I asked Esther to write the review for a movie we were sent recently. Here is what she says:
I love getting things for review, and when Princess Cut, from Watchman Pictures, became available to review a few months ago, I was intrigued. After watching the trailer, Mom and I thought we’d try it out, so we requested a copy.
Last week, it came, and the next available day we had to watch it, we took time for it. I wasn’t disappointed. This movie actually pretty-well played out according to my expectations (which isn’t always a good thing, but I guess, in this case, it was!).
The main plot revolves around a girl who would really like to get married but has a hard time knowing how to find a good guy. She isn’t really interested in her parent’s input, either, which means that she’s often left to fend for herself—generally with disappointing results.
When her boyfriend of several years announces that he’s engaged, Grace is crushed. She had expected that he’d propose to her soon, but now his ring is on another girl’s finger. As she tries to sort through the emotional fallout, another guy from a coffee shop strikes up a conversation and soon they are going out on dates. When he starts pushing Grace’s boundaries, though, she realizes she must get out—before anything worse happens.
Finally coming to a place of brokenness, she opens her heart to her parents and receives much-needed guidance. But will the Lord bring someone else into her life, or does He want her to remain single? Can she find joy and fulfillment in the moment, even though things have gone the opposite way to what she thought she’d like?
One of my favorite parts of Princess Cut was Grace’s parent’s involvement. They respected the fact that she was grown up and wanted to make her own decisions, but when she asked for their advice, they gave her very clear, sound counsel. I loved that.
Another aspect I loved was how she did her best to not only learn as much as she could about what God wanted from her, but tried to live that out as well. Although that can be a difficult, time-consuming process to go through, it’s also very good.
As far as the plot-line itself, I wouldn’t consider it anything truly stellar, but it didn’t drag too much, either. I did appreciate the fact that kisses and such-like were only mentioned, and not shown on-screen. This movie struck me as something that you might find in a Hallmark movie (granted; I’ve only ever heard descriptions of one—never watched one to my knowledge!)—basically, a “boy meets girl” story with a Christian twist and (godly) character growth.
For me, the main takeaways from Princess Cut are a little vague. I appreciated the emphasis on getting counsel from older people, and I’ve certainly found that true and very helpful in my own life! I also appreciated the exhortation to young women to cultivate good attitudes and have healthy, God-honoring habits. I’ve learned that this is essential, and, by the grace of God, I’m always trying to grow in those areas! The message of contentment where we are right now, is, too, a big thing—one Mom and I have discussed off and on. It’s very hard to learn (and maintain!), but the results are amazing.
As far as the relationships themselves?—well, this movie could possibly set girls up for unrealistic expectations. They could think that once they give it over to the Lord, and “perfect” the lacking disciplines, attitudes, or fruits of the spirit in their lives, then the right guy will just come along and within a few months, they’ll be happily married!
It happens. I know it does. Perhaps even more often than I think! But I would suspect it’s not very often. Still, one can find joy in the season one is in—if we search diligently for it. And for me, having been on “both sides of the line” so to speak (both dating a guy and then not), I know that while yes, it is difficult to not have that physical or emotional fulfillment, it can be found in Jesus. He is enough, even though it doesn’t always feel like that at times.
I also do want to recognize that while this story may be almost picture-perfect in some aspects, it also almost had to be that way to be a satisfying movie. In all, while it wasn’t the most exciting movie I’ve watched all year, it still was very good and I wouldn’t be surprised if I find myself watching it again someday. It’s very clean, and it does have some good principles—both of which I appreciate.
Thank you for your review, Esther! Something I’ll add is that we are still laughing at part of this movie. At one point, a number of potential suitors show up at Grace’s house (I won’t tell you why, but it’s funny). This part was absolutely hilarious, although the attitudes displayed were all too real. This part has sparked some good conversation about what NOT to be like. Here are screenshots of some of them:
We also loved the little brother. He really added to the story! One thing you might want to be aware of is the fight scene which starts at 1:24:15. No one is hurt, but it does look pretty violent for awhile. One more thing I just thought of. When Esther and I sat down to watch this, we gave the boys the choice of watching or not. They were pretending to gag at the thought of watching a movie about love, but Simon and Mr. Intellectual decided to watch just the first little bit to see how mushy it was. They ended up staying to watch the whole thing!
