August Creek

7.0 stars.

Talk about the dark side of life. This film is sad, serious, and not fun at all. Any romance between our leads is not necessarily from a good place.

I can't give a summary of the movie, because anything I say to shed light on the plot can only be a spoiler, and I don't want this to be a spoiler review. A man dies some years earlier, and his wife and best friend grieve in a very unhealthy manner. She leaves town, finds a new man and then comes back to town for her sister's wedding. The drama begins.

The sister's side drama is much more intriguing than anything going on with our leads. Focus on this, and you'll see the reality of life as it materializes right before you. Ignore the leads main plot, it's not uplifting at all. The sister's fiancé has become a real tool as they come to the final days leading up to the wedding, and the sister naturally reacts with much more than cold feet. What a wonderful, and very plausible picture is painted with the grit and tension created. I loved it because it reminds me of so many people I've known. She is so sarcastic and downright mean to him, but as it unfolds, it's not far fetched.

Lets see if our leads come 'Back to Love', or simply back to 'August Creek' for a wedding. Huh? Why does Hallmark keep renaming these movies?

"I don't know what I'm doing." True words for the characters in this movie. I suspect different things tie together in a rather clever way, but maybe not. I saw hints of that but I wasn't able to fit all the pieces.

The story is jumbled and messy. And maybe given the situation Erica was in that's totally appropriate. Can you even imagine what she's been through? I think the script and Courtney Ford show all that to some degree, at least enough to make me pause and wonder.

As we progress through the early parts of the movie, we are introduced to an icon - Seth. The writers intentionally build him up bigger than life. Perfect. But the viewer has to wonder if it's true. Later, I think this subject could have been explored better, but there was a hint of something. Actually two somethings. One about Erica and Seth. One about Erika and Nate. Put the two together with Seth's death and anyone who can straighten out Erica's feelings has it more together than anyone I know.

Meanwhile there is April and her fiancée. April is showing her jumbled emotions in an even messier way than Erica. I thought this was a nice parallel thread.

This isn't an upbeat story. There is some humor here and there but it doesn't really lift the tone a lot.

The acting is good. Or maybe it is totally bad because the actors don't understand their emotions, but I think more likely it is good, especially Courtney Ford. I did have a little trouble figuring out David Stanbra's Mark, especially his las scene.

For quality, assuming some of the messier things were played exactly how it was intended, I give 8 stars. For enjoyability 4. Net 6 stars.

BTW, I don't remember too many Hallmark movies (at least it was on Hallmark streaming) where two unmarried people share a bed, and more than once.

Sooooo, is Erika havingba thing for Nate and has a boyfriend named Mark????

Good movie, the widow is slowly going back to life again, good psychology with a little touch of humor.

I thought this was a Hallmark movie.. which I count on for more chaste relationships. She is a widow and suffering as would be normal. She is dating a guy named Marc who she is sleeping with. Not a husband, a boyfriend, who are not committed to each other. It is not what Hallmark usually shows and I would not want children watching it as being okay and normal. Hallmark does not usually do that..