Not Your Romeo & Juliet

Kudos to writer and producer Sean Gaffney, director Matthew Kistenmacher, and Asbury University for an enjoyable film about love and loss, hope and redemption, change and growth, and moving forward. Not Your Romeo and Juliet is a movie for the entire family. The story is wholesome, sweet, funny, and uplifting. It's a small-budget film with a big heart. There's no sex, no violence, no bad language - a nice change from much of what is available today. The acting is mostly strong with memorable performances by Catherine Gaffney, Deandra Sallee Cahall, and Jordan Bryant. I recommend Not Your Romeo and Juliet as a feel-good movie everyone can enjoy.

This is a fun movie filled with some really great lines. As a mom, I appreciated the character of Mikki's mom, Toni, and that she is expanding herself in midlife. I especially appreciated that she gives wisdom to Mikki and though supporting her efforts does not always agree. I also found Kate to be hilarious. If you're not a Tolkien buff, or are too young to know Audrey and Catherine (no relation) Hepburn which so many have confused, some of the humor might be lost; but if you're looking for something the whole family can watch together with no worries about content, this fits the bill. We enjoyed a light-hearted family evening.

Hits the chick flick feels without being too juvenile or adding in explicit content. It's not a blockbuster with scripting or acting, but it has positive messages and left me feeling cheerful. It takes place at a Christian University, which sets the tone of the movie. I wasn't expecting that from the teaser or trailer. Spoilers: One questionable message from the movie is that lying is okay as long as you eventually tell. All of the romantic connections in the movie start from a place of lying about identity. This creates the plot conflict, but then everyone still ends up together as if trust hadn't really been broken.