So it turns out this Netflix produced Hallmark movie rip-off starting Lindsay Lohan is about an editor who wants to get her own novel written/published . . . and makes a wish that she is marrying her last collaborator, Irish author Paul Kennedy. Waste of a wish, lady.
Maddie has worked alongside Paul (Alexander Vlahos) for a year polishing his latest bestseller and pining for him. However, he hits it off with her best friend, Emma (Elizabeth Tan). Next thing Maddie and her other best friend, Heather, (Ayesha Curry) know, they are in Ireland for the pairs wedding. Despite meeting a handsome English photographer named James (Ed Speleeers - you know, the kid from Eragon) upon arrival, Maddie still makes a wish that she was marrying Paul instead of Emma. A fairy (who is supposed to be Saint Brigid which is very confusing to me) dressed in late 60s mod fashion grants the wish. Now Maddie is marrying Paul and James is their wedding photographer. Oh and Jane Seymour plays her mom who spends most of the film on Maddie’s phone screen or in her own B-plotline. I expected more Jane Seymour.
Before I talk about the writing elements, I want to talk about the “Irish” elements. First of all, Paul lives in a giant estate with a English accent mom. Colonizers! You know his family stole land from the Irish long ago and clearly don’t care. Second, most people in the movie have no Irish accent or a really poor accent (sound like me when I’m trying to impersonate an Irish lady I stayed with on a college trip and who did not seem to care for me). There’s a scene in a bookstore where the clerk barely tries to use an accent, the puts a God’s eye in withe books purchased. Why? Third, the stock photo scene of the Irish countryside don’t match the sets where the actors are. Fourth, what the crap is a “wishing chair”? There are so many other ways they could have worked Maddie’s wish into the movie that come from actual Irish folklore. Even the movie Leap Year came from an actual old Irish tradition. Fifth, Maddie’s favorite author is James Joyce. No one’s favorite author is James Joyce. I think they just looked up the most famous classic Irish author and said, “That will work.” And lastly, Saint Brigid?! Sorry, I can’t get over that part.
Anyway, back to the parts about writing. Heather points out that Maddie had to edit so much of Paul’s book it was practically like she wrote it. I feel like if Paul was truly into his own writing, he wouldn’t have allowed her to change that much. Her character had been working as a freelance writer before that and I appreciate how the movie points out how difficult it is to live off freelance writing which is why she became an editor for the publishing company that handled Paul’s books. Also, Paul’s book is apparently in present tense which I can only handle in certain books. No wonder she had to over-edit it. Present tense is really hard to keep up throughout an entire novel. Paul writes both of their wedding vows, pointing out that HE is the writer, even though he knows she writes as well. Of course, they have to work the love story into her career. Paul states that he knows she needs time to work on her own novel, but first he wants her help on his next novel, despite him promising to hype her up to the publisher they both work for. Naturally, James points out that she should take time for her own writing and all that. James also notices the book she edited is better than any of Paul’s other books.
Spoiler Alert . . . After realizing that Emma and Paul are better for each other and that Maddie likes James, she reverses the wish. Oh, and she tells Paul to only work with her again if it was as a co-writer.
