Change of Plans

Why oh why did I watch this movie? I guess it was because I saw it was categorized in the comedy section. Now let me tell you, this is not a comedy, you won't laugh one time. It's a family movie, and a really bad one. I doubt you could make a more cheesy and predictable movie then this one. My wife and I were just saying every step that was going to happen before it even happened. From the beginning of the movie, when the kids lost their parents in an accident, you already wished they were also killed in that accident. During the whole movie I was secretly hoping Jason Voorhees would appear and kill them all. Seriously this is an abomination of a movie. I still don't get why I watched it...

Initially I thought this was a comedy, but it turned out to be more of a family drama. But that wasn't bad, because it was really quite a surprise of a movie. I was thoroughly entertained by it, and also touched by the story.

The story is about Sally Danville (played by Brooke White) and Jason Danville (played by Joe Flanigan) who are having great careers and great prospects for the future, when they are trusted with the well-being and caring for the four children of Sally's friend and her husband, who died in an accident. And they have to adjust to family life, putting their own needs on hold and making big sacrifices.

The acting in the movie was good, and there was good chemistry between Brooke White and Joe Flanigan. In the role of Dorothy, a social worker with child's care, was Phylicia Rashad. Now she looks like she haven't aged a bit since the Cosby Show, she looks great, and she did a good job in the movie, despite having a minor role only. The four kids were played by Jayme Lynn Evans (playing Jordan), Bobby Soto (playing Javier), Jakobe Dempsey (playing Kaleb) and Clarissa Suwoko (playing Sung-Lee). These youngsters also portrayed their roles quite nicely. Most memorable was the youngest, though, Clarissa Suwoko.

Now, "Change of Plans" is very political correct and ethnically correct, as the children represents one from each racial group; white, Asian, African and Latino. It was a bit weird to have a family put together with this ingredient, but it worked out well for the movie, because everyone brought their own unique touch and culture to the bigger picture.

"Change of Plans" has a very warm and caring story to tell, and I am sure that it will have some people in tears at certain points. However, once the movie ended, I somewhat sat with the sensation of that the movie was somehow lacking something, that it could have been something more than what it turned out to be. Mind you, I am not saying it is a bad movie, I honestly did like it quite a bit.

This movie is a great movie to watch as a family or together with your loved one, because it is an emotional moving movie, and also good entertainment.

Its not the kind of film I usually watch as I didn't expect it to be almost as sickly as this. I like that there is a plot and the four children are handed to a couple that are not even prepared but do so because the parents of the kids died in a sudden accident. The bonding of the couple with the kids is done well. There is the cute little girl, the football loving adolescent boy, the rebellious teenage boy and the teen girl who acts in charge of her siblings. The film itself is nice and cuddly but too sweet and gooey for my tastes.

wow, now walmart also into movie production. this movie is just too bland like one of the movies produced by hallmark or life, so tasteless and so predictable with bad acting and storyline. a movie just for high school leveled housewives under the age of 25 and for their kids. the American idol finalist now got an opportunity to be an actor but i have to say that by playing the wife, the couple just acted like a bad sitcom soap opera. there's no convincing and believable chemistry between them at all. she was just like what she could do on the stage, banging the piano, singing the lukewarm songs. this is horrible movie, and i am suspicious that one of the other two reviewers given high scores could be a high ranking walmart person just wanted to promote this tasteless and tiresome movie produced by them.

It became clear from the beginning that it was ALL about her, PERIOD. There was no chemistry between Flanigan and White....... The bedroom scene was even more tidied up than fifties TV series, other than sleeping in twin beds........... I did not expect any sort of graphic intimacy, but what I did expect was some sort of romance between this young married couple other than an occasional platonic peck on the check. Finally, their home was as sterile as their relationship which just added to the boredom factor. I am frankly deeply disappointed as I had much higher hopes. Just hope this turkey does not make it to a series, because as much as I love Joe Flanigan, I just don't think I could suffer through anymore. BTW don't write off the above by saying "its family entertainment after all" because that does not wash. There have been really good examples of family viewing and this is not one of them.