Junebug

Loved the chemistry between the leads Reeser and O'Connell. Enjoyed all the secondary characters from parents, the best friend, the barista and the boss. I thought they all added to the story. The plot is similar to the Christmas film "If you believe" but that is a total favorite of mine, so I'm not mad at it. They did it justice but still made it their own. I loved the modern references to Say Anything and seemed very realistic. We all have some image in our mind whether it's The Princess Bride or Say Anything that we judge new love by. The next story has to be about Junebug and her best friend Katydid.

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The acting was fine. I have always enjoyed the movies that Autumn is in but this one irked me a bit. There was all this emphasis about the illustrator and his works. And then when his mural was revealed. I though yuck this is awful. At least Hallmark could have spent some more money to get something that was believable. And the fact that it was just a black outline with no color at all to it? So weird. Same thing when the book was show. The cover was just as bad. This part of the detail was so disappointing. If something is going to be a focal point then do it right. It made me lose interest.

This movie is overloaded with smiles and sweetness. You will probably have to watch some true crime after this to cleanse your palate. Nevertheless, the overarching premise of remembering your childhood dreams is a good one to explore. The male love interest is honestly too perfect -- a common Hallmark issue. He is artsy, super-calm, incredibly forgiving, encouraging, ridiculously nice, remarkably available, and of course has rock-solid beefy arms. I think it would be great if Hallmark would take a risk and add some complexity to their lead characters -- especially the men. The acting is fine and the production values are very good, even if it all feels a bit too easy, saccharine, and artificial. It's hard to relate to characters who so easily get everything that they want.

I initially thought the kid was going to be a real turnoff, but she ended up being more endearing than I expected. The film is really saved by the chemistry between Autumn Reeser and Aaron O'Connell. The overall story is ok, but the romance is the reason to watch. A shout out to the parents in this film...I kind of liked their kooky and cohesive unit. Now my Seattle rant, while I love that Hsllmark wants to set these films in Seattle and uses some stock footage along with a couple name drops to solidify their "location"...it is so blatantly obvious that it isn't actually Seattle. As someone who lived on Capital Hill for more than two decades, I can spot a fake from a mile away. Why not set the film in Canada if you are going to shoot it there? Would anyone really care? Or...and here is a novel concept why not actually set it in Seattle if you are going to say it is Seattle, pay the money, bite the bullet and film it in Seattle.

I have written a hundred reviews, but this is my first review on lighting. First the movie is a treasure. There is a Junebug movie from 2005. How can you go wrong with Autumn and Aaron. Not your typical Hallmark movie. This is a paranormal romance, sort of. Autumn's 8 year old self is conjured up and gives Autumn her own 8 year old enthusiasm. This 8 year old actress is named Mila, and will be a future Hallmark staple. As a film nerd I appreciate those who make the film fly or sink. It's not always the actors, but many time the directors down to casting directors. You can NEVER go wrong with a Jackie Lind / Penny Perry film. I was impressed with the lighting of the actors and scenery. Whoever this person is KNOWS lighting and how to communicate emotions to the viewer. What an idiot I am. I wanted to give this person a shout out, but didn't write down their name. Sorry. This is the first time I have called out the lighting director. Good job. Another thing, you will not fast forward this movie. You might want to be tempted to fast forward to get to the "Hallmark ending" but don't. There are some quick gems at the closing minutes. One question to Hallmark. Are we replacing the red pickup with a red VW?

I have to disagree with some of the other reviews on here. I think this is a beautiful hallmark movies. It's creative and clever. Sure it's still the Hallmark formula but it has a bit more sophistication (yes I get the irony). A few things I liked- June bug is adorable and not overly precocious, it fits the storyline. Someone said Autumn's wig was distracting and messy I actually loved that it wasn't perfect the whole time, it made her look far more realistic. I like that the boss wasn't evil or job wasn't soul sucking so she clearly just made a choice to pursue her passion instead (sometimes it's so overly obvious). The chemistry! Their mini day vacation felt so real and really cute. It was simplistic and perfect not to overly corny. Say anything obviously always a plus. The best friend not being a clone of every other hallmark "best friend" type. That the ex ended up better too. They actually got together before the end of the movie and gasp kissed when they first had a connection instead of falling in love in 3 days and professing love with a kiss at the end. Things I didn't like: ok we get it friend you have twins it doesn't need to be mentioned every time we see your character. The ex being overly a dud for emphasis. There is no way she wrote a book and had it printed all within gear like 2 weeks. We weren't actually given a time frame but an early bday present is mentioned at the beginning and bday dinner at the end. It should have been her 41st bday dinner and they had stuck with it and finally had the book released. Give us more time to develops please. Was the friend not at the birthday? I know there are time constraints but I wanted more in the middle. It all seemed a bit too quick. Overall I was pleasantly surprised by this one. It was heavily advertised but not a huge time for new release for the channel and it didn't disappoint. Also autumn seemed far more natural in this than some other things (I do normally like her regardless) maybe because it was her project. I'd watch it again if it's on!

Juniper (Autumn Reeser) is stuck in life. Her boyfriend is a dud. Her children's book publishing workplace is under threat. She's a great editor, but her writing dreams have been sidelined. She's turning 40 and her parents gift her the wish box from her childhood. When she starts digging into the box, her eight year old inner child self Junebug (Mila Jones) appears to her and Junebug has issues with her 40 year old self. She has a meet-cute with hot mural artist Alex (Aaron O'Connell) and sees him as her illustrator. This is very cute. Adding the little girl to the standard Hallmark romance is a great move. He's super hot and Autumn Reeser has always been great since the O. C. In the end, they can't get too far from the Hallmark of it all. There is very limited drama. She really needs to give him the book much sooner, but they leave it to the midway point. Give it to him at the end of the first act and drum up more drama. I am reminded of a commentary where the filmmaker says that every scene is an opportunity to add drama. Hallmark is usually missing that and this is no different.

Junebug Review The noted playwright Paddy Chayefsky wrote for Hallmark Hall of Fame. Today's Hallmark Channel is moving away from mushy romcoms and putting out some mature films. Junebug, a 5-year endeavor by the multi-talented actor and producer Autumn Reeser, recently came to the screen. Her project was well worth the effort. Reeser's acting range is broad, from serious drama to films like this, slapstick with a touch of poignancy. She's an intelligent artist and this film demonstrates her talents. Her screen partner, Aaron O'Connell, is a good match and there is definite chemistry here. The screenplay is very solid with a crisp dialogue. The young effervescent Mila Jones adds joy to the cast. It must be mentioned that Autumn Reeser shines with a talent for cometic timing (See her film I do, I do). She as well as the audience is having fun. Yet, the film is a fable, and has serious undertones. Rediscovering the lost child in a person so they can move on with a fuller life. Not easy to pull off these days. The photography is beautiful as is always, Autumn Reeser. A pleasure to watch her again and again. The cast, crew, writers, and producers all deserve kudos.