One Summer Review: Impressive Actors Can’t Save This Choppy Script
For a Hallmark Movies & Mysteries original, One Summer has a stellar cast.
Sam Page captured fans’ hearts during (most) seasons of The Bold Type. Sarah Drew proves she’s a master at portraying a nuanced character journey on both Grey’s Anatomy and Cruel Summer. And cult-classic connoisseurs know Amanda Schull from both Center Stage and One Tree Hill.
As someone who knows the filmography of all three of these actors, I couldn’t pass up a chance to watch One Summer. I also know Hallmark Movies & Mysteries films have a depth that its sister channel, Hallmark, almost always lacks.
It’s understandable to set expectations high for the film. The performances don’t disappoint, but the story does not do its actors justice at all.
One Summer is adapted from a novel of the same name by David Baldacci and 1.5ish hours of actual runtime just isn’t enough to tell the story of a veteran who is meant to die during the holidays but instead has to endure the tragedy of his wife’s sudden death, miraculously recover from his own health struggles, heal his family and find love at the same time.
Drew’s Jenna is the most neglected of the main characters in the movie, and while it’s understandable it’s just a waste of Drew’s talent not to give Jenna a clear journey.
She is “just” the waitress in the town the Armstrongs go to over a summer to heal. She helps both Jack (Page) and Mikki (Madeline Grace Popovich) grow but has pulled herself up from the rubble of her own struggles long before we are introduced to the town of Channing.
This might be fine if One Summer‘s ending had clarity. We don’t even know what Jack’s original illness was.
Is this realistic because people survive medical mysteries all of the time or irresponsible because we deserve a narrative structure to this story that makes sense? I truly can’t decide.
Ambiguity with Jack’s illness might be easier to accept if we had answers about anyone’s future.
Mikki and Liam’s (Bryant Prince) romance is the easiest to predict by the end of the film but what does that mean for their parents? Jack and Jenna have gotten very close, too. Ghost Lizzie (Schull) even sweetly calls her husband out for flirting with Jenna.
We should never expect anything “R”-rated from a channel with “Hallmark” in the name and it even makes sense that they don’t kiss, Jack is too freshly grief-stricken. It’s just maddening to have to guess which couple will get together.
If it’s Jack and Jenna, Liam and Mikki should have more of a sibling dynamic — they do not. If it is the kids, we should know for a fact that Jack and Jenna are not on a path to falling in love — we do not.
Combined with Mikki and Liam almost dying in the last act, the whole ending of One Summer can be summed up with one question: what the heck just happened? It had some beautiful moments, but what did we just watch?
Jack’s journey with Lizzie’s ghost weirdly makes the most sense.
Page has potential romantic chemistry with Drew (and decent acting chemistry in general, which makes it sad One Summer doesn’t dive deeper into this relationship). But his chemistry with Schull, while not steamy, is definitely solid. Schull hasn’t lost the touch for playing a ghost that she had on One Tree Hill.
We at least have clarity there — Jack’s wife is dead and he is ready to move on.
It’s touching to watch Mikki healing through making music, and not even frustrating that Liam is as static a character as his mom is — Mikki needs a static force to be her rock no matter how rude she is.
But we have grief, starting over, romance, family growth and a lot more to handle on One Summer. The near-drowning and even the lighthouse building are afterthoughts.
Yet, those are supposed to tie the story up in a bow and help pull together an ending that makes sense? it doesn’t work at all.
One Summer‘s soundtrack is phenomenal and its cast is too good for its script.
I just hate more than anything to be left with more questions than answers after watching a movie.
Plus, I have to at least give it half a strike for the strange family dynamic everyone’s about to step into. Dating your stepbrother should be illegal on TV no matter when the characters meet or how old they are.
—
What did you think of this episode of One Summer? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
Critic Rating:
User Rating:
One Summer airs on Hallmark Movies & Mysteries.
Follow us on Twitter and on 
Instagram!
Want more from Tell-Tale TV? Subscribe to our newsletter here!
Grey’s Anatomy: 10 Reminders Why Jackson and April Should Still Be Together
Esme Mazzeo
Esme Mazzeo is a lifestyle and entertainment journalist from Long Island. When she's not writing for work, she's writing for fun, or searching for something to satisfy her sweet tooth. She thinks rainy days are the best kind of days. Certified night owl.
9 comments
I hope Sam page goes back to looking like the nice looking man he is and not the disheveled appearance he gave on One Summer. he really looks awful.
Ugh. I love Sam Page’s acting, so I was really looking forward to this…but omg…what a train wreck. I’ve tried watching it three times, but can’t get past the 45 minute mark, and I’ve finally given up. It’s a hot mess combined with a Debbie Downer.
I’m choosing to believe that Page chose to lose a lot of weight for his role of the recently near death / ill father, rather than think he is unwell IRL.
This was worse than a Lifetime movie.
I agree 100% with this review. I was excited to watch this because I’m a big fan of Amanda Schull, but…. what is this? The cast is fantastic, but the script and the story in general are just a complete mess and honestly hard to watch.
First let me say that one persons opinion of a movie is not everyone’s opinion. I also do not think so highly of myself to believe my opinion is the only opinion that matters. Actually, I found this movie touching. Maybe because I lost my mother the theme resonated with ME. I can only speak for me. I like real emotions and I have had real relationship. I could relate to each character feeling the way they did. I enjoyed it. Perhaps more people will then not. It is your choice or just change the channel.
I think it was wonderful. I understood it totally and I love the way he looks,. He looks good cleaned up but I never like a man that’s all long hair and a beard and he looks great. I love this movie.
Loved the movie! Wasn’t clear on how Liam got out of the storm with Mikki still hanging on to a piece of boat.
This was definitely not a typical Hallmark movie! Sadly, it was a confusing bit of a mess! I wanted more than anything to find out the name of the song Mikki sang (and IF she really sang it) to put in my playlist, because IMO it’s the best thing in the whole movie, but I can’t even find THAT out anywhere!!!
If they’d added another half hour and stuck to the book, it might have been okay. The movie barely mentions that Jack is a veteran. In the book, he’s an Army ranger. It also doesn’t touch on the long struggle he had to get back in shape and regain his strength. Also, all the letters he wrote in the book get reduced to one letter. Read the book and forget this drivel.
Book is so much better
Movie nothing like the book and seems to be all over the place
Comments are closed.