Making Waves

I really enjoyed this particular Hallmark movie because it was very well cast (both major and minor roles) and its storylines were more complete, more well thought out and detailed than some others. I also liked that it didn't center just around the main couple and that the supporting cast and side stories added real interest.

Corey Cott's wonderful singing was a really nice bonus and I wish both he and Holland Rodan were in more of the channel's movies. They portrayed their characters in very believable ways. I liked how the storylines came with some spoken and unspoken baggage right from the start; it kept me guessing and interested throughout and also made the outcomes less predictable. I will watch this one again and highly recommend it.

Obviously not filmed anywhere in the southeast of the United States...there are no mountains near our beaches! Watched this because OBX is one of my favorite places to vacation, when I leave my home in Virginia Beach, and was sorely disappointed at the first shot of "The Outer Banks" when I saw ot looked nothing like anything even remotely near this area....almost not sre I want to finish watching this, but will try push through, depsite the review already posted. Maybe someone should scout locations a little better to at least come close for those of us who are familiar with these areas..........................

"Making Waves" isn't just another musical romance - it's a symphony of emotions, dreams, and second chances. Set against the picturesque backdrop of the Outer Banks, the film artfully dives into the world of music while painting a vivid picture of youthful love revisited. The dynamics between the music label executive and her erstwhile summer love are portrayed with a sensitivity that's both authentic and touching. The band's musical prowess is the perfect counterpoint to this romantic saga, creating a compelling juxtaposition of ambition and sentiment.

The cinematography complements the narrative, making every scene feel like a melody. The film's ability to resonate with the audience, weaving past and present, is its crowning achievement. Truly, "Making Waves" offers a soul-stirring experience that lingers long after the credits roll.

Amelia (Holland Roden) is a new executive at a small record label. She's struggling for approval from her boss who is in a battle with her exes' bigger record company. She goes home to attend a music festival to find elusive indie band "Figure 8". It turns out that the band is led by her former teen sweetheart Will (Corey Cott).

It's a Hallmark romance and that part is pretty simple. Holland is a solid lead. I expected a taller hunk to be the male lead. It's just visually more fun to have short girl looking up all the time. I guess they needed a real singer for the role. The song is above average. That is a nice side to the standard Hallmark main dish.

I'm getting a little tired of this premise. Music agent sent to her home town to check out a new band. A promotion is at stake. The boss keeps pressuring. The boss is overly controlling and this one is cliche, no she is worse than that. And if you love overused plot devices, there is a big development company looking at sucking up everything in the small town, so save the family business.

The fact that Amelia's high school boy friend is the lead of the band she's looking for might have been interesting, but that cat is out of the bag pretty early not to mention network previews gave that away. Were they going for that shock moment. If so, they blew all the suspense. The tension in the story is about signing F8's. So the way both of them act regarding the band makes no sense at first although that gets better.

The two main supporting actors are really bad.

The movie takes good advantage of the music venue. There is some original music.

The conflict, climax and ending go exactly like so many other movies in this genre, except for the part that is over the top sappy just before the final songs.