A Whitewater Romance

First let me say that I am NOT a Cindy Busby fan. She always plays the SAME character ... all the way back to playing Ashley on Heartland. I set my DVR for this - with VERY low expectations. My instinct was correct. I watched for 60 minutes - and deleted it off my DVR. Bad plot. Bad acting. Just plain stupid. Benjamin Hollingsworth was severely miscast in this movie. He does better playing an innocent young man (as he has done in many past roles). Believing him as an outdoorsy type was a stretch. The supporting cast was bad also. Come in Hallmark! Give us better movies with better storylines and actors. This one was just plain and simple BAD.

Even the cute and likeable Benjamin Hollingsworth could not save this dreary and boring effort. Having to accept the premise that a woman that apparently has an important job and is good at it would be forced to participate in an activity that is uncomfortable, and then be so completely out of her depth is just ridiculous. And she alternates between being quite rude and overly friendly to the others there. Hallmark needs to stop using Cindy so much. Her last few movies have been disappointing. Her dialogue and way of interacting seems very stilted and not believable. The rest of the actors added little to the story and were not even all that likeable. All in all, just not a good effort and not worth watching more than once, if you can even get through it the first time.

5.7 stars.

Poor girl. She has been stuck in the same film for the past 6 years. I will start by saying things were looking pretty good when she was in the Darcy stories, the first one was not bad, but they ended it in 2018 with 'Marrying Mr. Darcy', which was a flop. She has appeared in a couple good Christmas stories, the past several years, but that's about all.

Her Hallmark choices have been a bust since then. 2020: 'Love in the Forecast', felt somewhat fresh, but I had no idea the direction her "wilderness" career would be headed. That was the first taste of her outdoorsy characters, and like I said, it was not too bad. But then they copycat it with 'Chasing Waterfalls' in 2021, which was actually an improvement, but then 'Warming Up to You', same song, third verse, 'Marry Me in Yosemite'-fourth verse, 'Love in Zion National...'-fifth, and now 'A Whitewater Romance'-sixth. Please make this the final attempt at the same character. I actually thought she might actually be the same character, literally, which would have been more agreeable for me. At least it would contain some cohesion and a rational explanation for the repetitive out-of-doors theme. Give Busby a break guys and let her expand her options - out with the outdoors and in with the indoors.

The premise is fine, but typically formulaic. While I'm sure Cindy Busby is very nice, it seems she's caught in the same formula and it's very tiring. After a while, all I can hear is her squeaky voice whining about some challenge she's facing.

This could have been a much better movie with a different actress, hopefully, someone that displays more bravado. The writers should work to break the formula and incorporate a little less cutesy and more drama. I don't specifically dislike the happy ending, but the route to get there seems like a hike in a flat trail, whereas a good hike incorporates hills, narrow passes, and tripping hazards. Let's see more like that.

I love Hallmark movies and get they are not realistic but this movie is ridiculous. No business event would invite you to a retreat with a day's notice. And if it's a team building event for a national company, there would be more than 4 individuals. Plus they have never worked with each other and don't appear they will be working side by side afterwards. The concept of expecting such an inexperienced person to participate in camping, whitewater rafting, and other outdoors events with no guidance is absurd. How did this show get approved and make it all the way to production? I couldn't handle it any more agter 40 minutes.