THE MAGIC OF ORDINARY DAYS

REVIEWED BY CHARITY BISHOP

Our rating: 5 out of 5

Rated:

Arranged marriages have captivated audiences for generations. There is something profound in a simple story of two souls becoming entwined through forced circumstances. The Magic of Ordinary Days is a charming Hallmark film that plays out against the wilds of Colorado in the years after Pearl Harbor. War is still raging abroad, and Livy (Keri Russell) is mourning the necessity  of leaving Denver for the southern plains. Nervous on the train, we slowly come to understand that she is being sent to marry Ray Singleton (Skeet Ulrich), a lonely farmer still bearing the emotional burden of his brother's death at Pearl Harbor. Willing to take this woman and her unborn child into his home, Ray does everything possible to make her content, but Livy is unhappy with her life on the farm.

Her flight from solitude leads her to befriend two Japanese girls situated in a nearby camp. The government needs farms to remain productive, so they hire out the inhabitants of these camps to work the land. Rose (Gwendoline Yeo)and Florrie (Tania Gunadi) are enraptured with life on the prairie. They watch butterflies and have a book full of sketches of all the different kinds they have encountered. Both of them remark on how fortunate Livy is in her newfound life, little knowing that it's all been arranged and no affection exists between man and wife. Livy is desperately searching for the father to her child, an air flight instructor who seduced her after her mother's death. Ray is attempting to get to know his quiet wife, whose passion is archeology. Livy's older sister wants her to return to Denver to have the baby, but Livy is just beginning to settle into her life.

German POW's come to the neighborhood and Rose begins an impromptu flirtation with one of them, leading her to a decision that will impact the lives of everyone around her. Just when Livy is slowly coming to respect and like her husband, an envelope from overseas threatens to tear them apart. The result is an emotionally impacting if often slow-moving Hallmark Hall of Fame presentation that is wholly commendable for its exploration of our choices and their consequences. It delves into the serious issues raised during that pivotal time in our history, particularly that of containment camps and enemy labor. Livy holds no natural prejudices, but Ray has to work his way through his dislike for Japanese and Germans.

Eventually Livy realizes that her insecurity and the loss of her mother lead her to seek to be consoled in all the wrong places; she gave away her purity because she was lonely, and the man only took advantage of her. This is contrasted with Ray's gentle, slow-growing love that only wants what is best for her. The two scrap on occasion but in the end realize they have the beginnings of a family. Religion plays a major role, with everyone being God-fearing, church-going members of society. Livy's father is a minister. There aren't any problematic elements: no sensuality, only some discussion on being pregnant outside of marriage, and no language. There isn't even any violence, although a few shouting matches do ensue. Livy's water breaks while she's standing by the telephone, and we see it drip down her legs. Other than that, it's a recommendable film with a good heart and a surprisingly sweet conclusion.