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More Beautiful for Having Been Broken

Country: USA, Language: English, 111 mins

Original Title

Nesting Doll
  • Director: Nicole Conn
  • Writer: Nicole Conn
  • Producer: Nicole Conn; Lissa Forehan

CGiii Comment

It's been 7 years since Nicole Conn's last feature. This could be - quite possibly - her last...unless she manages to retain her horde of [adoring] wealthy producers who neither know their [obvious] asses from their [under-used] elbows. This should have been given the 'elbow' when first presented. Did they read the script before they dished out the money? Obviously not!

More Beautiful for Having Been Broken is - indeed - broken...and, no amount of glue could fix the damage done. This is cheap sentimentality mixed with [day-time] soap-ish melodrama...without an actual story. There are bit and pieces [of story] and like the [face-slapping] metaphor of the puzzle-playing family...it all comes together when the last piece drops into place...wow, two words come to mind: Convoluted and concocted.

Apart from the wee boy, the 'acting' could stand tall in a forest...but, the dime-store philosophy will have you appreciating everything that has [ever] been written inside a Hallmark card.

If day-time soap is your thing...then, this - most definitely - is for you!


Trailer...

The(ir) Blurb...

In the new drama from director Nicole Conn, boy wonder Freddie, who lives with a chronic illness, charms three broken women into his healing embrace. His single mother Samantha tries to cope by dancing, newcomer McKenzie runs, and Vivienne drinks. Each is isolated. Nothing but surrendering to passion, trusting in life, and receiving a greater love can fully help them move through their intertwined grief and loss.

McKenzie (Zoe Ventoura) just wants to be left alone in the glorious Northern California mountains to outrun the pain of losing her mother, but Freddie (an irresistible Cale Ferrin) is determined to bring her into his loving, eccentric community, despite her resistance. Past betrayals keep Samantha (Kayla Radomski) tight and prickly, but flowing scenes of her dancing show her true inner nature. The two women risk closeness, as wild card Vivienne (Harley Jane Kozak, When Harry Met Sally…) must face a fractured relationship and a secret past. Ultimately Freddie is the golden card that brings them all together, leading them to find new strength in their vulnerability.

— CAROL HARADA

Cast & Characters

Kay Lenz as Cassandra
French Stewart as Rodney
Harley Jane Kozak as Vivienne
Bruce Davison as Colin
Felissa Rose as Millicent
Lesley Nicol as Adele
Brooke Elliott as Kat
Zoe Ventoura as McKenzie
Gabrielle Christian as Sasha
Wally Kurth as Buck
Patti Tippo as Rhonda
Cale Ferrin as Freddie
Krista Dane Hoffman as Sherry