Forever My Girl is a sugary flop

Movie Title:    Forever My Girl

Grade:  C-

Rating: PG
 1 hour 48 minutes

In a Nutshell:   This toe-tapping, sugary chick flick is based on a New York Times best-selling novel by Heidi McLaughlin.  Heidi even appears in the funeral scene as an Extra. 


It sure feels like a formulaic Nicholas Spark movie or something you’d see on the Hallmark channel, although it's not nearly as good.

                                                

Tips for parents: 

• No profanity.
• Liam gets drunk.
• Billy informs Liam about all of the dangers of convertibles.  While they’re true, I still drive my convertible and love it.
• Talk of pre-marital relations
• Liam teaches his daughter, “Sometimes you just need to let go and live on the wild side.”  How do you feel about that advice?
• Young rom-com fan girls will probably like the movie.

 Uplifting theme: 

• Your choices will define you.
• Family
• Community
• Loyalty
• Forgiveness                                                                                                                       
  

Things I liked:

• Abby Ryder Fortson, who plays the precocious Billy, is adorable.  She did a really great job, although her lines are much more advanced than what they should be for her age.
• If you liked Jessica Rothe in Happy Death Day, you'll be happy to see a softer side of her in this. 
• The cast includes Alex Roe, John Benjami Hickey, Abby Ryder Forstson, and Judith Hoag, with a special cameo by Travis Tritt, who sings the original song, “Slowin’ Down.”
• The small Louisiana town of St. Augustine is picturesque and charming, but actually filmed in Georgia.  I lived in Alpharetta, Georgia for 15 years!  I absolutely loved the Southern Hospitality and magical fireflies.  What I hated was the humidity and the fire ants!
• I was expecting a slap to the face, but the stomach punch was much better.  Ha ha
•  It was directed by a woman, Bethany Ashton Wolf.
• Country music fans will enjoy the soundtrack.

Things I didn’t like:

• The protagonist, Liam Page (Alex Roe), is not very likable.  He easily gets forgiven for being such a jerk to everyone, not just to Josie.  He never really gives a good reason for humiliating and leaving her on their wedding day.  He clearly has a drinking problem, but it's never addressed in the movie...ever.
• Some pretty terrible Southern accents. 
• Very slow moving.
• What ever happened to the burgers?
• Ultimately, it’s pretty forgettable.
• Yeah, sure, it’s easy to forgive someone who is rich and famous, but what if Liam had become a homeless bum with nothing to offer Josie?  
• Fans of the book may be thrown by the fact that Josie and Liam have a son in the book, but a daughter in the movie.

Funny Lines:

• “I said I wanted to meet him, but I never said I’d be easy on him.” – Billy 

                                                    

                                           

                                           @trinaboice

Happy Death Day takes a creepy stab at the movie Groundhog Day

Movie Title: Happy Death Day

Grade:  C+

Rating: PG-13, 

In a Nutshell:  This is like a warped, creepy version of Groundhog Day.  I have loved that fun movie for years, so I was curious to see what this suspenseful horror flick would do with it.  I thought it was funny at the end of the movie when Israel's character says,  “This reminds me of that movie Groundhog Day.”  Jessica Rothe's character, Tree, says she’s never heard of it and doesn’t even know who Bill Murray is.  Aww, Millennials.

 

Uplifting theme: 

• “Each new day is a chance to be somebody better.” –  Carter Davis (Israel Broussard)

Things I liked:

•  Jessica Rothe does a fantastic job.
•  There is a surprising amount of humor and snark.
• Timed perfectly for Halloween.
• It also reminded me of Before I Fall.  Both of these two flicks will appeal a lot to tweens and teens.

Things I didn’t like:

• I hated the female protagonist.  She’s a slutty, self-absorbed, mean skank.  I just didn't mind her dying.  I would have liked to see her character grow more and become a much kinder person by the end, but she doesn’t seem to have learned any lessons like Bill Murray’s character did in the original Groundhog Day.
• SPOILER: I enjoy a lot of red herrings, which this movie has, but when you learn who the real murderer at the end is, it's kind of a let-down and doesn't make very much sense.

Tips for parents: 

• The female protagonist sleeps with a guy after getting drunk at a party.  Nice role model for your daughters, eh?  Her daily routine includes the “Walk of Shame.”
• Vulgar language, profanity, and an F-bomb.
• Creepy baby face mask.
• Lots of violent murders.
• Masturbation.
• Homosexual kissing.
• She walks through campus naked to show she doesn’t care while the song “What’s wrong with being confident?” plays in the background.  That's not exactly the lesson of female empowerment I would want my daughter to have.

MOVIE REVIEW MOM

@trinaboice