I do like the fact that this movie was filmed on location in Memphis, and felt that there was an authenticity there that you don't always sense as a viewer in other Hallmark movies that take place in NY or Seattle.
Otherwise, though that was a bright spot, this movie contained a few missed beats for me. It's just a hard sell to expect viewers to continue to watch these place-holder, in-between movies that depict the months leading up to a wedding. I would argue that, though wedding planning might make for good drama, it really doesn't develop the characters in a way that is satisfying. Anyone who has planned a wedding could probably attest that the process is draining, stressful, and places strain on family ties.
I think I would have enjoyed seeing our characters grow as a family more, or maybe we could have gotten to interact more with characters we'd met in the first film or even new characters. True to Hallmark fashion, we could have had Laurel and Clay match-make friends, enjoy family walks, and enjoy summer in the city with extended family. There was plenty of conflict as Laurel and Clay's parents interacted with one another, and it felt like entirely too much conflict when the whole wedding imploded at the last moment.
In the next installment in Laurel and Clay's story, I hope to see more time as a family as they learn to love one another in the city that has become home.
Otherwise, though that was a bright spot, this movie contained a few missed beats for me. It's just a hard sell to expect viewers to continue to watch these place-holder, in-between movies that depict the months leading up to a wedding. I would argue that, though wedding planning might make for good drama, it really doesn't develop the characters in a way that is satisfying. Anyone who has planned a wedding could probably attest that the process is draining, stressful, and places strain on family ties.
I think I would have enjoyed seeing our characters grow as a family more, or maybe we could have gotten to interact more with characters we'd met in the first film or even new characters. True to Hallmark fashion, we could have had Laurel and Clay match-make friends, enjoy family walks, and enjoy summer in the city with extended family. There was plenty of conflict as Laurel and Clay's parents interacted with one another, and it felt like entirely too much conflict when the whole wedding imploded at the last moment.
In the next installment in Laurel and Clay's story, I hope to see more time as a family as they learn to love one another in the city that has become home.