Star Spangled Banners

This movie about a family music act that disintegrated ten years earlier but reunites when their mother, the mayor of their home town, has a heart attack just as the town goes bankrupt, is a well written, well performed musical drama that never quite interests me in its details. Part of it is that the lead roles are rather bland. Part is that their music does not particularly appeal to me, and the outcome of the movie is never in doubt. This is clearly a case where you may enjoy it far better than I.

As with many of these Hallmark movies, what makes it worthwhile for me is the older, supporting actors. Mercedes Ruehl, as the mother, is clearly the manipulative scene stealer; trying to figure out what she will do next is interesting to me. The result was a movie that I kept watching to the end.

This movie is centered around a few things: one is family, two is the Fourth of July, and the third is music. Hallmark is known for its romance movies but I do have to say I was a little disappointed in the romance of this movie. I mean one brother like the guitar store lady and the girl likes the lawyer. They all basically go on a date to the concert and after they sing none of them even kiss. The closes thing we saw to make us think that maybe they were going to get together was a hug and the lawyer told the main girl that he liked her. I mean if it's ganna be a hallmark movie I expect a kiss in there somewhere.

This movie was a good change of pace for hallmark it taught family values. This is a movie that is good for all ages. And the music is really good. The main girl is from American idol and she has also acted in a few things she plays the role well. This character could have easily been over played or under played and she did a good job at playing the crazy parts well.

In their late teens and early 20s, the Banner siblings made it big as a rock group. But at the height of their fame, Desiree decided to leave the group, and everything fell apart. Fast forward years later and this is where it's at in this movie. Are there annoying things in this movie? Yes, like the overdone characters. But the movie has enough to keep you entertained and the directing and cinematography are well done. And you better believe that all the characters struggle against a system that has perpetuated falsehoods. From an artistic standpoint, there were some plot elements and character developments I didn't think were totally needed. Overall rating: 7/10.

First of all, why is Christian Campbell top billing? Nothing special about him. If anyone deserves top billing it's Mercedes Ruehl, she was incredible, kudos to Mercedes.

I am not going to rehash the blurb on the DVD case, nuf said there.

Decent plot, decent script, typical Hallmark movie. Great acting ensemble.

My advice - watch the movie, it's a good family film, just don't expect Shakespeare.

In typical Hallmark movie fashion, there's conflict followed by redemption. Here, Mayor Mom (Mercedes Ruehl) pulls a fast one in an attempt to prevail upon her children, a former music trio known as the Banner Project, but now estranged for a decade, to save their hometown, along with the family's relationships.

Christian Campbell is given top billing, but Brooke White, insofar as one can discover, is the only professional musician in the group, having been a fifth place finalist on American Idol, now with several albums under her belt.

I enjoyed the music enough that I bumped my rating of the move up one notch, and even bought the 4-track soundtrack EP (released under the U.S. title for the movie, "Banner 4th of July".)