Moviecut—Karen Kingsbury's The Bridge 2

source: Karen Kingsbury's The Bridge 2

This movie is so unnecessary. It dragged on and on and on. The first movie should have just been a half an hour longer. No need to drag this story out over two separate movies. Many of the scenes were redundant. As is this review since there's a minimum character count. The acting was decent, even the storyline was good, just, stretched out too much. Where they left off in the first movie also made this second movie rather gloomy, since it was all the conflict and sadness before the inevitable christmasy happy ending. Its not too bad as a romance movie though. Somewhat different of a premise. Just. Too long.

Text: I watched Part 1 and Part 2 together, so I'll just put the reviews together. I think this is just about all you'd hope for in a lighthearted Hallmark Movie. Good acting. It feels like Ted McGinley has become a staple in Hallmark movies, and this is a mostly solid performance from him as well (Part 1 is stronger than Part 2). The two main characters have descent chemistry. There are two main issues I had that are kind of spoilers, but I'll try hard to keep them generic. Notice they are not significant enough to bring my overall rating down. First, the reaction by the daughter to the interference by her father is too subdued. The introduction of Faith, into this story-line was gratuitous as displayed. There was no real pay-off or revelation, so the insertion of it into the story-line feels forced. I do really like *SPOILER ALERT* that the husband is the church-goer trying to get the wife to come to church. But still, without a "payoff", it was unnecessary to the story.

I love the Hallmark Channel. They have a great variety of movies. This is a great movie. I love bookstores. I can get lost in them for hours. This is a great film that shows how's how a bookstore can bring people to-gether. The cast is great. Ted looks totally different. Still is a good actor. The only one I have a problem with is her dad. Sort of reminds me of Scrooge. Very nice film.

The Bridge bookstore, a place where the bookish characters congregate for comfort and enlightenment from the proprietors, Donna and Charlie, admirably acted by Faith Ford and Ted McGinley, is the setting for this engaging film. In this the second part of two, Katie Findlay and Wyatt Nash are reunited as Molly and Ryan, two characters from different social classes and worlds. Their complex and conflict filled relationship is forged because of their mutual love of books. The best part of this movie is that it demonstrates the romance of books that can be held in one's hands rather than consumed online. The story line also is a battle cry to support independent bookstores. The beautiful scenery, filmed to capture all the seasons, including the twinkling, snowy charm of Christmas, makes this movie a comforting treat to watch. There are several tearful, tense moments that will keep the viewer interested. Steve Bacic, as the villainous father who is transformed in the end, does a fine job conveying emotional turmoil in dealing with his daughter. Overall, The Bridge Part 2, is two hours well spent and might motivate you to pick up that book you've been meaning to read.

The stars of The Bridge are awesome. I would love to see Wyatt Nash in the show "Nashville". He would be wonderful on that show since he lives in Nashville and can sing and play the guitar! Wyatt Nash looks like he could be related to Reese Witherspoon and he is very handsome and a good actor. Please forward my comments to the Nashville producers and to the Hallmark Channel. Katie Findlay is a very pretty young lady and a very good actress. I have not seen her in many productions but she has a beautiful smile and eyes. I have seen Faith Ford in many Hallmark Channel movies and she is an excellent actress and pretty lady. The author of the book "The Bridge" has done a great job of proving that "reading books" and buying them from a friendly neighborhood bookstore is healthier for people than reading books online. This author has done a great job showing the public that lives are enriched by buying books from a bookstore like the Bridge.

I review this story as a whole for both parts. It is an interesting story, although it has a lot of reality holes, more than the usual Hallmark movie. I will try to ignore them. Also, I believe a 4 hour TV presentation is a little long for this story. Part of the reason the story is interesting is because the loving and devoted father becomes the main antagonist and does so in spades. (Oh how I wanted to hurt him.) On the other hand, the sudden complete reversal doesn't really ring true. The romance between Ryan and Molly is a good one. The parallel story of the bookstore owners adds to the enjoyment and it is here that we have the heartwarming element of loyal friendships coming through. The acting is about what you'd expect for a TV movie as is the production. However, there is one actor that particularly caught my attention - Katie Findlay. Her style is unusual and I liked it. You could see how this young lady would be competent and independent, not to mention attractive. Yet you can also feel her hurts and confusion. Wyatt Nash works well with her and his singing is nice, even if the songs he sang were not earworms.

Molly Callens (Katie Findlay) and Ryan (Wyatt Nash) can't find their way back together after her father's secret interference. It's 7 years later. She's 25 and working for her media mogul father in Seattle. She is being pushed to be the CEO and engaged to Preston. Ryan moves back home to Franklin, Tennessee for an unknown reason. The Bridge is closed after some storm damage. Donna (Faith Ford) and Charlie (Ted McGinley) don't have the right insurance. The Bridge is fated to be closed forever and then Charlie's car accident puts him in a coma. Molly comes to visit Charlie. This is an improvement over Part One. Her dad's scheme is still very sitcom but that's the last movie. For this movie, he is a proper villain and is able to find redemption. Molly and Ryan keep circling the same problem. The passage of time helps a lot. It's believable that these two don't want to revisit their past pains. The young couple are very beautiful and they deliver the sappy romance with gusto. Katie especially can really weep up a storm.

The Bridge Part 2