Monday, August 22, 2016

Old-Fashioned: A Sweet, Sensitive, Christ-Honoring Love Story

I want to share with you a film that has deeply touched my heart over the past several weeks ~ Old Fashioned.



Old Fashioned was recommended by someone very close to me. Because I have two small children, I'm not able to watch many movies, but for some reason this one really piqued my interest. It is a beautiful, beautiful film. I'm so glad that someone recommended it to me. I'm so glad that I watched it. And I am so glad that I may share it with you! 



My husband and I watched Old Fashioned together the first time on our somewhat-fuzzy TV. I watched it later on my laptop because it so deeply drew me in and I was able to better observe some of the beautiful imagery and symbolism in the film~ Rik Swartzwelder, the Producer/Director/Screenwriter of this film is extremely gifted in painting an exquisite canvas of the images/scenes that make up this movie. I think that a person has to watch it at least twice to fully appreciate his artistry and sensitivity in making this film.

Old Fashioned is not your typical sweet love story served Hallmark-style. It is a gritty, sometimes-painful look into the lives of two flawed ~ but deeply-searching human beings who find, through the grace of Christ, deep love for one another. And yet at the same time, it is fun to watch, peppered with enough humor to lighten the heaviness of some of the themes. The storyline also just draws the viewer in; it was so excellently done.



Description of the movie:

Clay Walsh is a "former frat boy" (from the back cover of the film) who has turned to Christ and forsaken his formerly-sinful lifestyle. He lives in a small midwestern town in the state of Ohio where he works in an antique shop restoring "old-fashioned" odds and ends. He holds high ideals for a flawless courtship, one in which he has pledged not to be alone in a room with a woman who is not his wife. As the film unfolds, the viewer learns that Clay still struggles with severe guilt over his past sins and is trying in his own strength to keep his high standards. Later, he embraces the grace of Christ over his past regrets and a beautiful transformation occurs in Clay's life. 

The main female character, Amber, is a fun-loving unbeliever who goes wherever the wind takes her, who has been hurt in past relationships, and who providentially ends up in Ohio, renting the small apartment above the building where Clay restores furniture.  She is mystified by Clay's gentlemanly behavior, sincerity, and high ideals, although she thinks him a "little odd." 



Clay and Amber slowly and sweetly, though sometimes painfully, fall in love with one another. Clay ultimately sheds his legalistic mindset toward romantic love while at the same time still maintaining his high standards and respect towards women. Amber, in my understanding, embraces Christ as her Savior toward the end of the film, realizing that "all things have been made new," (referencing her past sinful life of mistakes and broken relationships), and Clay and Amber become engaged in a very tender love scene (enter box of tissues and replay button ;-)).

Some things (among others :-)) that I LOVED about this film:
  • Clay's sensitivity towards Amber and his genuine love and respect for her that is not "forced."
  • Amber's conversion and her very realistic portrayal of a woman who has been hurt in past relationships but who comes to know Christ and understand His forgiveness.
  • The artistic spin that Rik Swartzwelder gives to the film.
  • The beautiful biblical message of redemption and grace and true Christlike behavior from a man towards a woman.
  • The film writer's willingness to take on difficult issues with tact and grace in a realistic manner.
Some things to consider before viewing this film:

I highly, highly, recommend this film. However, it deals with some heavy topics ~ a scene with a "stripper" at a bachelor's party - which is very carefully done, (in my judgement); several nightclub scenes (also carefully done); and a scene in a bar. There are a few instances (very rare) of somewhat "crude" language - spoken by unbelieving characters (for example, the radio host uses the phrase "knocked-up" - which is probably the strongest language used - this is in order to show how degrading his behavior is, in contrast to Clay's). Someone may feel uncomfortable with these things; the film is Rated PG-13 for those reasons. I believe that the film was beautifully, tastefully done, but if you think that these issues would be offensive, I wanted to make sure that I let my readers know about them ahead of time.

I would  recommend this film for anyone over the age of 16-18. I tend to stay on the conservative side of things, because I always believe that it is better to wait until a person is mature enough to handle the content that they view. So, even though this film is a sweet, sensitive, Christ-honoring love story, I wanted to be sure to give that heads-up. :-)


So go grab your husband, or a friend, or several friends and watch this movie! :-) It is a wonderful film for couples to watch together - it is a wonderful film to watch alone with a nice big slice of cake :-). I hope that it will bless you as much as it blessed my heart. We need more films like it. 



Official Website

Trailer: 




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24 comments:

  1. This is definitely a movie I want to see! I had heard of it previously and forgotten about it! Thank you for reminding me! I appreciate your review! :) Have a wonderful week!

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    1. Oh, you're welcome, Katy! It is such a good movie! Have a wonderful week as well! :-)

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  2. Never heard of this movie, but it sounds very interesting! Thanks for the thorough description!

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    1. You're welcome, Bethany; thanks for stopping by! :-)

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  3. You already know how much I love this movie! <3 I'm so glad you're reviewing it here.

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    1. Yes; I do :-). We'll have to watch it together soon ;-). It was a blessing to review it.

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  4. Thanks for sharing about Old Fashioned. It's not one I've heard of before. I'm glad to hear it's not all sappy-sweet. Those kind just don't reflect real life. :)

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    1. Yes; it is such a wonderful movie, Lisa--I don't care for the sappy ones either when there isn't any substance. I'm glad that you stopped by! :-)

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  5. I had not heard about this movie before, but your review has "sold" it to me. ;-)

    I loved how you handled sharing about the movie without giving anything away, but certainly piquing my interest! :-)

    And I very much trust your judgement when it comes to books and movies. I look forward to watching Old Fashioned. Thank you so much for sharing.

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    1. Oh, you're welcome, Karen! I think that you would really, really enjoy it--it was so good!!! :-) The Lord bless you deeply and richly--I hope that you are having a wonderful vacation!!! :-)

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  6. Thanks for the recommendation, Rebekah! It is hard to find God-honouring films in the UK, so I will look for this one :-)

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    1. Oh, wonderful, Gwen! The Lord bless you and your family! :-)

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  7. Thank you, I will have to check this out. :) Like you, I rarely watch anything, so maybe this is something I will look into.

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    1. You're welcome! I'm so glad that you stopped by; the Lord bless you!

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  8. I had heard this movie was "cheesy" but your review has piqued my interest and my husband and I might be watching this on one of our date nights. Thanks for sharing!

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    1. You're welcome, Cheryl! I'm so glad that I could share about it--it was such a good movie. The Lord bless you!

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  9. This looks good. I enjoyed the trailer. Thanks for sharing about a moving I may not have known about otherwise. Linking with you at Coffee for Your Heart today:)

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    1. You're welcome, Ginger--I just enjoyed it so much, I wanted to share about it. It is difficult to find films with true substance these days. Much love to you through our Savior.

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  10. I love this type of movie. I'll definitely have to check it out. Thanks so much for the recommendation. We absolutely love to watch movies for date night :).

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    1. You're welcome, Candace! I'm so glad to recommend it--it was such a wonderful movie. The Lord bless you and keep you.

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  11. Thanks for sharing this! It is so difficult to find really good films these days. I am excited to check it out.

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    1. Oh, you're welcome Helen! It is such a good movie! Another film that you might enjoy (if you haven't already seen it) is Bella--beautiful film about the sanctity of life. Blessings to you in our Lord.

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  12. Thanks for sharing your review! Although I liked the movie, I felt it was too graphic for my teen daughter to watch for the things you stated (which defeated the purpose for me). I probably would have liked it more for a younger audience without those party scenes (I thought them a bit much). However, I loved the concept of the movie VERY much! Thank you for sharing with us on the Art of Home-Making Mondays at Strangers & Pilgrims on Earth! :)

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  13. Oh, you're welcome, JES! Yes; it definitely held some heavy themes for young teens--I felt like it was more geared toward slightly older men/women who needed to hear the message of the grace of God through brokenness and past regrets/sins but were seeking a fresh start with the Lord in their relationships. I know for myself, I was touched by the male character's genuine, sincere kindness and desire to honor the Lord. But it's definitely a movie that one needs to make a prayerful decision about how old a person should be before they view it.

    Much grace and love to you, JES; have a blessed week :-).

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