An Easter Bloom

First of all, I want to say that there's nothing wrong with a cheesy Hallmark movie. I usually love them, but this one had a lot of problems. First of all, the characters have very little personality and no chemistry, so I never got into it. Second of all, I couldn't get past the male character's fake southern accent. It was very rough and the fact that he only launched into it occasionally made it worse. The worst part was that he usually launched into it while being preachy, like a cheesy fake preacher. I am a believer and it was too much for me to stomach. It just didn't feel genuine at all & I didn't finish the movie. It's strange because I feel like he's done a good job in some other roles. Maybe it's just how he envisioned a southern pastor or something. Regardless, it just didn't hit the mark for me.

7.4 stars.

A woman and her mother are about to lose their flower farm. They need an early spring for any chance of saving it. The father and husband passed away last year. The woman needs money in order to save the farm, and she can obtain it if she wins a contest. There is a man in the picture as well, he's a pastor. Maybe he can help her.

Wonderful and beautiful and charismatic actors don't always amount to a good film. We have a plethora of cream-of-the-crop performers here. To me they are the best of the best for wholesome family genre movies. The leads are among my favorites and the two women at odds with one another, are very recognizable. Some of the other supporting cast are semi-regulars.

There is so much missing with this story, yet all the ingredients are present. 'An Easter Bloom' is what I would flag as "too familiar". In other words, this is one of those stories that has every single repetitive aspect that every movie of its kind has shared over the past 10 years. The only problem with this, is that it's been overdone. Last year (2023) there was an obvious trend of new ideas, fresh plots, and a variety of other small changes and nuances that have helped the genre move into the next phase. This movie is stuck right in the middle of 2020.

Either way, I don't get a lot of satisfaction from this particular style of telling this story. Had they kept up with the times, maye it would be more relatable. Not sure what's missing, but certainly the the lead female is miserable, and too good at it. The lead male's attempt at enthusiasm and encouragement is insufficient to bridge the gap.

Amada and her mom are about to lose their flower farm after a rough winter, so it occurs to her that she can get into a flower arrangement contest and win usd 20 000 to save said farm. So she meets Lori, flower expert and also mom to Derrick, the brand new pastor in town.

This story is about grief and finding hope again. And while it can be heartwarming for some it may be sad for others. Personally, I liked the story but going through grief myself it reached me in some way that I prefer a Hallmark movie doesn't since these movies tend to be a happy place to me. I like them funnier and happier, and preferably, religion as a side theme.

I am so happy that Dayspring has teamed up with Hallmark! I loved the message behind this movie. It was perfectly spring filled while also having a deeper message of love and forgiveness and renewal. I loved that each of the characters had to grow and change-it wasn't just the main character struggling while everyone else had the perfect life. I loved the pastor's story and how he even opened up about making mistakes and growing from them.

The only complaint I would have is the pastor sometimes had a southern accent and sometimes didn't. Other than that it was the perfect Easter movie, just beautiful.

Part-time coffee barista Amanda Raymond (Aimee Teegarden) has eager new customer Derrick (Benjamin Hollingsworth). Her family's flower farm has been struggling ever since her father's death. She just doesn't have her father's green thumb. Retired florist Lori Matthews tells her about the Easter floral arrangement competition with $20k prize. It's her last ditch chance to save the farm. Derrick turns out to be the new pastor.

I do like the flowers although the vast vistas of flowers look fake. It is obviously special effects. Quite frankly, they should find a greenhouse to film. As for Teegarden, her character is so sad and she's playing sad girl very hard. Derrick is a bit of a dud and he's a pastor. He can't exactly be flashy. I also don't buy his big tip in retrospect. It's not like he has one of those mega-churches. This is a bit flat and the sad tone is not Hallmark's calling card.