serious roles, which tap into her remarkable talent. To see her was an unkempt, athletic tomboy, who challenges herself to attract a desirable man by changing her looks, hobbling around in high heels, a new coif, heavy makeup, is a message that should not be conveyed to young people watching this movie. Of course, it is predictable that she will eventually be loved and "chosen" for exactly who she really is..by the man who has been her "buddy" throughout. But to convey this message to young viewers who may already be struggling with their self-image, their appeal to someone they would like to attract, was presented in a formulaic, old-fashioned and currently unacceptable way. This movie missed its mark. While it did, finally, send the right message, the concept and the culturally untimeliness of its overall plot was seriously disappointing.

It's a romance twofer. Throw in the screen time lost with the wrong guy and all of the baseball and there really wasn't as much screen time for Vega and Maden together. The other romance between Stowers and Pierre seemed just as important.

The one romance is a pretty standard girl ignores her male best friend romantically. And both the women in both romances learn pretty much the same lesson.

I liked Vega and her part was a little more complicated than the usual girl meets boy. She was a tomboy, an add exec, a little league coach and one of the leads in a romance. The tomboy part required her to do the bit about learning to be "pretty" and to go on fancy dates. She had a deer-in-the-headlights look a number of times and I'm not sure if it was too much too often or not. I do know that I don't believe this character would have made some of the bad choices she made, which means I also don't believe she would have totally sold out who she really was. But I do think Vega is well cast. I'm impressed at Vega's age - 24 when first aired. The women playing leads for Hallmark are almost all, maybe all, older than that.

Stowers did her part a little more seamlessly, but then she didn't have quite so many things to keep up with.

Rylan Lee does a good job as the girl in a boy's little league, except that I think in 2018, there would be more girls doing that.

Just a fluff movie, don't take it too seriously. I thought the casting was good, especially liked the girlfriend, she could have done the leading role just fine.