Review: The Magic Of Ordinary Days

Obsession.

That is the only word I can use to describe how I feel about this story. I watched this movie after seeing a clip of it on Instagram. Right after the movie ended, I started it back over and watched it again. If you were to ask me why, I would tell you there are many reasons, but the ultimate reason is that it was a great story with a good plot and phenomenal acting.

This Hallmark movie is completely different from the movies you see today. This plot was fresh and different. This is based on a novel of the same title by Ann Howard Creel. You will not be surprised to know that I decided to read the book in about two days after watching the movie for the third time. There are some significant changes; however, the main storyline remains and touches my soul.

The story follows a pregnant Livy (Olivia) who is married off to a stranger by her religious father in an attempt to save the family name. The farmer she is married off to is a stoic and soft-spoken man by the name of Ray. We follow their story that parallels the story of Livy making friends with some Japanese Americans in a nearby containment camp; this wording probably seems strange to you, this is because the story takes place during World War 2.

The movie's cinematography shows stunning scenery as well as focuses on the ordinary lives of the individuals involved during wartime. I was struck by how simple everything was but how magical it simultaneously seemed. The most mundane things, cooking, farming, and using the phone, were luxurious during wartime; something we take for granted. The characters never do anything "wild," which I found refreshing. The romantic lead man, Ray, was not a billionaire flying Livy out to a shut-down park for a night of fun while also taking calls to land the biggest deal of his life- he was a farmer who worked all day and still found a way into my heart----Livy's heart. The simplicity was so refreshing, and so real; I want to believe these people existed.

The concurrent storyline between Livy and the sisters she meets from a containment camp was also well done. This storyline was used to explore Livy's feeling of captivity, something that did not occur to me until my second watch. They very much mirrored each other; however, circumstances were very much different. The sisters had no choice in the matter, while Livy did. This was explained more thoroughly in the book; however, the movie did a great job of allowing us to put together the pieces we were given. The movie also gave us a much happier ending in general!

My favorite part of the story was the acting and romance. This was not throw you against a wall and kiss you until our clothes come off romance-this was slow burn. A slow burn that allowed you to witness what love realistically looks like. We see a man who doesn't speak much, but when he does, he makes an impact. We see that actions are louder than words. I was struck by how much the character reminded me of my husband, though my husband is much more talkative to me than this character was in general, but I adored Ray nonetheless. He might be the greenest flag in terms of men. Patient, kind, and accepting. Livy, pretty much his exact opposite, is fierce and real. You understand her struggle, and for the whole story, you just want to hug her and tell her it will be okay. The chemistry alone between the tense eye gazes and almost touches leaves you wanting. I truly believe I have not seen such real romance and love in a movie before this moment.

If you are one of those who always say "you don't believe in love," I dare you to watch this movie and tell me you dare not believe in love anymore.