movie mondays: up faith & family

A few days ago, I read a review of Love Finds You in Valentine. Not only did the movie sound like one I'd enjoy, but I was curious about the setting—Valentine, Nebraska. I decided to see what it would cost to rent on Amazon, and I discovered it was free to watch with a subscription to UP Faith & Family. Because Amazon is kind and allows a free trial to its add-on channels, I decided to sign up for the free trial ... and then watch all the UP movies I could during the trial period. (Sound familiar? This is basically exactly what I did with PixL last winter, only PixL is available through YouTube, not Amazon.)

While I really only scratched the surface of what UP has to offer, here are a few of the best movies I watched ... and a one to avoid as a bonus!

I would definitely compare UP's original movies to Hallmark's. The difference here is that UP films, while I wouldn't classify them as "Christian," aren't afraid to touch on faith. Characters are often shown attending church or praying before meals, and several major and minor characters in the movies I watched were either pastors or were heavily involved in their churches. The production values on UP movies are very similar to Hallmark's. And the two share a lot of actors, too. (I noticed that many of the films available to watch on the UP channel are not UP originals, but I think most of the movies I'm talking about are ... since my free trial has ended, I can't go back and check.)

Five UP Films to Watch

Love Finds You in Valentine

Following her father's death, Kennedy Blaine learns she has inherited the family ranch in Valentine, Nebraska. Though she'd prefer just to sell it, her father requested that Kennedy visit the ranch first. Once she arrives in Valentine, Kennedy meets many distant relatives—her parents were both from Valentine but moved away due to a longstanding feud between their families. She also meets her grandfather, a man she didn't even know was still living, and she discovers her father's accountant may not have been telling the truth about the ranch's financial state. And, of course, she meets a man—Derek, the ranch foreman, with whom she gets off to a very rocky start.

Love Finds You in Valentine is sweet and romantic with just a touch of suspense. It is the second movie I watched with my free trial (I'll tell you about the first in the "what not to watch" section), and I was pleasantly surprised. The acting was good, the leads had actual chemistry, and the plot was entertaining. In fact, my only complaint is that the film was so obviously not filmed in Nebraska. (I looked it up on imdb, and it was filmed in Ohio, which is beautiful but clearly not the Nebraska Sandhills. I even spotted an Ohio license plate at one point.) One Tree Hill fans will recognize Michaela McManus (Kennedy), and I must say that she's much more likeable here than she was as Lucas's girlfriend Lindsey! Other cast members include the always great Ed Asner and the Bionic Woman herself, Lindsay Wagner. 4-1/2 stars.

Love Finds You in Charm

Emma is a young Amish woman who longs to experience the world. When she goes to visit a widowed cousin over the summer, she meets two intriguing men—Amish man Noah and Englischer Andy. She also becomes friends with Kelly, a young woman who fled to her aunt's inn following a difficult breakup. As Emma explores the world of cars, clothes, makeup, and men, she must decide where she fits—with the Amish or with the Englisch.

Amish fiction is so not my thing (unless it's written by Suzanne Woods Fisher). I wouldn't normally have watched Love Finds You in Charm, but I enjoyed Love Finds You in Valentine so much that I thought I'd give it a try! (Both films, as well as Love Finds You in Sugarcreek, are based on novels from Guidepost's "Love Finds You" line—I've reviewed Love Finds you in Sugarcreek, Ohio; Love Finds You in Sunset Beach, Hawaii; Love Finds You in Mackinac Island, Michigan; and Love Finds You in Glacier Bay, Alaska, on my book blog.)

Love Finds You in Charm is a very enjoyable film. Sure, I never fully bought Trevor Donovan (Noah) as an Amish man, and Drew Fuller played Andy as too forward and smarmy to be a believable option for Emma, but I still enjoyed watching it. It's not great cinema, but it's an enjoyable way to pass a few hours. 3 stars.

Love Finds You in Sugarcreek

While traveling with his young son Bobby, Joe Matthews (Tom Everett Scott) finds himself stranded in the Amish community of Sugarcreek, Ohio. He meets a kind Amish man who takes them to an inn run by three Amish sisters. The women take to Bobby immediately and agree to let Joe stay in exchange for doing some work around the property. However, their niece Rachel (Sarah Lancaster), a Sugarcreek policewoman, is highly suspicious of Joe and sets out to uncover his secrets. She learns that there's more to Joe's story than he's letting on ... but when she's losing her heart to him, will his real identity matter?

Really, I think the UP free trial was worth it for these three Love Finds You films alone. Love Finds You in Sugarcreek is sweetly romantic with a touch of mystery and suspense. Scott (who will always be "Shades" to me) and Lancaster have great chemistry, and the movie is just incredibly enjoyable. Also, the screenwriter wisely fixed the one problem I had with the novel the film is based on—a pregnant teen who seemed to be present solely to advance the plot is nowhere to be found in the film! 4 stars.

Guess Who's Coming to Christmas

Dax (Drew Lachey) is a washed-up rock star desperate for another hit. Following an embarrassing incident involving alcohol and a frozen turkey, he agrees to image rehab—by spending a week with a fan. That chosen fan is Kelly Harding, a woman who recently moved back in with her parents and younger brother after the New York publisher she worked for went under. Though Kelly has loved Dax since adolescence, she soon realizes the real Dax is nothing like the idol she once dreamed about. 

Here's the thing about Guess Who's Coming to Christmas: It's really predictable, Drew Lachey isn't a particularly great actor, and the song that Dax and Kelly write together is truly terrible ... but I really enjoyed the movie! I caught myself laughing out loud multiple times—I definitely did not expect it to be so funny. Much of the humor comes from the basically amoral Dax trying to live with Kelly's Christian family for a week. I really dislike when Christian films come across as preachy, but that's not the case with Guess Who's Coming to Christmas. Instead, the faith feels organic, like it's an integral part of the lives of the Hardings. I wouldn't even call it a Christian movie—it's a movie where some of the characters happen to be Christians. 3-1/2 stars.

Side note only important to a Nebraskan: Dax is originally from Beatrice, Nebraska ... only it's always pronounced BEE-uh-triss (like the woman's name) instead of bee-AT-russ. It's one of those things you'd never know if you weren't from the area ... but it also takes away from the authenticity of the film. (Not that Guess Who's Coming to Christmas is incredibly realistic, but still ...)

Dear Viola

Accountant Katie has always dreamed of being a writer, so when the advice columnist at the small-town newspaper she keeps books for retires, Katie takes a stab at writing the column ... anonymously, of course. Through the column, she begins sparring with widowed father Russ, a man she already knows (and secretly admires) from church, and a You've Got Mail type of situation soon unfolds, as she knows his identity, but he doesn't know she is Viola.

I always enjoy Kellie Martin in Hallmark-type movies, and Dear Viola is no exception. She is so likeable as the shy, slightly awkward Katie, and Jefferson Brown is quite charming as Russ. (Brown certainly has the charming thing down—he was the best part of the dreadful Please Kill Mr. Know It All, which I wrote about here.) Sure, there's the clichéd gorgeous, self-centered woman who so dazzles Russ that he can't see Katie right in front of him, and the ending is rather unbelievable (nothing new for this type of movie), but it's still a really enjoyable story. 4-1/2 stars.

One UP Film to Avoid

Accidentally Engaged

Clarissa (Lexi Giovagnoli) is a struggling actress who, through a string of fairly implausible events, becomes linked in the tabloids to superstar Chas Hunter (Brant Daugherty). Hoping to cover up his relationship with his married publicist, Chas asks Clarissa to pretend to be his girlfriend. But when Chas accompanies Clarissa to her best friend's wedding back home, the fake relationship takes a turn into real territory.

I am such a sucker for fake relationships turned real stories! So when I first heard about this film, I knew I wanted to watch it. It goes exactly as you'd expect, with Clarissa and Chas eventually falling in love. Here's the thing, though: Giovagnoli and Daugherty have zero chemistry. But Giovagnoli and Randy Wayne, who plays Clarissa's best guy friend Graham? They have chemistry in spades. So I found myself hoping that the film would do the unexpected and have Clarissa and Graham fall in love. But no. The movie goes just as you'd think, and Clarissa and Chas end up together, despite the predictability and lack of chemistry. Blurg. 2 stars.

Note: An UP Faith & Family subscription is $4.99 per month following your free 7-day trial. (You must have an Amazon Prime membership to purchase any of Amazon's add-on channels.) The movies can also be rented individually—but if you want to watch more than one, it's definitely worth it to subscribe for a month. Also note that several UP Faith & Family titles (but not nearly all, and none that I talked about here) are available on Netflix, Amazon Prime, or Hulu.

Have you seen any of these films? What did you think? 

Disclosure of Material Connection: Some of the links in the post above are “affiliate links.” This means if you click on the link and purchase an item, I will receive an affiliate commission. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

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top ten tuesday: made for tv christmas movies

I've been doing my Top Ten Tuesday posts over on Christian Chick's Thoughts for a while now, but I thought you might be interested in today's post, which is all about Christmas movies (something I've talked about here on Coffee & Conversation at length). So head on over and check out what I think are the best made for TV Christmas movies: Christian Chick's Thoughts: top ten tuesday: made for tv christmas movies

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friday favorites #27: week of july 8, 2016

Happy Friday! Why is it that holiday weeks feel longer than usual? It can't be just me, can it? I only worked Wednesday through Friday, but boy did those days feel long! So I'm thrilled that the weekend has arrived! Here are some of my recent favorite things:

1. 4th of July in Indiana
Spending the 4th in Indiana is becoming a bit of a tradition. Last year, my mom and I went out to see my sister and brother-in-law, and this year, my dad went along, too! We were gone Friday through Tuesday, and, despite some horrible delays due to road construction and bad traffic, we had a wonderful time!

It's never a sure thing that Dad's going anywhere until he's in the car, so I snapped this pic as we left to prove to Val that he was with us.

When we got there, Miss Chloe decided she really liked my bed. She's such a fluff ball, and she's so full of personality. Not very cuddly, that one, but certainly entertaining. She also scared me to death the first night—I saw her leave my room while I was getting ready for bed, so I closed the door. At 3 a.m., she jumped on top of me! Apparently, she snuck back in before I closed the door.

We went blueberry picking! Most of the blueberries weren't ripe yet, so we had to do some searching, but we ended up with 10 pounds for Val.

Dad was very tired after picking blueberries ...

We played lots of Rummy and Golf. Unfortunately, I didn't get a picture of my perfect Rummy hand. I went out on my first turn, and I was the first player!

We went to a "patriotic" concert in the park at Winona Lake ... only the concert didn't include much patriotic music. The highlight was the Four Seasons medley the band played. (In retrospect, I'm not sure that the concert was even advertised as patriotic—I just made that assumption because the concert took place over the holiday weekend.)

We girls saw Ragtime at the Wagon Wheel. It was phenomenal. Last year, we saw Bye Bye Birdie there, and it was really good, but Ragtime was something special.

It was almost chilly the whole time we were there, and we took advantage of the coolness by taking several walks—at Grace, around Winona Lake, and in Val & Greg's new neighborhood. As we walked, I was totally obsessed with the hostas. Now that I have my own baby hostas, I'm eager to see everyone else's! They seem to be a very popular plant in Val & Greg's neighborhood.

We had to head home on Tuesday, and we made sure to stop at a Chick-fil-A. Oh, how we need one in central Nebraska!

2. Galaxy Quest
I have loved Galaxy Quest ever since I saw it in the theater way back in '99. I've seen it multiple times over the years, but I'd forgotten just how clever the writing is! And, in addition to the at-the-time stars, it has so many now-famous people in it: Corbin Bleu, Enrico Colantoni, Rainn Wilson, Sam Rockwell.

We (and by "we," I mean "everyone but Dad who was sleeping") watched it at Val's, and it was a pure delight from start to finish. If you're in need of a good laugh, check it out on Netflix!

3. 30 for 30 documentaries
I recently discovered that many of ESPN's 30 for 30 documentaries are on Netflix, and now I can't get enough of them! My favorites so far are This Magic Moment, about the rise and fall of the Orlando Magic in the 1990s, Jordan Rides the Bus, about Michael Jordan's foray into minor league baseball, and (obviously, if you know me at all) The Price of Gold, about the Tonya Harding-Nancy Kerrigan scandal. Up next: Believeland. We'll see if it can make me stop loathing the Cavs.

(Tangentially related note: I love that Kevin Durant has joined the Warriors. And, while I can understand Thunder fans' disappointment, I don't get why people who aren't Thunder fans are upset, and I don't see how "chasing rings" is a bad thing. If the goal of NBA basketball is to win a championship, why wouldn't you do whatever you can to get there?)

4. The Great British Baking Show
It's back! My mom and I enjoy watching baking competitions together, and The Great British Baking Show is by far our favorite. Season 3 just started (which apparently was season 6 in the UK). It airs on PBS (and on the PBS app), and it's so fun! You can watch episodes here. Just do it!

5. INSPY award winners!

Instead of just one book recommendation today, I'm going to give you a bunch. At the end of last month, the INSPY award winners for 2016 were announced. I was privileged to be one of the Contemporary Romance/Romantic Suspense judges this year, and it was such a great experience. I've read several of the winners (see them all here), and they're great—but the winner I'm most excited about is Sarah Sundin's Through Waters Deep. While I generally prefer contemporary to historical fiction, I can't get enough of Sundin's books, and I'm so excited to see her win this award!

But seriously, check out all the winners. You're sure to find something great to add to your TBR pile.

(Fun fact: When I first posted about Through Waters Deep last year, my friend Jennifer commented that the guy on the cover looks like Ryan Reynolds. So now all I can think of is Ryan Reynolds when I look at it!)

If you've made it to the end of this post, bless you! As usual, I'm linking up with Erika, Christina, and Karli. What are some things you've been enjoying this week?

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friday favorites #26: week of june 24, 2016

I think I'm settling pretty comfortably into an every-other-Friday Favorites pattern! Here are some things I've been enjoying over the last couple weeks:

1. Cleaning

If you know me, you know cleaning is never one of the top things on my to-do list. But last weekend, the bug hit me, and I'm so glad it did! I moved into my house almost three years ago, and I still had several boxes that I never unpacked. So I did it. And I rearranged. And I hung pictures. And my parents came to haul out my old electric stove that's been sitting there ever since my dad put in my gas stove last summer. Now I'm loving my back storage room--and so are the cats! I should have done this months (years?) ago.

2. So Delicious Chocolate Coconut Milk "Ice Cream."

I have been completely craving ice cream lately, but I'm still basically dairy free. (I do goat and sheep cheese, but no cow dairy yet.) At Walmart last weekend, I decided to see what kind of diary free treats they might have--and I found this! It still has some ingredients I'm not crazy about, but I can live with them. At $5 for a pint, it's expensive, but it's SOOOO worth it for a treat every now and again! And no, it doesn't taste like ice cream, more like a fudgesicle ... but I can live with that!

3. Eggs
Eggs may seem like an odd choice for a favorite, but bear with me! Eggs are not allowed on AIP, the diet I began in September in an effort to reclaim my health. It worked wonderfully (I know, a full post about this is needed!), and I'm feeling better than I've felt in years. Early on in the reintroduction process, I tried eggs, and it didn't go well. But I recently tried again, and eggs have become my new best friend, especially since it's too hot to turn on the oven most of the time. So I'm praising God for better health and for the incredible, edible egg!

4. Spotlight
I've wanted to watch Spotlight ever since it first started generating awards buzz. It showed up on Netflix two days ago, and I watched it right away.

It. Is. Fantastic.

The plot centers around the Boston Globe reporters who uncovered the extent of the Catholic Church's priest abuse coverup. In some ways, it reminded me of All the President's Men, and that's definitely a good thing. The film is rated R for language, and it includes some very uncomfortable discussions about molestation. But I also think it's a film worth watching.

5. Mended Hearts series by Varina Denman

This week's book recommendation is actually a series: Jaded, Justified, and Jilted. These novels tell the story of a small Texas town, dealing with issues like unplanned pregnancy, abuse, infidelity, mental illness, and corruption within the church. I know that makes this series sound like a serious downer, but it's really so good! I read all three books this week, not because I had to (I'm on a tour for Jilted but not the other two) but because I wanted to. This is some excellent writing! You can check out my review of Jilted (the others will soon follow) here.

As usual, I'm linking up with Erika, Christina, and Karli. What are some things you've been enjoying this week?

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five friday favorites #21: week of jan. 22, 2016

It's Friday!!! I'd be more excited if it was a Friday in March and I didn't have to get up at 4 a.m. tomorrow for a speech meet, but such is life. Let's get on with the favorites!

1. Peanut Butter Cookies

You've probably seen those flourless peanut butter cookie recipes floating around. You know, the ones that are just peanut butter, sugar, and an egg? Right after I went gluten free, I made them a lot. And now that I've successfully reintroduced peanut butter, I decided to try them again. (I know, I know--peanut butter isn't paleo. I. DON'T. CARE. My goal has always been to be healthy and eat more natural foods--not be paleo.) The cookies were good, but I had a feeling they could be better. After some experimenting, I think I've landed on the perfect combination: natural peanut butter, coconut sugar, egg, baking soda, vanilla, salt, and chocolate chips. These cookies come out perfectly crispy on the edges--just like my mom's gluten-filled peanut butter cookies. So delicious! (Recipe to come soon.)

2. Spotify's Discover Weekly Playlist

If you have a Spotify account and haven't checked out your personal Discover Weekly playlist, you're missing out. Not only has this playlist introduced me to some great new music, but it's also hilarious at times to see just how off base the songs can be. For example: The very first week, a song by Alan Jackson was in the playlist. Um, really? Alan Jackson is country country. Spotify should know by now that I only ever listen to pop country ... and even then, it's a rarity. Or this week, when there are two wedding songs in my playlist. Sure, I'll listen to a love song now and again, but wedding songs? They kinda make me want to puke ... probably because of my perpetual singleness.

Still, I love checking in on my new playlist each Monday morning when I get to work. I'm sure you'll enjoy your playlist, too.

3. DC's Legends of Tomorrow

First off, let's be honest--is anyone going to call this show by its full name? No. It will just be Legends of Tomorrow.

Anyway.

Legends of Tomorrow premiered last night, and I loved it. It features characters introduced on The Flash and Arrow, and it looks to be a rollicking good time. Not sure if you'll like it? The pilot is free on Amazon, Google Play, and iTunes for a limited time. If you do check it out, I'd love to know what you think!

4. That Gal ... Who was in That Thing

A few years ago, I watched a fascinating documentary on Netflix called That Guy ... Who Was in That Thing. (Unfortunately, it's not longer on Netflix.) It's about character actors and their quest to make it in Hollywood. Now, a follow up film has been made, this time featuring women. I watched it last weekend during a free Showtime preview on Hulu. It's just as captivating as That Guy, if not more so. The women discuss the struggle to get cast as anything but a grandmother as they age, the difficult choices they had to make regarding family and career, wage inequality, and a variety of other things. I'd definitely suggest checking it out if you get the chance! (If you have Amazon Prime, you can add a Showtime subscription for $8.99/month, but you get a 7-day free trial. I did that with Starz and watched a ton of movies over Christmas break--you just have to remember to cancel!)

5. I Hope You Dance by Beth Moran
This week's book recommendation is the delightfully charming I Hope You Dance by British author Beth Moran. I read Moran's Making Marion in 2014, and it was quirky and humorous. I Hope You Dance is even better.

I Hope You Dance is, in a word, delightful. While Ruth deals with serious issues like debt, stalking, teenage rebellion, and family drama, the story never feels heavy. I think much of this is due to the supporting characters--colorful women who stand by Ruth's side through thick and thin and whose personalities bring joy and humor amidst the drama. These characters are so vividly drawn that I felt as though I knew them.

You can see the rest of my review here.

Thanks for stopping by! I'm linking up with the usuals: Erika, Karli, and April.

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movie mondays: christmas movies to stream

A couple weeks ago, I talked about all the Hallmark Christmas movies you can watch.

But what if you don't have the Hallmark Channel?

You could always rely on your massive collection of Christmas movies.

Wait, that's just me?

Well, then, that's where Netflix and Hulu come in. Chances are, you have a subscription to at least one of them--and if you don't, you should definitely check out Hulu, as some films are streamable on your computer without a Hulu Plus subscription. (Unfortunately, Amazon Prime doesn't offer much in the way of quality Christmas movies--though I know your definition of "quality" may differ from mine!) The choices range from classics to sappy romance to kids' movies and everything in between, but I'm going to focus on (what else?) sappy romance. Below are some of my favorites:

Love at the Christmas Table starring Danica McKellar, Lea Thompson, Scott Patterson
This one was just on Lifetime the other night, so I watched it again. It all takes place on Christmas Eve throughout the years and focuses on two kids who grow up together and slowly fall in love. As far as Christmas movies go, it's one of the more realistic ones. Watch on Hulu.

Holiday Engagement starring Bonnie Somerville, Jordan Bridges, Shelly Long
This one is a bit more on the ridiculous side, but I do enjoy it! Plus, it's technically a Thanksgiving  movie, so it should satisfy my sister who's always complaining that Thanksgiving never gets its due. Hillary's boyfriend Jason dumps her just before Thanksgiving, when he's supposed to finally meet her family, so she hires David to pose as Jason through the long weekend at her parents' house. Of course, sparks fly. Bridges is playing essentially the same character as he did in the Tori Spelling gem Family Plan--an actor hired to play a desperate woman's significant other--but that repetition doesn't bother me in the least. He's definitely good at the role! Watch on Netflix, Hulu.

The 12 Dates of Christmas starring Mark-Paul Gosselaar, Amy Smart
I've written about this one before. So cute ... especially if you love Mark-Paul! It's basically Groundhog Day on Christmas Eve. Watch on Netflix.

A Christmas Kiss starring Brendan Fehr, Laura Breckenridge
Is A Christmas Kiss ultimately ridiculous? Yes! But it's also so enjoyable. Aspiring interior designer Wendy meets the man of her dreams in an elevator. The only problem? He's her horrible boss Priscilla's boyfriend. The whole thing stretches credulity--why would Adam be with someone as dreadful as Priscilla in the first place, and how could he be so dense as to not recognize Wendy?--but it's always entertaining. Also, look for The Lizzie Bennet Diaries' Jane (Laura Spencer) in a supporting role. Watch on Netflix.

Holiday in Handcuffs starring Melissa Joan Hart, Mario Lopez
While we're talking ridiculous yet enjoyable (and continuing with the Saved by the Bell theme) ... Trudy's boyfriend breaks up with her right before Christmas (sound familiar?), so, out of desperation, she kidnaps a handsome man who comes into the diner she works at. In real life, this woman would be going to jail. On ABC Family, the two fall in love. Watch on Netflix.

A Princess for Christmas starring Katie McGrath, Sam Heughan, Roger Moore
This is one of the few recent Hallmark offerings that is available to stream. When I first watched A Princess for Christmas several years ago, I thought it was incredibly lame. But then I caught it again on Hallmark the other day, and I thought it completely adorable. Plus, it stars Sam Heughan, who I know many women have come to love on Outlander. Watch on Hulu.

Have I missed any? What Christmas movies do you like to stream?

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movie mondays: countdown to christmas

"It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year!"

OK, not really. Not yet. Unless, of course, you're the Hallmark Channel.

For Hallmark Channel, the Christmas season began October 31. Yes, on Halloween. This surprised me, as Hallmark has the Good Witch movie franchise (and upcoming series), and Halloween would seem like the perfect time for a marathon. Not that I'm complaining ...

Hallmark runs their Christmas movies all day, every day (except for weekday morning episodes of their Home & Family talk show). I suppose this is nice for insomniacs. In fact, my dad told me the other day that each time he got up in the night, he turned on the TV just to see which movie was playing. (My dad shares my intense love for Hallmark movies. My mom does not.)

With the plethora of Christmas movies on Hallmark, how do you know which ones are great, and which ones are a waste of time? Well, I'll tell you, of course! Just keep in mind that one man's trash is another man's treasure. This was never more evident to me than Saturday, when I was talking with a friend about the movies we'd watched so far. She loved Angels Sing, starring Harry Connick, Jr., and I thought it was incredibly boring. She and her mom thought One Starry Christmas was pretty cheesy, and I thought it was cute. To each his own, I guess!

The links below go to the trailers so you can check out the films for yourself.

Movies to make a point to watch
Seek these out on Hallmark's schedule. If they're available on DVD, buy them--they're that good!
Snow Bride--This was my unexpected favorite film of Hallmark's 2013 Christmas season. Unfortunately, it's not on DVD, but you can easily find the whole thing on YouTube.
The Christmas Card--This is one of the first Christmas movies I ever got on DVD. It's pretty realistic ... for a Christmas movie!
Matchmaker Santa--I love everything about this movie, right up until the last 60 seconds. It just ... ends. Ending aside, it's a great movie that, unfortunately, isn't on DVD.
The Nine Lives of Christmas--This one just premiered over the weekend, and it's already one of my favorites. Super cute, and it doesn't hurt that it features two adorable cats. You can find it exclusively at Walmart tomorrow. (Yes, my copy is preordered.)
Trading Christmas--Its concept is similar to The Holiday, but I love it anyway! (It's also very similar to Hallmark's Finding Christmas, but this one is so, so, so much better.)
The Christmas Ornament--My 2nd favorite of Hallmark's 2013 originals. It's really sweet. It just came out on DVD, and it's currently on my Amazon wish list.

Movies to watch if you come across them
These are very enjoyable. I probably wouldn't buy them unless I found them for less than $5, but they're good.
Mrs. Miracle
Call Me Mrs. Miracle
One Starry Christmas
A Very Merry Mix-Up
Holiday Engagement
All I Want for Christmas
Hitched for the Holidays
Let It Snow
The Most Wonderful Time of the Year

Movies to avoid
I really didn't like these at all ... I'd recommend doing something different with your time.
A Bride for Christmas
Angels Sing
Catch a Christmas Star
Finding Christmas
Lucky Christmas
A Cookie Cutter Christmas
The Christmas Spirit

This is not an exhaustive list, so if you have any other Hallmark Christmas movies you're wondering about, just ask me in the comments! Chances are, I've seen them :-)

Disclosure of Material Connection: Some of the links in the post above are “affiliate links.” This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

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movie mondays: a great sci-fi film you've never seen

I'm introducing a new series today: Movie Mondays. I may miss some weeks because, you know, life, but I'm hoping to have a movie-related post most Mondays.

About 10 years ago, my brother told me about this science fiction movie he'd seen. He told me I'd love it, and he gave me a copy to back up his claim. It took me a while, but I did watch it. And he was right--I loved it.

I just recently noticed that Equilibrium is available to stream on Amazon Prime, so I watched it again. It's just as great as I remembered.

Equilibrium stars a pre-Batman Christian Bale as John Preston, a cleric in post-World War III Libria. Clerics are responsible for ferreting out "sense offenders"--those who cease taking their mandated feelings-eliminating drugs. They also are charged with destroying contraband including art, music, and literature.

When John realizes his own partner (Sean Bean) is a sense offender, he begins to question the necessity of eradicating emotion. When he stops taking the drug, he opens himself up to a whole new world of love, anger, and grief, and he makes it his mission to bring down "Father," the all-powerful government ruler.

I don't know about you, but I don't even remember Equilibrium's 2002 release, and it only made a little over $1 million in its entire US theatrical run. According to Rotten Tomatoes, only 37% of critics liked it, deciding that "Equilibrium is a reheated mishmash of other sci-fi movies." By contrast, 82% of viewers liked it.

I can see where the comparisons to other sci-fi movies come in, especially if you compare it to The Matrix, which released a few years before Equilibrium. Both feature men in long black coats who use guns and martial art to defeat their enemies. Both John and Neo could be seen as the saviors of humanity (though Neo's role as a Christ-figure is much more clearly defined). In message, however, Equilibrium is more in line with Nineteen Eighty-Four and Harrison Bergeron. And really, what idea hasn't been done before in some form? I don't think it's so much like other films that it can't stand on its own.

If you enjoy science fiction or dystopian films, I definitely recommend Equilibrium.

Stream it on Amazon Prime.

Content note: This film is extremely violent--however, it is, for the most part, bloodless. I can't recall hearing a single swear word, but IMDb's content warnings page says the "f" and "s" words are each used twice.

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