Attention Country Dancing and Honky-tonk Fans!
Now don’t get me wrong, I love the movie Shane, but Urban Cowboy was never a favorite. And somehow, I really don’t cotton to cowboy romances these days. Especially when the cowboy is played by Brendan Penny. Now don’t get me wrong, I like Brendan Penny very much, but as a cowboy, he didn’t look right in the hat. And it’s not even like he was one of those urban poser cowboys, because his business did have something to do with horses. Eventually, he managed to inhabit his role credibly like the good actor he is. The actors were not the problem here at all. Heather Hemmons is always such a lady, and I mean that as a compliment. Her characters never seem to put a step wrong and are always super competent at whatever they do. Heather has even done comedy well although this movie did not give her much of an opportunity for that. BJ Harrison as the elderly nurturing wise-woman, was as authentic and warm as usual. And I liked Heather’s best friend, Hallmark newcomer, Kaylah Zander.
No, it was, as usual, the tired plot that is responsible for my indifference towards this movie. Olivia (Heather Hemmons), or “Livvy” as Luke (Brendan Penny) persists in calling her against her wishes, leaves her photography job in the city, in this case, Austin TX, to help her widowed aunt who-raised-her. Her friend Mason (Nathan Witte), the local vet, calls her because Ruby (BJ Harrison in a new hairstyle) has been having “spells.” Olivia travels back to her home town, Blue Creek, with her BFF, June, to check out the situation. It soon becomes evident that her aunt and late uncle’s iconic country bar, Sweetwater’s, is struggling, despite its popularity. Sidebar. Mason and Olivia’s friend provide the secondary romance. There’s also a cute doggy. It isn’t long before Luke, her former high school sweetheart, strides into the bar (in slow motion, as cowboys do) to win Olivia’s heart back. Olivia broke up with him to pursue her dreams, the long-distance thing didn’t work for her, but he recovered faster than she did and started dating other women more quickly than suited her. Olivia figures out what is going on with the bar (Spoiler Alert-Beloved Uncle Pete was averse to paying his taxes and the chickens have come home to roost to the tune of $48,000.) Fortunately, there is an offer on the table to buy Sweetwater’s for mucho dinero from another high school friend who made it big in the Tech business (Dating App). Problems solved. Not. Naturally, Aunt Ruby does not want to sell because it will destroy the character of the town and neighborhood. Plus, more importantly, she has fun running the bar. Queue project to raise money. In this case it is happily not a festival, but an Online Dance Marathon. The unlikely fundraiser is successful. Olivia’s needy and annoying boss shows up at the end. Olivia and Luke, now in love again, have a dance and resolve to “figure it out” this time.
Although the set decoration, costuming, hair and make-up, and all that other stuff that contributes to a good or bad movie were all good, there was nothing else there to spark any interest. But if you’re into honky-tonks, country music, and country dancing, you were probably in hog heaven. Next week, we have a Lyndsy Fonseca movie that I am actually looking forward to. Her movies are always really good at the very least. She is paired with famously gay actor Peter Porte, which adds another layer of interest. I’m betting they will be great together.