In-Lawfully Yours

I referenced this film about six years ago. The video I used is blocked. I summarized:

Up Channel has "new" films on Sunday nights at 7/11 that are actually not new but promoted as new. For a few weeks now, the picks have been overall pretty good. 

This week, we had a city girl, not much into God, come to help her old mother-in-law (as in ex -- the hubby cheated on her) move after the father-in-law died. She falls for the new minister, whose deceased wife was her sister-in-law. 

Thus, the punny title. Various familiar faces, including two people in current shows and two from old shows. It has light touches mixed with a lot of serious content. 

Well-acted, with the story pretty well paced too. Sorta topical.

The film was a Regents University production. The DVD behind-the-scenes extra talks about that, including how film students were involved. 

Its website offers:

Experience the difference of America’s Premier Christian University that offers over 150 areas of study online and on campus in Virginia Beach, Virginia.

"Christian" means a variety of things. The film promotes an open-minded view. After all, the minister might be a widower, but the other love interest is a divorcee. 

At one point, her ex comes back pretending to want to reunite. He claims to be reformed. It is a trick. Some Christians would find that troublesome. Why not make it a redemption story and save her from the evils of divorce?!

She asks a lot of questions about the Bible and religion in the film. The film cheats a bit by not providing too many answers to her questions. 

Yes, how do you know you chose the right religion? Yes, how did Job getting a new family really help him after his old one all died?  

The film does know that a "message" film should first be a good film. The Bible is filled with stories that teach us. They are also enjoyable stories. They were passed down for more than their moral lessons.

I re-watched the film (at least for a third time) and still enjoyed it. The husband's coming back is a bit heavy-handed, but it is an understandable plot device. Got to earn that nice ending. 

Still, I want to get past that and back to the pastor and his sister-in-law building a relationship. They are a good couple. And both are well-rounded, complex characters.