IMDb listing
CNS/USCCB (K. Jensen) review
Los Angeles Times (K. Walsh) review
RogerEbert.com (S. Wloszczyna) review
AVClub (J. Hassenger) review
Forever My Girl [2018] (written and directed by Bethany Ashton Wolf based on the novel [GR] [WCat] [Amzn] by Heidi McLaughlin [GR] [WCat] [Amzn] [IMDb]) is this year's entree for another January staple -- a Southern / Country set, generally 20-something oriented romantic drama. In recent years, adaptations of Nicholas Sparks novels tended to fill this slot [1] [2] [3] [4]. Since these films tend to be "chick flicks," notable / laudable here is that this year's entree was written, adapted and directed by women. Regular Readers of my blog would ALSO be happy to learn that Christianity has a significant and positive presence in the story and that a key supporting figure in the story is a clergyman who has to struggle with (and rises to) the challenge of forgiving / reconciling with a (son) who had previously objectively disappointed him.
The story begins with sweet, beautiful, small-town (one would guess, former "homecoming queen") Josie (played by Jessica Rothe) finding herself stood-up at what should have been a, HER, dream wedding. WT ... unforgivable? Exactly ...
What happened? Well... that's a good part of the story. Did someone like Josie DESERVE to have this "happen to her?" ALMOST CERTAINLY NOT. But there it is, IT HAPPENED. What now?
Indeed, what about ... eight years later? That's when the story recommences ... with ... us discovering that Josie's dirty no good rotten beau had become an incredibly popular Country Western star named Liam Page (played by Alex Roe). EVERYBODY LOVED HIM. EVERYBODY KNEW HIS SONGS. STILL ... deep down, even he knew that he had radically disappointed EVERYONE who had been important to him before: yes Josie, but also his dad (the above mentioned Pastor played by John Benjamin Hickey) and his childhood/hometown friends.
Indeed, it was when by sheer "luck" that he happened to be playing in New Orleans, near his home town, finding out while watching the local news that his old best friend, the one who would have been his best man, had died in a tragic accident. He decides to go home (for the first time in eight years) for the funeral.
When he arrives, he finds that in his own hometown, unlike just about everywhere else, his name is mud. Nobody seems to care that she's a country superstar. They just remember what he did to Josie, his dad, and really to all of his childhood friends.
Somewhat surprised, he finds that he has to eat some crow ... But how much crow? The rest of the story about a modern-day Prodigal Son (Luke 15:11ff) follows ...
I confess, I loved the movie. I'm already generally a sap for these kind of Southern small town stories, but I _ALSO_ LOVED THE UNAPOLOGETIC CHRISTIAN MESSAGING IN IT.
Yes, Liam had been a real D--K. But did it _need_ to be "all over" for him? To many in the "post Christian" faction of our country, it would be. To many today it seems there is no Sin in this world, but also NO FORGIVENESS>
Here, this was a largely believing community. It was absolutely clear as day to them that Liam had hurt an awful lot of people. ON THE OTHER HAND ... if perhaps initially _clueless_, he made amends ... they were not going to hold grudges.
Fascinating and POSITIVE. Excellent job!
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