TO HAVE AND TO HOLD

US, 2019, 85 minutes, Colour.
Erika Christensen, Rekha Sharma, Carmel Amit, Antonio Cupo, Andy Favreau.
Directed by Monika Mitchell.

A popular melodrama, targeting a female audience, older female, with a very unsympathetic husband but a faithful best friend. With a focus on the wife, the film could have been called to have been had and to be held.

The film opens in New York City, central character, Alice (Erika Christensen), talking about difficulties in living there. The narrative then goes back to Seattle for over half the running time of the film, Alice is a successful chef, working with her best friend Emily, links with Harry, a friend who is in love with her but she does not realise. However, she encounters a crush from school days, Joe, is infatuated by him, meeting his parents, eventually marrying him. And a happy year passes.

However! This is the material for Lifetime television, specialising in human dramas which are easily accessible to the widest of audiences. Alice wants a family, would be interested in going back to her work as a chef, unexpectedly Joe having an affair with his secretary, hurt, Joe asking her to forgive him, his bosses suggesting he relocate to New York City for a new start. Alice agrees. They find a wonderful cottage in the country, nice neighbours, Alice acting as chef for their parties…

Emily and Harry tell Alice that they are a pair, with Harry coming to help with the renovations of the new house.

Yes, Joe seems to be a serial womaniser and is caught again.

However, Emily sees Harry and Alice kissing, which threatens their friendship after Alice’s divorce. Emily is hurt, wanting to break with Alice, but Alice apologises, Emily realises that Harry really loves Alice, especially after Alice finds a note that had got lost on the sofa some years earlier with Harry declaring his love for Alice. Emily, a photographer, decides to go travelling – and, something in a soap opera fashion, there is a happy ending.