I just kinda fell into this one. After a weekend of interesting tumult but still tumult, a seemingly random Jana Kramer movie on Tubi looked like the polar opposite of all things Titanic. Until I saw that Tubi had four more movies lined up right behind it. Feeling lazy and a little curious, I thought, “Why not?”
For those who might not be familiar with Jana Kramer, she’s probably best known for playing Alex Dupre on One Tree Hill, but she’s built a pretty healthy set of TV credits outside of that, in addition to a podcast and a very active social media presence. And of course, the requisite occasional missteps. Kramer is also a country singer and not a bad one at that in my opinion. Here’s a small sample from her debut album:
Getting back to Kramer’s acting career, though, again, she’s made a lot of TV movies of varying quality over the years, which is why streaming services like Tubi are ready repositories. To Kramer’s credit, though, she seems to gravitate towards Hallmark-type projects as opposed to Lifetime movies, thank goodness. They might be predictable and a least a little cheesy, but they’re always at least somewhat watchable.
So which movies did Tubi show me? Well, here we go…
Heart of the Country (2013)
When Faith’s husband, Luke goes to jail for fraud, Faith goes back to her small North Carolina hometown and reconnects with her family and old friends, including Lee, her best guy friend who’s now the town doctor and very, very single.
While it’s got some good points, this movie gives romance the shaft, because Faith and Luke have no chemistry whatsoever, but we’re supposed to accept them as happily married somehow. Spoiler alert: Lee is easily the better man.
It also gives Faith’s musical talents the shaft, because even though it hints at her trying to make it in the music business, we don’t see her get to bring much of anything beyond a few tentative measures of a Gershwin song.
On the plus side, Gerald McRaney gives a fine performance as Faith’s ailing dad and biggest cheerleader. I always like seeing him.
Approaching Midnight (2013)
When Staff Sergeant Wesley Kent returns from combat in Afghanistan, he has the unfortunate duty of returning personal effects to Crystal, the widow of his best friend, AJ. He also finds out that Aspen, the woman he was seeing, died in a car accident a month before.
Wes thinks there was something fishy about Aspen’s accident, so he starts digging around, which the mayor isn’t too happy about. He and his money have pumped up the local economy, or so they seem to have, but of course there are other things going on beneath the surface.
So, it’s basically a male Erin Brockovich meets Law and Order, only the protagonist has a gun. Anyone who watches this for Jana Kramer will be sorely disappointed, because she’s only onscreen for about fifteen minutes or so.
And it’s boring. I could not for the life of me keep any attention on this thing, and in fact, I fell asleep a couple of times. Ugh. Avoid unless suffering from insomnia.
Country Crush (2016)
It’s a musical. Oh golly, it’s a musical. It’s a musical that gives Jana Kramer top billing and only about twenty minutes of screentime. I’d say it’s a cash grab, but it’s unlikely anyone was looking to make money from this movie anyway. Everyone breaks into song every few minutes for no apparent reason and dares us not to flinch.
Other than that, it’s not bad. Kind of on the level of Sunday School Musical. The music is mostly OK. The acting is OK. The story is extremely cliched and not OK, although there are definitely worse out there.
Speaking of which, the movie is all about Nancy, an aspiring country singer, and Charlie, the small town mechanic who encourages her to get away from her creeper of a boss, who Nancy calls her “boyfriend.”
On the plus side, it pays a slight tribute to America’s armed forces, but it’s not enough to save anything.
Christmas In Mississippi (2017)
Another instance of Jana’s character going back to her hometown, this time we’re following photographer Holly as she heads to Gulfport, Mississippi for Christmas and gets roped into helping her ex-boyfriend with the town’s massive lights display.
It’s awkward at first, of course. Holly thinks Hunky Ex, whose name is Mike, is married with a kid until it turns out that the woman she thought was his wife is just a friend and engaged to the drugstore owner, and the kid she thinks is his is actually a nephew.
After that, Mike and Holly are on the Stinking Cute Express and there’s nothing stopping them. Until Holly is offered a photo magazine editor job and has to decide what’s most important to her. One guess as to what she picks.
Oh, and there’s a lost reindeer plushie who needs to find his family. And Richard Karn of Home Improvement fame has a small part, as does Barry Bostwick.
Christmas In Louisiana (2019)
Same scenario, different state, only this time Jana’s character, Sarah, is a lawyer and she’s home for her town’s Mr. and Miss Christmas pageant, which is having its fiftieth anniversary. Naturally, she runs into her best friend and ex-boyfriend, Luke, who once broke up with her in front of the entire town. Yeah. Different guy, same name. And like our previous movie, Barry Bostwick has a pretty visible part.
It’s not too hard to let bygones be bygones, though, and Luke and Sarah quickly mend fences. Sarah also ropes Luke into helping her with all the Christmas stuff she’s been shanghaied into, which Luke readily accepts, and among other things there’s an epic frosting battle at a cookie decorating session.
Yeah, there’s a lot of cuteness going on here. Sarah’s mom has a romance with a visiting photographer, and of course there are Sarah’s grandparents, who are still just as romantic as they were on their honeymoon.
Despite being basically the same movie as Christmas In Mississippi, and therefore predictable as all get-out, Louisiana is still pretty fun.
Eeep. I think my brain went comatose. Five movies, and with very slight exceptions they were all pretty much alike. Sigh…
My pipes are well and truly cleared, though, so that’s a good thing.
Another post is coming out on Tuesday, and it’s fairly rockin’. Take that as you will. Thanks for reading, all, and I hope to see you then…
Heart of the Country (DVD, Prime and Tubi), Approaching Midnight (DVD, Blu-ray and Tubi), Country Crush (DVD, Prime and Tubi), Christmas In Mississippi (Prime and Tubi) are available on Amazon. Christmas In Louisiana is available on Tubi.
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I give you props for watching all five movies in a row, even though you fell asleep during that one! Lol I’ve never heard of this actress before, but I rarely watch these types of movies. However, I’m not completely immune to their predictable charms, so I will Keep an eye out for her the next time I need a sugar rush!
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