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It's a feel-good story about family relationships. Benedict wants to reconcile with his wife and find a way to move forward in his mundane life. His niece from America helps him in his quest by showing him how to update his gemstone shop as well as his way of thinking. Gemma has a gift for helping him as well as the townspeople come out of their comfort zones and grow, while using the mysterious properties of various gemstones to do so. Okay, so it's also a mystical kind of story, which I usually enjoy. Acting is good. There is chemistry between Mía Maestro and Tom Everett Scott. Despite the separation, Gemma's line that they are hopelessly in love (or just hopeless) is accurate even from the beginning. Emilia's character has been too much taken for granted and she needed far more comfort from her husband through their failed efforts at conceiving a child. That's where Gemma comes in. All of this is laid out fairly early in the story. An amazingly intricate and ambitious first novel - ten years in the making - that puts an engrossing new spin on the traditional haunted-house tale. Years later, he is slovenly, overweight, pining for the wife who moved out because she feels pressured by their infertility, yearning for the brother who left never wanting to see him again, discontent with his work, and ripe for it all somehow to be made right. This story is just charming and sweet while it explores relationships, childlessness, family and passion for life in such wonderful ways. You will fall in love with these characters and be cheering them on until the end! In the vein of The Language of Flowers, each chapter is titled with the name of a gemstone along with the meaning behind the power of the stone which I thoroughly enjoyed.
As Benedict tries to sort things out, his niece Gemma arrives on his doorstep. Benedict is estranged from his brother so he doesn’t know anything about the young woman who walks into his life, but she’s on a mission to save his marriage and rekindle his romance. The general outcome is predictable as is Gemma's role in it. Even so Ella Ballentine's energy as Gemma, and how she infects Benedict with it, is a joy to watch. Maestro is immediately sympathetic as Emilia. She has a elegant beauty and a appealing personality. James Langton was a supreme success once again. He voices the range of characters, including most of the village, and their quirks so well. His sense of timing and emotion were spot on.I read The Curious Charms of Arthur Pepper by this author. It’s still my favorite. I plan to read her other books before her latest comes out. The interludes with Ella Ballentine narrating the properties of various stones is such a sweet editing touch to the movie. All of the details from the whimsical font to the pleasing (but not oversaturated) warm color palette make this movie seem less cookie-cutter than most other Hallmark movies. Speaking of Ella, she is so sweet and spirited in this role. Tom Everett Scott is equally as adorable in his role. I loved that the main relationship in this movie was that between uncle and niece. This poor, sad character, Benedict Stone. All he really cares about is his wife, Estelle, and having a family which even more sadly, is not going to happen. So Benedict eats and eats and eats. His life is mundane and sad, very sad. Then Estelle leaves him. Then he becomes really sad. Benedict is so sad that I almost did not want to continue reading this book. He is such a loser, but there is something about him that makes you want to read on.
In the present, Benedict obtains Charlie’s phone number from Gemma’s phone and calls Charlie. Within hours, Charlie is in England. He had not known Gemma’s whereabouts. He and Benedict get into a fistfight, letting loose years of anger. After overseeing the fight, Gemma wanders off alone into the moors above the town. When she does not come home, Benedict and Charlie, along with Estelle, put their differences behind them and set out to find her. Mixed feelings about this one. If the reader can suspend belief and just go with it, that's the best way to enjoy it. RISE & SHINE, BENEDICT STONE was a heartwarming read about family, about trying new things, and about trying to get what you need in life.Mia Maestro (Emilia) has appeared in several projects including The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 1 & 2 and The Motorcycle Diaries, and she has appeared in a number of TV series including The Strain and Mayans M.C. Soon, Benedict starts to realize that he has everything he could possibly need in life and he needs to start embracing it all. Rise and Shine, Benedict Stone cast In the middle of storm one night a stranger appears on his doorstep, who turns out to be the niece of his estranged brother Charlie in America. Charlie and Benedict haven't spoken in 18 years. His niece Gemma claims she lost her passport and phone in the airport, and has explanations for every one of Benedict's questions, and though none are very believable, Benedict falls for them all the same. There are some wonderfully endearing hilarious scenes that result from Gemma’s romantic advice. But there’s quite a bit of serious drama as well. It seems that Benedict isn’t the only Stone family member who is good at running away from problems rather than facing them. And sprinkled throughout is a bit of the mythology and meaning of gemstones. What a heart warming story this is. I have read the authors previous book, The Curious Charms Of Arthur Pepper and I enjoyed it so much that I could not wait to see what she had in store for us next and I have to say I was not disappointed. The chapters all have gem stones for names and a brief description of what the stone represents. The book is full of likeable characters and it's set in a quaint little village. This book is called Wishes Under The Willow Tree in the UK but it was previously published this year as Rise And Shine Benedict Stone.
Benedict owns a jewelry shop and turns out the same hum drum pieces despite there being virtually no demand and very few customers. Estelle is a painter with an upcoming exhibit of her artworks, which feature vibrant vistas of the local moors. Benedict, by contrast, is a study in grays when we first meet him, from his wardrobe to the walls of the shop to the metals he works with. Gemma was the one who was helping Benedict change even though Gemma was pretty closed mouth about why she appeared on his doorstep and didn't want to call her father to let him know where she was. We come to learn that Benedict Stone has reached a crisis point in his life and must venture on a personal journey to recover something that has been lost. He has been a caregiver and a provider all his life. He knows nothing else. He had always wanted to have children and a family to carry on traditions. Because his parents died when he was young, he was responsible for the care of his brother and their business of running the family jewelry making shop. Turquoise is my favorite gemstone. I’ve seen various meanings for it. Some include healing, friendship, tranquility, and protection.Rise and Shine, Benedict Stone' will premiere on September 26, Sunday, at 9/8 c, on Hallmark Movies & Mysteries. Spoilers
When this story was all said and done, I was so sorry that I thought of Benedict as a loser. He's not a loser. He just needed a push, something to get him out of his misery and his sadness of not being able to have a family. With promising characters and irresistible charm, 'Rise and Shine, Benedict Stone' is a reminder of the unbreakable bonds of family and shows that having someone to embrace life with is always better than standing on your own. The official synopsis says: "The story is about Benedict Stone and his wife Emilia who got separated after 10 years, when trying for a baby becomes unsuccessful". Cast I loved The Curious Charms of Arthur Pepper and her latest book is another winner. The author has the ability to write about relationships in a heartwarming way that just pulls you into the story and the lives of these characters. Benedict Stone (Tom Everett Scott) is breaking up with his wife (Mía Maestro). One rainy night, his niece Gemma Stone (Ella Ballentine) suddenly shows up. He's been estranged from his brother for 20 years and has never met his niece. She claims to have lost her phone and can't remember her dad's phone number. Tom Everett Scott (Benedict) got his start in Tom Hanks’ feel-good classic That Thing You Do!, which just celebrated its 25th anniversary in 2021. He’s appeared in many other projects over the years, including Race to Witch Mountain, Parental Guidance and La La Land, in addition to appearing on a number of TV shows including Will & Grace, 13 Reasons Why and The Council of Dads.
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Canadian actress, Ella Ballentine was born in 2001, in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. She is the recipient of the Canadian Screen Award (2018), Runner-up of the Fangoria Chainsaw Award (2017), Honourable Mention of the Whistler Film Festival (2020). I thoroughly enjoyed Benedict and felt sorry for him as he worked through living without his wife. His jewelry shop and their love just hadn't been enough for them after they were unable to have children after eight years. Into this dreary life of Benedict's comes his precocious teenage niece, Gemma. Slowly this odd pair grow close of their shared loved of the gem stones and the family traditions. Gemma's vitality and the secret pain he sees in her awakens Benedict and he is ready to make drastic changes and fight for what he really needs.
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