No one goes into a Hallmark movie expecting Oscar-winning films, but this was a low even for the genre. Who on EARTH approved this script?
The story follows couple Charlotte and James and their trip to the altar, which has been fraught with several problems, namely that Charlotte keeps abandoning her fiance at the altar because of a humongous case of commitment phobia that James, for some reason, continues to tolerate despite his continued humiliation. And while I applaud Hallmark for making a movie revolving around a wedding that didn't have to do with the bride's in-laws strongarming her into changing every aspect of her special day, this movie at no point redeemed itself. Charlotte, played by the usually charming Jen Lilley, was made INSTANTLY unlikable at the onset because of her bizarre fear of weddings, which even could've given Chandler Bing a run for his money, as this ludicrous phobia extended to fear of any wedding-related words and rashes. I made the comment at one point while watching the film that if this wasn't clear the main couple of the story, these sorts of symptoms would be the problems that would riddle the couple that isn't meant to be together but gets broken up halfway through the film to make room for the actual endgame pair.
Adding to Charlotte's likability problem is that she proceeds to make horrible decisions in her attempt to win back the man she jilted (twice!) at the altar, most of them fueled by jealousy stirred up by the arrival of James' ex. In order to keep them from interacting, Charlotte ultimately makes James miss an auction selling his grandfather's antique car, something he's been on the lookout for for years. Am I supposed to feel anything other than disdain for her character at this point?
To add to the ridiculousness, Charlotte, despite being a chocolatier, has a chocolate allergy that prevents her from ever tasting her own creations. However, this allergy MAGICALLY VANISHES near the end of the movie, at which point Charlotte cheerfully declares she is cured and back to being herself, with absolutely no explanation granted as to this sudden medical miracle. Also, she discovers this after reaching for a piece of chocolate and purposefully eating it, which anyone who has a terrible food allergy knows, no one without a death wish would ever do. Luckily, Charlotte's allergy manifests itself "immediately," so within a few seconds she knows everything is all hunky-dory. The movie acted like this chocolate allergy was somehow involved with her wedding allergy, which---what?
After this phenomenon takes place, Charlotte's fear of commitment has disappeared just as mysteriously. If this was even a touch realistic, someone experiencing such a deep-rooted fear of marriage would have to confront mountains of undealt-with inner turmoil before attempting to walk down the aisle again, and not just to keep from repeatedly hurting someone they supposedly love. Listen, Hallmark, you can't give us a fun, light-hearted film about someone who clearly has serious psychological issues and then wrap it all up without any resolution of what created these issues in the first place. I get that real-life things like therapy and counseling are a bit too heavy for a rom-com of this caliber, but then your subject matter shouldn't be so dark! (Yes, dark---despite the fun music and the attempts at humorous dialogue, there isn't a lot of comedic milking from a woman jerking a man around at his own wedding multiple times).
My favorite part of this film was easily Jessica Lowndes as the token mean girl Nicole, who is scheming to get James back during the movie. I disliked Charlotte so much that I was actively rooting for Nicole, who had a persistence and fearless forwardness with James that was downright admirable. Also, even though I'm sure she is an absolutely lovely woman, Jessica Lowndes has a face and voice built for playing the villain. I was ecstatic to see her in a role like this, which suited her super well.
Overall, this isn't a film I would recommend to anyone looking to plunder the best of what Hallmark has to offer. The storyline was absurd and the leads, despite being competent actors in their own right, had no chemistry together. Hallmark, do better!
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