Taking the Reins

I take some heat from friends and family for being a card-carrying Hallmark movie dork. I generally love the light, happy entertainment. I get that it's not intended to be complex award-winning drama, and I'm okay with that. But, this movie set the bar so low even I can't forgive it. Why go to the trouble and expense to make a movie entirely centered around riding hunter/jumpers if you're going to ruin it by casting people as supposedly accomplished riders and trainers who clearly have never ridden a horse? Is it so impossible to cast people who can simply ride a horse? The riding in this movie is so bad it's laugh-out-loud ridiculous. It makes the story unforgivably ridiculous. Seriously? A supposed national level competition involving jumping over 1 to 2 foot fences I could step over while the audience oohs and ahhhs. Come on, Hallmark. Try a little bit.

First of all, it's worth, noting how good and actress Nikki DeLoach is. Watch how she listens and responds. She is wonderful. The photography is wonderful. It was shot in Connecticut Corbin Bernsen turns in a solid performance and Janine Turner is really a pro. She's still got it. Yes. It's a Hallmark movie. But isn't that what you want? I get tired of the criticism. The moments that Corbin ad Nikki spend addressing their problems is really touching. And a shout out to the the actress who play the younger sister. She is wonderful as well. Her name is Eliza Hayes Maher. All in all a satisfiying movie.

I mostly wanted to watch this movie because of the equestrian angle. But I should have known that it was going to be not well done on that point. Anytime any of the stores are supposedly on a horse and jumping their head isn't in-frame because it's someone else doing it. A horse show of this magnitude would have jumps twice as high. And since jumping shows are timed events, these horses would be Galloping and not a nice little Canter. Oh and last but not least, there is no play-by-play commentary while you're in the ring jumping. It's silent just like golf.

The story revolves around a horse farm, an equestrian event, and a divorced couple thrown together by her family. For the first part of the movie, it was a build up to what was supposed to be the awkward reunion of a divorced couple, made that much worse by the fact that everyone but Sam knew it was coming. For the viewer, it didn't seem that awkward unless you count Sam chewing out her parents. Then like so many Hallmark movies and their clones, the animosity disappears almost instantly. By about half way through the move, you could almost forget it happened that way because Sam and Luke were getting along great.

I've seen most, if not all, of Nikki DeLoach's Hallmark movies. At first, no big deal, but Two Turtle Doves sealed it - this is one of Hallmark's best lady stars. There are others that appeal to me more for various reasons, but every time I see Nikki, she grows a little more on me. Unfortunately, this movie did her no favors.

For what little screen time they had together, Nikki and Scott Porter had chemistry.

As I mentioned, the climax of the movie is the equestrian contest. From slightly past the midpoint when all the pieces were in place, it was obvious almost to the minute details what was going to happen. And the event consumed more and more of the story. I'm not a fan of rom/coms where some contest takes up significant time and attention. I'm much more into the people and relationships.

I especially didn't like some of the camera angles during the riding scenes. Poor Nikki didn't look good. It wasn't quite fear, but it wasn't flattering.

There were some scenes which were very flattering for her physically. I don't usually think of her that way.

I caught one scene, where once again on Hallmark, face makeup didn't look right. I don't see it in similar movies by other companies.

I give what I feel is an overly generous rating thanks mostly just because the movie had Nikki DeLoach.

Cast was great. Story was great. Nikki Deloach and Scott Porter were wonderful. Really hope Hallmark does more with Scott Porter.

Having growing up riding and jumping, some of those scenes weren't great, but it's a movie.