Au coeur de la famille

I have no idea how I stumbled upon this one. It's a Lifetime movie-Independent hybrid. In fact, I think it was actually Hallmark that picked up the broadcast right for this straight-to-video movie. It's got an interesting cast -- Jane Seymour, Ben Savage (Boy Meets World,) Madeline Zima (The Nanny,) Richard Moll (Night Court,) Jeff Fahey and Scottie Thompson. The acting is mediocre from them all, mediocre story, nothing special there whatsoever. What makes it worth it is the fact it was filmed on Smith Mountain Lake in Virginia, the same location as What About Bob. Gorgeous. Absolutely beautiful! I'm not in any rush to ever see this again but I'd strongly consider it for the filming location alone.

5.6 / 10 stars

--Zoooma, a Kat Pirate Screener

Worth viewing! Especially for the screenplay and cast. Builds up in a nostalgic cadence with excellent pathos and real to life emotional moments. Virtues of a long, dedicated, loving marriage and close family connection but never void of the growing pains facing us as a result of pop culture influences and success driven societal meritocratic expectations. But always weaving throughout an abundance of welcoming loyalties!

Sisters unwind a complicated relationship together while facing overwhelming challenges and circumstances.

Truly a poignant story for any family. Highly recommended! And Enjoying script!

Sara and Lily grew up at Smith Mountain Lake. Sara became estranged from the family and without explanation moved to Los Angeles to study law. Her sister Lily, an artist, teaches locally and lives with their parents, Ray and Vivian, until Dad dies in an accident.

The best hing about this film is the cast. Every great character actor is here, plus Jane Seymour and the nearly-forgotten Ben Savage. Unfortunately, it seems most of them gave the bare minimum level of performance, or the director simply did not attempt to get better out of them. The whole thing comes off as an amateur affair with no budget and actors eager to collect their (meager) paychecks and move on to the next project.

I am sorry to disparage something with the legendary Jeff Fahey, but Hallmark (much like Lifetime) is not known for its quality. If anything, they are known for trying to pull the heart strings of easily-affected house wives.

I really wanted to love this movie as I live on Smith Mountain lake. The storyline is OK. Unfortunately, the acting and/or direction is just awful.

By all means watch it, but don't let your expectations get too high.

This movie is a great family movie that delves into parent/child relationships. This movie explores the return of a woman to her hometown and the conflicts she faces within herself about her decision to leave home and explore the world as a young adult. She deals with grief, love, and her perception of relationships and the world around her throughout the movie. The actors all did a great job, and this one does pull at the heartstrings. I highly recommend this one. Well worth watching. James Welch Henderson, Arkansas 3/16/2021