ROSE HILL

REVIEWED BY LINDSAY GRAHAM

Our rating: 4 out of 5

Because of: thematic elements

Rated:

Pickpockets by trade, orphans by circumstance, and a band of brothers by choice, four ragamuffins on the streets of 1880’s Boston know the hardships of the world far too well. When they find an abandoned baby in the back of a stolen wagon they have to make a decision…will they remain a nameless group bound only by the next dollar or will they become a family? Under the guidance of Adam, the eldest, they adopt the baby whom they name Mary Rose, and call themselves the Claybornes. Longing for a fresh start they head off to a land of equal opportunity and adventure in Texas. A few years later Mary Rose is still the center of the family but the boys feel that the little girl will be grown before they know it. Scraping every penny that they can, the boys dream of a life on their own ranch. So when they hear of free land out in Montana, they pull up stakes accompanied by a mistreated woman from the ranch and head out to a place that they can all finally call home.

Ten years have passed and the family is at last settled on Rose Hill, their very own ranch. The boys have indeed done well for themselves; Adam (Jeffrey D. Sams) is still in his place as leader, Douglas (Zak Orth) is the accountant, Cole (Justin Chambers) the adventurer, and Travis (Tristan Tait), the scheming gambler. The makeshift family they formed as children now a permanent fixture, and the little girl they made their sister, now a grown woman. Mary Rose (Jennifer Garner) is happy to be at the center of her brothers’ world but she feels restricted by their over-protectiveness and wants to experience what it is like to not only just be a sister, but also being a marriageable woman.  When two eligible young gentlemen come onto the scene, her brothers are far from being pleased but Mary Rose is determined to have a suitor before she is old and gray.

Yet when tragedy strikes and the family is torn apart by betrayal, Mary Rose is left to question everything she believed in and be led on a path of self-discovery. Torn between two worlds-- a world in which she belongs to her brothers and Rose Hill as Mary Rose Clayborne and a world of pomp and splendor in Boston as Victoria. She has been searching for the meaning of a family, yet which family does she truly belong to? Can she belong to both?

The Washington Post called it a “…classy production” and Rose Hill is just that, very little objectionable content is present throughout the film. Most of the objectionable content is seen in the nature of mild western violence, the corpse of one man is seen and the death of a principal character by gunshot is heard. There is also minimal discussion of death by hanging. There are also a few scenes in a bar where alcohol and tobacco are present. Sensuality consists of light kissing. Another thing viewers should be wary of is a rather gruesome scene of dead cattle in a snow-covered field. The images aren’t detailed, but are disgusting in any case.

Albeit rather predictable, Rose Hill is an enjoyable film to watch and the acting, costumes, and sets were excellent. This was one of Jennifer Garner’s first film roles but she gave an outstanding performance as the vibrant and beautiful Mary Rose. The other cast members didn’t shirk in their roles either, and gave stunning performances as well. Many wonderful life lessons are the joy of this film, and show that being a family doesn’t depend on merely sharing blood, but choosing to love and care for those who are close to you. Even though it is one of the lesser-known Hallmark films, Rose Hill is superb and I recommend it most highly.

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