The Blessing Bracelet

This Hallmark movie is just a little different from the run of the mill Hallmark movie. There is a mother who has been betrayed by her (now ex) husband and her son who misses his Dad who he has not seen in 3 years. The Mom has been (unsuccessfully) struggling to get herself caught up on all the debt that's been accumulating since the hubby walked away. Thankfully she has great friends who are willing to help. On the way to an annual Valentine dinner with her friends, she finds a "Blessing Bracelet" she and her friends used to make in high school. She wears it to the dinner and the blessings start. Of course, a romance begins and a complication arises, but the "Blessing Bracelet" she wears is a reminder that faith and hope can work miracles.

Let's forget about the faith based aspects of this film for a moment and just say that overall it was an above average Hallmark film.

The script was pretty sharp and acting was solid. It was obviously predictable but you still were rooting for various characters, even with the outcome already known.

One of the ways that I rate these movies is how frequently I have to suspend disbelief, and how ludicrous those moments are. This film only had 2 or 3 aspects which made me roll my eyes...which is pretty low compared to the average Hallmark film.

Ok...now to the faith part and overall message. I know this angle will be divisive but I thought it was well done, with things even non-Christians could take from it. It is unusually direct in its Christian references, which I liked but understand how others might not be.

I came to this film because it stars Amanda Schull, a delightful actress whose career I have followed since she first appeared in film, playing Jody in "Center Stage". Here, she plays Dawn, a divorced mother with a son, who is facing foreclosure on the family home. She is desperately looking for a second job, hoping to pull herself out of the financial morass that her ex-husband left her.

This Hallmark film leaves little doubt about its main theme. The word "believe" runs all through the dialogue. It leans heavily on a faith-based approach to life, as symbolized by the church. But the primary lesson Dawn learns is to believe in herself; and that belief allows her to stop dwelling on the past and doubting her future.

The story is good for the Easter season-another religious aspect of the film. But the holiday of Easter arose from pagan traditions that celebrated the vernal equinox and the renewals of Spring, the hope for rebirth and fertility.

There is a romance within this story. It develops rather routinely, along Hallmarkian lines. It even includes the eleventh hour conflict that threatens the romance. Does anyone else think many of these conflicts are dubious at best?

Besides the theme of "belief", there are other reminders to celebrate and give small gifts. That, in itself, is another good reason to enjoy this touching film.

I like it for fair exploration of sensitive themes. For nice simplicity of bracelets. For the fair reference to faith, God, comunity solidarity. For dog and for return of husband and for trust problem.

Each of them just mazzers because ech Hallmark romance, having same recipe, can be interesting only for smart use of spices. In this case, sure, in old dusty formulas, the touch of religious area is inspired option.

In rest, familiar things, from single mother to the secret of her boyfriend, to the nice work of supporting actors - Marilyn Norry is the revelation of film, offering the so useful - realistic portrait of Pearl - and the boy working for his mom happiness.

In short, just beautiful surprising.

8.0 stars.

As it got underway I could see this was going to be a special film. It's nice to have a story that is not totally outrageous with the miracles and the fluffy Christianity from a ridiculous perspective. A lot of Hallmark movies overstate these "miracles", making them out to be modern fairy tales. Yes, I believe in miracles, but how can we rightly believe that God will answer every little question or request by sending a fantastical set of signs and wonders? I would be in the majority who find those sorts of movies to be unconvincing.

'The Blessing Bracelet' is an understated version of an inspirational film, a tale of a woman who resorts to prayer to reconstruct a devastated life. Her husband disappeared 3 years ago leaving her and their son alone with massive debts. She is about to lose the house and she's in a very grim state trying to pick up the pieces of her life and learn to gain trust in men and life in general. God answers her prayers in a subtle yet undeniable way, and she builds her life once again until she is now in a better place than she was before. It's quite an endearing story of redemption, community and charity.