This is not quite a story of a Love for the Ages. More on that later.
First the Two Leads. Lauren Lee Smith was Adequate. Perfectly pleasant and competent, but made no impact with me. The guy was...well let me be frank. Funny-Looking. Most of his face was quite handsome but his eyes were very distracting. They had more chemistry during the flashback to when they were twelve.
Kate is a what I thought was a small town jewelry store owner and designer who is living her dream except her love life leaves something to be desired. Her first boyfriend comes back to town in order to recruit her for a big time position in Chicago with a huge jewelry corporation. They want to move away from their reputation as a cookie cutter mass-produced jewelry maker. They want Kate to develop and head their new design team. Of course the two old friends start a relationship. Kate decides to string him along making him think she might accept their offer in order to stay in contact with him. Besides, she needs a date for her sister's wedding. Nice, right?
Except she does begin to be attracted by the power and money and presumably the opportunity to make a real positive impact on the jewelry industry. They start falling in love and he brings her to Chicago to be wooed by the big company. She accepts the position. She will continue to own her little store and her two loyal employees will run it for her. The girl will finally get an opportunity to design jewelry as well now that Kate will be an a semi absentee owner and the guy will now be the manager instead of just a salesman. This is great because he just had a new baby. By the way, Kate had more chemistry with him than the supposed boyfriend. Unfortunately he is married and loves his wife.
Right before Kate signs the contract, she finds out that the big conglomerate will also buy her store, take it out of her control, and probably fire her two employees. The big boss says that she thought she knew, she thought the boyfriend was supposed to tell her that, and someone must have gotten their wires crossed. She immediately concludes that her true love must have been lying to her and deceiving her so he could get his commission. Of course he is innocent of such ignominy but she won't let him explain. She tells him to have a nice life, hangs up on him and won't take his calls. Nice, huh? Where's the trust??
She doesn't seem sad about loverboy, she is just angry. In fact, she bounces back pretty thoroughly. She finally finds out that it was big bosses fault, not boyfriends, but she just goes on with her life. Big boss re-offers her the position and she can keep her jewelry store but she still won't sell and move to Chicago to make up with her boyfriend. Presumably the professional dreams of her two loyal employees are dashed again and they go back to being drudges. No happy ending for them. Nice, huh?
Turns out boyfriend is really a chef at heart (apparently for the sole reason that they can have a flour fight in the middle of the movie and he can tenderly wipe flour from her face (Eye-roll). After they make up, she tells him that, no, she is not moving to Chicago and that they will be breaking up. He tells her that he quit his job and he is moving to Minneapolis to open a restaurant so they can be together after all! Huh, I thought they lived in a small town? She says OK, then. It's a good thing she did not do the best thing for all concerned and take that opportunity of a lifetime in Chicago, n'est pas? There's a little wrap up at the end when he proposes and she accepts a couple of months later. But if I were him, I would have serious doubts about the depth of her love and commitment.
So like I said, not exactly a love for the ages.
First the Two Leads. Lauren Lee Smith was Adequate. Perfectly pleasant and competent, but made no impact with me. The guy was...well let me be frank. Funny-Looking. Most of his face was quite handsome but his eyes were very distracting. They had more chemistry during the flashback to when they were twelve.
Kate is a what I thought was a small town jewelry store owner and designer who is living her dream except her love life leaves something to be desired. Her first boyfriend comes back to town in order to recruit her for a big time position in Chicago with a huge jewelry corporation. They want to move away from their reputation as a cookie cutter mass-produced jewelry maker. They want Kate to develop and head their new design team. Of course the two old friends start a relationship. Kate decides to string him along making him think she might accept their offer in order to stay in contact with him. Besides, she needs a date for her sister's wedding. Nice, right?
Except she does begin to be attracted by the power and money and presumably the opportunity to make a real positive impact on the jewelry industry. They start falling in love and he brings her to Chicago to be wooed by the big company. She accepts the position. She will continue to own her little store and her two loyal employees will run it for her. The girl will finally get an opportunity to design jewelry as well now that Kate will be an a semi absentee owner and the guy will now be the manager instead of just a salesman. This is great because he just had a new baby. By the way, Kate had more chemistry with him than the supposed boyfriend. Unfortunately he is married and loves his wife.
Right before Kate signs the contract, she finds out that the big conglomerate will also buy her store, take it out of her control, and probably fire her two employees. The big boss says that she thought she knew, she thought the boyfriend was supposed to tell her that, and someone must have gotten their wires crossed. She immediately concludes that her true love must have been lying to her and deceiving her so he could get his commission. Of course he is innocent of such ignominy but she won't let him explain. She tells him to have a nice life, hangs up on him and won't take his calls. Nice, huh? Where's the trust??
She doesn't seem sad about loverboy, she is just angry. In fact, she bounces back pretty thoroughly. She finally finds out that it was big bosses fault, not boyfriends, but she just goes on with her life. Big boss re-offers her the position and she can keep her jewelry store but she still won't sell and move to Chicago to make up with her boyfriend. Presumably the professional dreams of her two loyal employees are dashed again and they go back to being drudges. No happy ending for them. Nice, huh?
Turns out boyfriend is really a chef at heart (apparently for the sole reason that they can have a flour fight in the middle of the movie and he can tenderly wipe flour from her face (Eye-roll). After they make up, she tells him that, no, she is not moving to Chicago and that they will be breaking up. He tells her that he quit his job and he is moving to Minneapolis to open a restaurant so they can be together after all! Huh, I thought they lived in a small town? She says OK, then. It's a good thing she did not do the best thing for all concerned and take that opportunity of a lifetime in Chicago, n'est pas? There's a little wrap up at the end when he proposes and she accepts a couple of months later. But if I were him, I would have serious doubts about the depth of her love and commitment.
So like I said, not exactly a love for the ages.