To Have and to Hold

This was one part Lifetime and one part Hallmark. It was a great mix between the two. I wish there were more like this one.

In the beginning of the movie when she is carrying the caterers tray. There is only one bowl of tuna appetizer while holding a conversation it switches from two bowls of tuna then back to one bowl of tuna all in the same scene and back to two bowls.

This is barely even inspired by the actual book. How can Alice already be blonde?!?!? This movie doesn't even capture the messages or lessons of the book. What happened to Harry? So disappointed.

The misses likes the sordid side of the Lifetime movie, when I dive in I prefer the pleasant side of the Hallmark movies. We got not too far into this and I had to let the misses know that, sadly, this was Hallmark-bound even if the Lifetime logo was bottom right. Christenson does an attractive and believable turn in these sort of things and the other actors were pretty solid, at least Hallmark-style. Is Lifetime realizing that pleasant can sometimes beat unpleasant? I don't know but this sure seemed to be on the wrong channel.

Initially, I thought this was from the thriller genre, but halfway through it dawned on me, finally, that I was watching a drama about relationships - romantic & otherwise.

The dialogue is real and the four leads do a very good job playing the characters, as they attempt to pursue their individual dreams. The photography & interior decor for urban rural settings are superb, capturing the essence of both and very pleasant to drink in.

You'll see many films in this genre but this is certainly above average (there's nothing to nitpick here - this is solid filmmaking) and worth another viewing or three.

In 2020 - where quality screenwriting is to be found in TV series/TV movies and rarely in the clunky Hollywood releases, where the emphasis can be on star power and special effects - dramas like this one are rare to find indeed.