I remember the first time I watched the trailer for Old Fashioned. I was immediately struck by the beauty of the cinematography and the indie look of the film. Then when they started their marketing campaign against Fifty Shades of Grey, I was impressed to see the David and Goliath approach that they undertook and to see the response they got. I was disappointed that I wasn’t able to see it at the theaters, but was overjoyed when I was offered the chance to review the dvd.
I thought I had a pretty good idea what would happen in Old Fashioned. Parts of it were as expected. Parts of it completely different.
OLD FASHIONED centers on Clay Walsh, a former frat boy who gives up his reckless carousing and now runs an antique shop in a small Midwestern college town. There, he has become notorious for his lofty and outdated theories on love and romance as well as for his devout belief in God. When Amber Hewson, a free-spirited young woman with a restless soul, drifts into the area and rents the apartment above his shop, she finds herself surprisingly drawn to his strong faith and noble ideas, which are new and intriguing to her. And Clay, though he tries to fight and deny it, simply cannot resist being attracted to her spontaneous and passionate embrace of life. Ultimately, Clay must step out from behind his relational theories and Amber must overcome her own fears and deep wounds as the two of them, together, attempt the impossible: an “old-fashioned” and God-honoring courtship in contemporary America.
Old Fashioned is a beautifully shot, visually appealing film. I especially enjoyed the wardrobe, hair, and set design. I wanted to shop the antique store and spend some time in the apartment above. I was a little disappointed, though, in Clay’s house. For a guy who refinishes furniture and runs an antique store, his own house had few antiques and even less personality. Fortunately, very little of the movie took place there.
As former homeschoolers, it was easy to see the influence of I Kissed Dating Goodbye on the script. Although Clay presents the ideas as his own theories, his thoughts mirror the popular courtship book. Since I’m not a big fan of the book, that was a negative for me. The story is able to stand alone, though, so it’s possible to enjoy the quirky characters and quotable quotes even if we’re not 100% behind the courtship theories.
My only real complaint with Old Fashioned is the inconsistent values. On one hand Clay is supposed to be this spiritual giant who has developed these high moral standards for dating. Yet, He doesn’t go to church and doesn’t seem to have any other strong Christian values outside of his dating beliefs. Also, if his courtship belief is based on a biblical worldview, he wouldn’t consider a relationship with a woman who’s not spiritually compatible. So for those who are looking for a movie to support strong Christian values, this falls short.
All in all, I’m glad I finally got the chance to watch Old Fashioned, and I will definitely watch it again. It’s a pleasant little romance and the music and visual aspects make me happy.
I have a special Old Fashioned package to give to some lucky reader. It includes a dvd, the novelization of the movie, and a devotional. To register, just comment below and share you’re idea of a perfect date. Drawing ends Saturday, June 13.
“Disclosure (in accordance with the FTC’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising”): Many thanks to Propeller Consulting, LLC for providing this prize for the giveaway. Choice of winners and opinions are 100% my own and NOT influenced by monetary compensation. I did receive a sample of the product in exchange for this review and post.
Only one entrant per mailing address, per giveaway. If you have won a prize from our sponsor Propeller / FlyBy Promotions in the last 30 days, you are not eligible to win. If you have won the same prize on another blog, you are not eligible to win it again. Winner is subject to eligibility verification.”
I am a concert band geek, so a perfect date would be to a concert of traditional music of some sort.
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A picnic lunch and a leisurely walk at a scenic park or lake would be my idea of a perfect date. Thank you for the chance to win!
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Congratulations, Andrea! You are the winner of the Old Fashioned package. If you’ll message me your address using the contact link at the top of the page, we’ll get you your dvd and books. Thanks!
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To be honest, my perfect idea of a date is breakfast at a cute cafe (eggs benedict, of course), then go to a garage sale or a suitcase rummage or a ukulele festival! Or a school fete! Something fun, spontaneous and a tad random. Love me some festivals..
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An early morning hot air balloon ride! We had 1 scheduled on vacation, but the weather wouldn’t cooperate.
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Hiking in the mountains to a waterfall. Having a picnic at the bottom of the falls.
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My interpretation of Clay’s inconsistencies was that he had a lot of very strong ideas and when he saw them not being lived out in the church, he decided to back away from it. So as I understood it, he had some things figured out, but there were other characteristics of Christianity that he hadn’t quite grasped yet. Just my thoughts. 🙂 I watched this movie for http://fishflix.com and liked it a lot!
Noah
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I think that’s what’s so great about movies. God can use them to speak to us in different ways. I liked the movie, too.
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