I sought out this movie for two reasons, because I am a giant fan of Ann-Margret, still beautiful in her 60s here, and the young actress Shailene Woodley who we first learned of as a teenager in "The Secret Life of the American Teenager", a TV series. It was fun to see her in a much younger role. She didn't seem to be more than 11 or 12 here, and shows what a fine, natural actress she is.
The story has little subtlety, Ann-Margret is Tula, a widow with a beautiful home on a lake, her eyesight is failing, and her niece and nephew want her property for themselves. They want to turn it into a real estate bonanza. They are wicked, that is never disguised, and much of the story involves their schemes.
Matthew Settle is drifter Hank Ford , with a young daughter, his old car acts up as they are near Tula's home and they end up going to her house to get help. The young daughter is Shailene Woodley as Cali. They never seem to stay in one place for very long, a few days usually, but Tula sees some promise, and has a soft spot for Cali. She offers them the guest house and a modest salary if he will do work around the house and the property. She also sees this as a way to neutralize the niece and nephew, who have by now called in a social worker to evaluate Tula. They hope to have her declared incompetent to live on her own so that they can get her place.
Most of the acting, directing, and cinematography are consistent with a TV movie, adequate but not above ordinary. Still it is a nice little feel-good story, and being filmed in the South Lake Tahoe area, the scenery is beautiful.
SPOILERS: Tula's old sailor husband had died 8 years earlier, and the town doctor had been keeping his eye on Tula, something she was oblivious to. He also had been urging her to see an eye specialist, maybe going blind wasn't necessary. In the end she and he became a couple, she had the eye surgery successfully, and they planned to convert the home to a B & B. Hank Ford took up the doc's offer to re-open an old shop and become the auto mechanic for the town. He and Cali now had a place to call home, and he even seemed to be developing a romance with the social worker. The niece and nephew were removed from Tula's will and she made it clear they were not welcome there.
The story has little subtlety, Ann-Margret is Tula, a widow with a beautiful home on a lake, her eyesight is failing, and her niece and nephew want her property for themselves. They want to turn it into a real estate bonanza. They are wicked, that is never disguised, and much of the story involves their schemes.
Matthew Settle is drifter Hank Ford , with a young daughter, his old car acts up as they are near Tula's home and they end up going to her house to get help. The young daughter is Shailene Woodley as Cali. They never seem to stay in one place for very long, a few days usually, but Tula sees some promise, and has a soft spot for Cali. She offers them the guest house and a modest salary if he will do work around the house and the property. She also sees this as a way to neutralize the niece and nephew, who have by now called in a social worker to evaluate Tula. They hope to have her declared incompetent to live on her own so that they can get her place.
Most of the acting, directing, and cinematography are consistent with a TV movie, adequate but not above ordinary. Still it is a nice little feel-good story, and being filmed in the South Lake Tahoe area, the scenery is beautiful.
SPOILERS: Tula's old sailor husband had died 8 years earlier, and the town doctor had been keeping his eye on Tula, something she was oblivious to. He also had been urging her to see an eye specialist, maybe going blind wasn't necessary. In the end she and he became a couple, she had the eye surgery successfully, and they planned to convert the home to a B & B. Hank Ford took up the doc's offer to re-open an old shop and become the auto mechanic for the town. He and Cali now had a place to call home, and he even seemed to be developing a romance with the social worker. The niece and nephew were removed from Tula's will and she made it clear they were not welcome there.