The Wish List

Another LA-based yawn fest. This sickeningly Southern Californian story suffers from terrible writing and mediocre acting. I lasted about a half hour before I said 'adios'.

Another example of a good cast and a terrible script. I really like Jennifer Esposito, and I'd watch Diane Venora read the phone book, but this tried my patience. Once again we have the stereotypical woman with a Type A personality who "needs to be taken down a few notches". Of course, she falls in love with a guy who himself is controlling, defensive, rude, and downright mean. Oh, and has stalker tendencies. Honestly, she's better off alone. (One caveat: As a tall woman married to a shorter man, I did appreciate the wedding scene. 😊)

This movie is trash. If I owned the DVD, I would apologize to the person that gave it to me, and I would toss the DVD in the trash. It's disgustingly horrid. The acting is trash. The writing is trash. The cinematography is trash. The character development is trash. The trashy music is trashily arranged, and put in trashy places of a trashy story. It's simply trash. This movie isn't just formula, it takes the formula, spits on it (not out of disrespect, it does this because it believes it will make the formula better) rubs it into dirt, and tosses it into a blender, and then it puts it's own arm in the blender for a bloody terrible taste. I cringed throughout the film, and there were no laughable or tasteful moments. The film isn't emotional, it's just simply DISGUSTING. The characters are as stupid as the person who wrote the script. Don't watch it. Sometimes critics watch bad movies to criticize them, this is one I wouldn't watch even to criticize.

The story here is cute, light and easily watchable, which was exactly what I was looking for when I put it on. David Sutcliffe is charming and Jennifer Esposito does a great job with her role as well. Sure it's also a bit silly at times, predictable and mindless but still totally enjoyable and I'll admit brought a smile to my face.

The story follows Esposito as an HR executive and perfectionist who makes a (comprehensive) list of the qualities she's looking for in a mate and soon hooks up with the seemingly ideal guy (good looking, child, animal loving Doctor) in the meantime she also finds herself drawn to the kooky barista from her local coffee shop who encourages her to loosen up.

On the downside this was draggy in parts due to the fact that there isn't much story to speak of and they fill it up with drawn out barista competitions & 70's dance offs. I also got tired of all the split screen shots, sometimes up to 4 at a time, which I don't usually even notice but they were used so much here it started to drive me crazy.

Wish List has been put on by Faith & Family and Hallmark entertainment so there are a couple of bible verses randomly thrown in which did feel out of tune with the movie. Guess there was a faith quota? 12/20/15

For what appears to be a faith based movie, I found some things to be odd.

Bible verses are quoted to Sarah by her sister and Sarah seems to accept them. But nothing in her behavior appears to agree with them. Not that she is immoral or bad in any way. It just seems pointless to have them.

If there is a lesson to the story it seems to be along the lines of not getting hung up on lists of rules or expectations but follow your heart. This isn't necessarily a bad lesson, but the story takes this to extremes. The way the movie plays it, the protagonist goes totally by what she feels and seems to ignore any common sense or wisdom.

It's a sweet romantic story in the sense of what the world expects. It's enjoyable. I just don't see what it has to do with what I'd hope for from a truly faith based movie.

There's not many lol moments. The acting is fair to poor with David Sutcliffe being at the top end of that and the other two main characters a little less.

It's clean in terms of no sex (not even implied) or violence, but there is a scene where Sarah appears drunk.