A Wedding Dress Mystery
Once again, the movies in Hallmark’s Signed, Sealed, Delivered franchise have been building to something. And we get the pay off in To the Altar, the eleventh movie in the franchise.
As the movie opens, it is the week of Norman (Geoff Gustafson) and Rita’s (Crystal Lowe) wedding. While Oliver (Eric Mabius) has forgotten to plan anything for the bachelor party, something he is out of his element even thinking about, Shane (Kristin Booth) begins to work her own magic on a wedding guest that no one has been able to track down.
But as everything seems to fall apart at the last minute for the wedding, Shane finds a new clue on the POstables’ latest case. They are trying to track down the owner of a mysterious wedding dress that was lost in the mail. With the new clue, they find the trail. But where will it lead?
The love story between Norman and Rita has been something we’ve been following since the beginning of the series, so it was fantastic to see it pay off here. I get that movies and shows love to have unusual/memorable weddings, but I am not always a fan of that trend. Here, I felt sorry for the pair, although the wedding we got was beautiful.
Fans of the other couple, Oliver and Shane, will be happy with the progress we get in their relationship as well.
The writers had to deal with some absences of supporting characters they’ve introduced. I was impressed with how they did that, especially Carol Burnett’s character. When I’d realized that Rita’s mother had been killed off between appearances, I was expecting something heartbreaking. Yes, they acknowledge the pain that can bring, but it ties in well with the main mystery, and it really was beautiful overall.
And the main mystery? I was impressed with how the team unraveled it. Everyone contributes something along the way, and the end result is touching and powerful. There are so many moments that are just perfect in this movie. There really are.
Once again, the acting is great. You can tell how much the leads care for these characters with the care they use bringing them to life. The returning actors are just as good, and the new cast does a great job as well.
Those familiar with the franchise will know to be prepared for the water works. Yes, it is mostly happy tears. But the end of this one will hit you perfectly.
When this movie was filmed, the fate of the franchise was unknown. And, given that the next movie didn’t come out until 2021, three years after this one was released, that uncertainty was for good reason. (Although I suspect some global events kept us from getting another movie sooner.) This movie feels like an excellent end to the series, and it will leave fans satisfied. Not that any of us will stop here. There are three more movies to enjoy as of my typing this. Who knows what the future holds. I just know I have another wedding to look forward to in my immediate future.
To the Altar will please fans of this franchise. And I’m glad I still have more stories to enjoy with these characters.
This movie is part of the Signed, Sealed, Delivered Movies 9-12 DVD set.
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