This Little Love of Mine Parent Guide

What use is a life-changing opportunity if you have no desire to change your life? Chip (Liam McIntyre) has an idyllic existence on the tropical island of Sapphire Cove, working at the local resort and captaining the shuttle boat. When a corporate lawyer arrives on the island with a billion dollar offer, Chip assures her that he has no desire to give up his island paradise. There’s just one catch – Chip has known this lawyer since they were childhood best friends and he’s never been able to forget her.

Laura (Saskia Hampele) also finds herself in the middle of a dilemma. Determined to become a partner in her San Francisco law firm, she simply can’t refuse the job given her by billionaire Graham Finley (Martin Portus) – return to Sapphire Cove and persuade his grandson Chip to assume control of the family business. Certain she can get the contract signed quickly, Laura heads for the island, only to realize that success will come at a price she might not want to pay…

Let’s begin on a high note. Filmed in Australia, this movie is blessed with swoon-worthy locations. The beaches will make their way on to your bucket list – particularly if you watch the film in the winter. In addition, This Little Love of Mine might be the cleanest romantic drama I’ve ever seen. There’s no swearing, no violence, and no sex, filmed or implied. Even the bathing suits are one-piece. You can watch this film with anyone without fear of embarrassment – your mother, your pastor (or equivalent), or your Great-Aunt Ethel. None of them will be shocked or offended by any of the content. You can even watch it with your teens without any risk of awkward bedroom moments. Who you can’t watch this movie with is anyone who expects interesting dialogue and a plot with even the faintest traces of originality.

The movie’s positives are overwhelmed by its incredible blandness. It’s an Australian film, with an Aussie cast and Down Under locations, but you’d never know it from the script. Its location is deliberately anonymous and the cast do their best to speak vaguely American English, although a smidgeon of Australian accent occasionally sneaks in. Why director Christine Luby has removed local elements that could add humor or distinctiveness to her film is a mystery. And why she would replace them with insipid, Hallmark-movie-style elements is an even bigger question. The predictable storyline is a problem and sabotaging the movie by removing any remotely interesting element is a fatal error.

Sadly, the film’s acting is on par with its script: it’s incredibly mediocre. Saskia Hampele has reduced her character to three gestures – tilting her head, biting her lip, and rubbing her “lucky” necklace. The rest of the time, she simply looks confused. Other cast members also have a high-school-play vibe and I don’t know if they simply lack talent or if the blame falls, once again, on the novice director.

This Little Love of Mine isn’t the worst film I’ve ever seen. It’s not violent or disturbing and it doesn’t have any upsetting content. It contains a ridiculous coconut toss game and its use of a token non-white friend is off-putting. But if you’re a fan of the genre and are looking for a mindless movie that hits all the beats, this could provide you with 90 minutes of low risk entertainment. Just don’t expect big rewards.