Family History Mysteries: Buried Past

We're Niall Matter fans from back in his days on Eureka, and so we tend to give his vehicles a real chance. While we found this movie good enough to keep our attention, I did expect much more from it.

It had quite a few cliches, such as the romantic leads only finding out years later they'd always been attracted to each other. That comes up so often in these movies they need to give that one a rest for 10 or 20 years. LOL

The story itself was pretty predictable. When Niall's brother needed a match for a bone marrow transplant and a question came up as to whether his "missing and presumed dead" father might really be alive and the match they can't find with anyone else, the ending is obviously telegraphed.

This is one of the best Hallmark movies I've seen. The actors are good, the story line is great as bd different from the usual. The main characters are great, experienced actors. The twin brothers are convincing. It's a movie that is a "feel good" type and yet not overdone. I hope they make it into a series. It's different from the usual sleuth type movies. This definitely would do well as a mini series also. Please don't leave us hanging with this one. A continuation including the main character's biological background would definitely be good. There are so many that we've been left with cliff-hangers. Again, Good job Hallmark.

Whilst the premise is interesting, the script was terrible. The second half was better, but I found the dialogue to be stilted and awkward for the first. I'm hoping that they continue with the series with tighter writing. I'd give it another chance given the idea seems fresh.

I'm required to write more to submit this review, so I'll tell you that I liked all of the actors and characters in this, especially Niall Matter. I don't recognize the actress in this, but she's likeable, and would probably seem to be a better actor with a better script. I know that the two were supposed to be awkward around each other as they hadn't seen each other in years, but not that awkward.

Given the HMM network and the telltale signs, I assume this is the opening entry of a new Signature Mystery Series. I'm not sure and I'll have to see, but I like the premise much better than half of the amateur murder detective ones that just keep spawning on that network. Sophie is a legit PI focusing on reuniting families with lost relatives.

The search is interesting although I would say there were any great surprises. Like the other SM series there is a budding romance between the two main characters involved in the search. I got hooked on Janel Parrish in Holly and Ivy, but this is the first movie other than that which I particularly enjoyed and even so she doesn't quite have the same magic here. She does have chemistry with Niall Matter.

So here's hoping that HMM has decided to give us a new mystery series that isn't based on amateur detectives risking their lives putting their noses in dangerous places and breaking tons of laws and procedures of real crime solving.

Sophie McClaren (Janel Parrish) is a genealogist in Buffalo. Her friend Jonathan needs a bone marrow donor. He and his twin brother Jackson (Niall Matter) are lifelong friends. Their mother Dorothy (Sherry Miller) hires Sophie to find their assumed-dead father Clark Higgins who may be still alive.

Sophie has an easy out, but she doesn't take it. She could easily tell the boys that she's looking for any unknown distant relatives for Jonathan's treatment. It's the first indication that the writing isn't good enough. One may have low expectations for a Hallmark movie. I still appreciate stories without giant holes in the writing. The concept has potential and this has a functional mystery. The romance is fine. It's not the worst idea in the world.