The Story of Us

Not the most original story, but it just works. If you expect an enjoyable movie, you can go no wrong with this one.

The 2 main characters create a nice base for the entire movie, Jamie (Maggie Lawson) delightful as always sets up the tone and Sawyer (Sam Page) compliments her perfectly. Their chemistry is not outstanding, but it just gives us an easy feeling thought the movie.

The rest of the cast compliments the same pleasant atmosphere that gives the viewer a warm feeling without doing too much.

I recommend this one, to anyone who wants a nice movie without expecting a lot.

6.6 out of 10 stars.

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!

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.

For one thing, this story is too much like too many other stories on the same channel. So many plot points are almost an exact copy of others before this.

How can a man even consider shattering the heart of the woman he supposedly loves. Crushing her soul. Destroying her dreams. The movie makes it very clear how much the store means to her. It upsets me that she even considers him if he would do anything to harm her that way. He can't possibly love her if he would do that. OK, I realize that it appears to be career suicide to do otherwise and if that's the way he sees it, then be honest and walk away from her, and he should have realized that long before it came to crisis point.

Maggie Lawson is the only redeeming thing about this movie as a happy and delightful young lady. Sam Page - meh. Not bad, but not the spark of Lawson. The couple who kept dancing around each other made a cute side story. Jacob Richter, as Jamie's ex, Matt, was a total non-entity - no life at all.

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.