John Hohn

I like a good chick flick. Truly. But "Virgin River" is not one I can recommend. The setting is beautiful. The cast, given their vapid lines, does remarkably well, The plot wallows in sentimentality. Alexandra Breckinridge as Amy can't stop grieving for her husband who died a year earlier. The plat trudges through hugely boring minutes of maudlin self-pity and adolescent inability to come to terms with her loss. The screenwriter goes back to the well too many times. Then there's Jack, played by Martin Henderson, who is guilt ridden over a vaguely defined tragedy as a combat sergeant who failed, as many did God knows, to bring back everyone in his platoon alive. I studied PTSD preparing for my novel, "Breached," it is a horrible affliction. Henderson plays it well but then stoic denial doesn't call on an actor for much range. And this guy is so understanding. Goodness, what a fine fellow! Finally, Annette O'Toole wrestles with the character of Hope (hopeless) who is so overdrawn, tedious, and lacking in depth, O'Toole risked a career-ending portrayal accepting the part.(Nurse Rached) Fortunately for O'Toole, the show may not become very popular. It lands on Tim Matheson, as Doc, to convince viewers he is still in love after 20 years of a spiteful, unforgiving separation with the shrewish Hope. The dude's a masochists--an impossible Ozzie Nelson role played as well as it could be. Viewers will not find Hope loveable for 20 minutes, let alone 20 years as the script demands. Colin Lawrence leads the rest of the cast in minor roles with a believable performance. In fact, if anything, the actors in the minor roles are the most credible and salvage the debris of this contrived, shmaltzy screen play. David Cubit as Calvin and Lauren Hammersley as Charmaine are both excellent.