The Story of Us

I watch Hallmark romantic comedies for one reason: to be whisked away to another world where reality isn't the number one priority. This movie was perfect for me! I love this cast! Maggie and Sam play off each other perfectly. Maggie's comedic sense is so good and Sam had the great sense as to play off our of her perfectly to make it work beautifully and not make her look silly. Yes, predictable storyline. But I don't mind. The set was beautiful aesthetically, love the cast, I can watch without cringing at language or violence, happy ending, and a kiss at 57 minutes after the hour. That's why I watch these movies and this one was perfect!

It's the reason I like Hallmark movies! What I liked best in this was Maggie Lawson and her interaction with the rest of cast. I agree with one of the reviews that the chemistry between Sam Page and Maggie's character lacked the dreamy stuff, but he's a sweet guy and his a little bit stiffness did not annoy me. Sure hope we see a lot more of Maggie Lawson. But I do get tired of many of the "same old faces". This was refreshing for me.

6.4 stars.

There are a couple good scenes having to do with the romance between the supporting cast. They have the chemistry that our leads could learn a lesson from.

Let's see, we have a chef, a real estate developer, a bookstore owner, bookstore owner's assistant, a parent, the leads parted ways when they went to college, he stayed in the big city, she stayed at home and bought the bookstore, he now works for the big real estate developer and is part of the process of buying out the whole block to replace it with condos and tear down the bookstore and historical buildings. Did I miss anything? "The Story of Us" is just way too cookie cutter to ignore. There is absolutely nothing original in this movie. Even the dialogue is the same, with an absence of extraordinary or unique. The leads are too civil with each other, there is no indication of any previous attraction between them, no flare at all. High school sweethearts, I don't buy it. There is an interrupted kiss which did not belong in the first place, so yay for the interruption.

I'm starting to realize how difficult it must be to produce a really good film. "The Story of Us" could have been great, it's not easy to figure out what exactly makes for the magic in a story. I'm thinking it's in the editing, to be honest. Get the music just perfect with the pacing and change a few lines, intonations and expressions maybe? Good luck.

It's just a copycat film of a dozen other copycat films which copied something way back probably 20 years ago that is rarely aired anymore. At least they were able to produce a near average film with no major mistakes.

No butchers, bakers, or candlestickmakers but an earnest small-town bookstore owner who discovers that her beloved store is under threat from corporate property developers. Much like the durability a generic plastic chair, Hallmark's success/ubiquity is undeniably down to their dogmatic adherence to formula. Not always compelling, often anodyne, but modestly appealing if you are in the right mood for sugary, treacle-thick sentiment. The Story of Us is genuinely sweet, with amiable protagonists, agressively small-town charm, and the erstwhile lovers O'Dell Sawyer (Sam Page) and Maggie Lawson's (Jamie Vaughn) inexorable romance feels far less contrived than usual.

So, this is definitely not an original plot, but I do really like Sam Page and Maggie Lawson, so I enjoyed watching them together. The character of Jamie's ex, Matt, was unbelievable, unnecessary, and frustrating. Overall, it's a cute Valentine's Day movie if you like Hallmark romance movies, but not one of the best.