Tom Bates (Ronald Reagan) left his home town of Jordan, Ohio to study law after being prevented from seeing his girlfriend Grace. Years later, he returns to Jordan to practice law. Mary Hagen (Shirley Temple) finds herself the subject of rumors that she is illegitimate and Tom is secretly her biological father. She faces many hurdles from the town and gets support from her teacher Julia Kane. Ken Freneau asks Mary to the dance but his mother disapproves.
Reagan is as stiff as a board. I can see him play a stoic cowboy but he's completely lost in this role. The role is problematic anyways. Shirley Temple is struggling as a teen star. Her acting lacks subtlety but she's not the biggest problem. Ken would be better played by Barbie's Ken doll. It's a movie full of poor acting from real actors and would function a lot better with a lot less Reagan. Tom Bates should be an idea more than an actual character. The movie should sink or swim with Temple by herself. Instead of being rescued by Tom, she should be a female empowerment figure by rescuing herself. The final ending with the bridal veil is a little awkward for its suggestion. Again, this story would be so much better without Reagan. It probably wouldn't work solely on Temple's shoulders but it's worth a try.
Reagan is as stiff as a board. I can see him play a stoic cowboy but he's completely lost in this role. The role is problematic anyways. Shirley Temple is struggling as a teen star. Her acting lacks subtlety but she's not the biggest problem. Ken would be better played by Barbie's Ken doll. It's a movie full of poor acting from real actors and would function a lot better with a lot less Reagan. Tom Bates should be an idea more than an actual character. The movie should sink or swim with Temple by herself. Instead of being rescued by Tom, she should be a female empowerment figure by rescuing herself. The final ending with the bridal veil is a little awkward for its suggestion. Again, this story would be so much better without Reagan. It probably wouldn't work solely on Temple's shoulders but it's worth a try.