The Professional Bridesmaid

The professional bridesmaid angle is close but slightly different from the wedding planner premise. The overall flow of the movie follows this plot thread. It includes the requirement that she keep the big Secret of her identity. The other part of the premise is an investigative reporter sent to cover the wedding. This premise usually leads inevitably to a certain conflict near the end, but not here which I found refreshing. Henry was only mildly annoying in his reporter persona which allowed him to be likeable on the whole. Another thing I found refreshing was skipping the usual initial antagonism between the leads. Henry and Maggie/Maise met and engaged nicely with one another.

Some of the elements used for mild tension in the heart of the movie are a little weak. We're told the mayor can't be confronted by Henry because the electorate will be evenly divided no matter what stance he takes on the park. Unlikely. More like his campaign doners' interests will be contrary to the majority of the public. And then there's Chloe. Her thread is just a mess with some unlikely details also.

Another minor twist is the source of the inspiration for the resolution of the Conflict which results inevitably for obvious reasons.

The acting is decent. Hunter King and Chandler Massey have chemistry. Other players did their part but I can't decide whether Lillian Doucet-Roche succeeded as Chloe deliberately or just fell into the portrayal of this sadly confused woman. The dialogue is decent but not sparkling. This movie lacked an opportunity for Hallmark's signature scenery.

I rate this movie slightly on the high side of my average for this genre because of the unexpected plot lines and because of Hunter King as the appealing Maggie.

Professional bridesmaid Maggie Bailey (Hunter King) is trying to expand her business. Her friend tells her about the mayor's daughter Alexis having her wedding in two weeks. She has to move into the mayoral mansion, be a secret, and be on call 24/7. The mayor has an election in two months and needs a problem-free event for the press. Serious reporter Henry Whittington (Chandler Massey) is new at a lighter magazine assigned to have an all-access pass to the wedding planning although he is desperate for harder news.

I expected Hunter King to be a professional bridesmaid by accident. I didn't know that this job is a thing. I don't see this working unless the bride is a loner trying to have fake friends. I doubt that any bride would like a stranger in all her wedding photos. The premise is so fake that it takes a minute to adjust to it. The secrecy thing is a problem without reason. Maggie could simply be the new wedding planner without all the unnecessary lies.

Once the audience ignores the story, it becomes a silly Hallmark movie. Henry uncovering the secret is also a little silly. There has to be some results for Maisie Ryder. Google returns half a million results. It is a little fun for Henry to do some mystery solving, but the mystery shouldn't have been there in the first place.

Back in 2012 Brooke Burns appeared in Undercover Bridesmaid, a similar theme to this film, but the difference in both productions were as wide as the Mississippi. Forget this offering and watch the other- a million times more enjoyable - one being Burns can ACT !

I found it difficult to watch Hunter King without concentrating on her lips - in various scenes her lips were either "filled" or not, most disconcerting. And as for the male lead, it's only the beard that makes him look older than 16 !

This pairing was not made in Heaven, but the storyline could have worked with different actors. I did wonder why the Wedding Planner didn't organise the shower and the flowers, but who cares ? In the end I didn't.

I'm not a fan of big weddings and therefore most wedding movies, so almost turned this off - however there's so much more than the main story here. Pretty much everyone is juggling responsibilities eg work / family / community and there's no nasty characters, just a lot of people under a lot of pressure to make the right decision. Obviously some of the plot is predictable, but other elements are quite unusual. The movie is pretty much all one generation, apart from the bride's father, who actually is mainly represented by his younger colleague, but there's still plenty of variety with different priorities and perspectives that work together in the end.

The first thing that occurred to me on this is how much Hunter King looks like Rachael Leigh Cook.

As the story progressed, of course it was pretty formula for Hallmark, but I thought it was pretty well put together. There were the right amount of mishaps. There was just enough tears to go with the laughter. And I think it was just enough short of sappy to be a good way to spend a couple of hours.

Peter Benson has managed to successfully navigate the course from bit part, to old boyfriend, to leading man, and now does an admirable job as director.

It isn't Oscar worthy, but only because it wasn't striving for greatness. It's what is expected from a Hallmark movie of the week, which is wholesome entertainment which leaves you with a smile on your face while not forgetting to show a bit of real heart. 9/10.