Forever My Girl is a sugary flop

Movie Title: Forever My Girl

Grade: C-

Rating: PG
1 hour 48 minutes

In a Nutshell: This toe-tapping, sugary chick flick is based on a New York Times best-selling novel by Heidi McLaughlin. Heidi even appears in the funeral scene as an Extra.

It sure feels like a formulaic Nicholas Spark movie or something you’d see on the Hallmark channel, although it’s not nearly as good.

Tips for parents:

No profanity.
Liam gets drunk.
Billy informs Liam about all of the dangers of convertibles. While they’re true, I still drive my convertible and love it.
Talk of pre-marital relations
Liam teaches his daughter, “Sometimes you just need to let go and live on the wild side.” How do you feel about that advice?
Young rom-com fan girls will probably like the movie.

Uplifting theme:

Your choices will define you.
Family
Community
Loyalty
Forgiveness

Things I liked:

Abby Ryder Fortson, who plays the precocious Billy, is adorable. She did a really great job, although her lines are much more advanced than what they should be for her age.
If you liked Jessica Rothe in Happy Death Day, you’ll be happy to see a softer side of her in this.
The cast includes Alex Roe, John Benjami Hickey, Abby Ryder Forstson, and Judith Hoag, with a special cameo by Travis Tritt, who sings the original song, “Slowin’ Down.”
The small Louisiana town of St. Augustine is picturesque and charming, but actually filmed in Georgia. I lived in Alpharetta, Georgia for 15 years! I absolutely loved the Southern Hospitality and magical fireflies. What I hated was the humidity and the fire ants!
I was expecting a slap to the face, but the stomach punch was much better. Ha ha
It was directed by a woman, Bethany Ashton Wolf.
Country music fans will enjoy the soundtrack.

Things I didn’t like:

The protagonist, Liam Page (Alex Roe), is not very likable. He easily gets forgiven for being such a jerk to everyone, not just to Josie. He never really gives a good reason for humiliating and leaving her on their wedding day. He clearly has a drinking problem, but it’s never addressed in the movie…ever.
Some pretty terrible Southern accents.
Very slow moving.
What ever happened to the burgers?
Ultimately, it’s pretty forgettable.
Yeah, sure, it’s easy to forgive someone who is rich and famous, but what if Liam had become a homeless bum with nothing to offer Josie?
Fans of the book may be thrown by the fact that Josie and Liam have a son in the book, but a daughter in the movie.

Funny Lines: