Customer Reviews

Danielle Steel's Safe Harbour

5 star:		(12)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(7)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(5)

 

 

Remember in the 90's when a whole bunch of T.V. movie versions of Danielle Steel's books hit the airwaves? How great most of them were, filled with passion, suspense, drama and glitz? Well, after watching this first adaption in ten years, I sure felt nostalgic for THOSE days! Melissa Gilbert, looking like she has had way too much plastic surgery, tries to act and sound (not even close) like a Frenchwoman mourning the loss of her husband and son. All she has left is an annoying daughter named "Pip" (no comment) and a dog called Mousse (double no comment). Well, she ends up meeting a bland guy (Brad Johnson) and they fall in love, against all odds. End of story. Really, because the acting, good pacing, spark and emotion are all non-existent. Plot devices thrown in for no good reason. Zero chemistry between any of the actors. And the intro by Danielle Steel was really odd. A huge disappointment, obviously slapped together in about 5 minutes. BRING BACK THE 90's!

This movie would have been alot better if Melissa Gilbert didn't use that phoney accent and all that lipstick. She looked old beyond her years. She looked the best in the one scene with no lipstick. The movie would have carried on fine if she were just an american. And I even thought "Matt" felt uncomfortable pronouncing her "French" name. Other than that it was an ok movie.

"Half-Pint" from "Little House on the Prairie" dons a cheesy and uneven French accent while mourning the death of her much older husband and son, as she neglects her surviving child. When her daughter befriends a divorced artist, they form an unlikely friendship which turns to romance.

I had a difficult time refraining from wincing from Glbert's atrocious accent, which brings the film down a notch or two. The performances overall are okay, but the story is entirely too predictable. There was more chemistry between the daughter and the love interest - I just didn't get the feel that these two suddenly became soul mates. Gilbert's accent was just so distracting and annoying; the only actress to pull off a worse accent is perhaps Jennifer Love Hewitt in "The Truth About Love" which is another must miss.

I am not a particular fan of romance novels in general or of Danielle Steele in particular. Nonetheless, I am always ready to be entertained. But Melissa Gilbert's character in this movie was so dreadful I cringed every time she came on the scene.

First, there is her awful French accent. It is annoying, distracting and completely unnecessary to the story. Second, there is her incessant self-pitying which makes her into one of the most unloveable romantic heroines I ever ever seen. Third, she is one-dimensional. And she is ugly to boot. It is simply not believable that the hunk would fall in love with this wreck.

The best part of the movie is the relationship between the hunk and the daughter "Pip". Indeed, Liana Liberato delivers the best acting job in the movie as the lonely daughter of a mopish mother who finds a friendship with Brad Johnson's character. Their relationship is far more deep, believable and meaningful than the so-called romance between between the two adults.

And don't even get me stated on the sappy subplot of Opelia helping the homeless.

Btw, as of this date, Amazon's IMDb site does not show this movie is now on DVD.

Blaine in Seattle

Melissa Gilbert is starring as a french woman mourning the death of husband and son. The accent really throughs this character off. I don't know why they couldn't have changed that for the movies' sake. She is so busy trying to get the accent together that she forgets to act. It is in developing and almost stops short of an ending. There are two VERY intimate bedroom scenes so I don't recommend this movie for a younger audience.

This movie was ok. Not Melissa Gilbert's best and I LOVE her movies! She speaks with a french accent and it threw me off immediately. I had a hard time getting "into" the movie because the accent was so unlike Melissa and it took about half of the movie for me to get used to it! LOVE Brad Johnson and he is as dreamy as ever although I really didn't feel chemistry between the two actors. Overall, not bad, not great.

with the reviewer who said, letting try Ms Gilbert speak with a French accent wasn't a very lucky choice, it wasn't really necessary. Otherwise I enjoyed the film already many times. It is a very well built love story, the acting is very natural, convincing.

I just love all of her movies. I have not seen one that I do not like and this one was just another iceing on the cake. I can watch them all and this one every day. I do hope she will put out more movies. I do hope, everyone, that watch this, will buy it and add more to her collection, so they will make more of her movies. :) :) :) 20 stars if we had a choice !!!!

I like Melissa Gilbert, but who in their right mind had her do a French accent in this movie, which does not have a bad storyline (typical Danielle Steele, though, someone has died........) but this movie is a waste of time and not at all worth the money. I will be selling mine or giving it to someone who wants to watch a dull romance story. Melissa is such a great actress, Michael Landon would be a bit nauseated watching this, after all the wonderful coaching he did when Little House was in production. What a shame, this could have been a better movie with a little effort, but falls so short. I would recommend Danielle's PALOMINO or THE PROMISE , both great novels and pretty good romance movies. Oh, that Lee Horsley, can he play a cowboy! (Palomino). Check it out for yourself!!!

Melissa Gilbert is plays a Frenchwoman who lost her husband and son in a devistating plane crash that occurs right in front of her eyes. She is left to raise a daughter alone.
On a remote beach in California, she meets an artist (played by Brad Johnson) who she first mistrusts and then grows to love. Through a series of events, love begins to bloom between the two of them.
This movie was a disappointment to me. Although the idea of the movie is great, the movie almost seems to lack heart. The pace of the movie goes very slowly and there does not seem to be any rhyme nor reason to the plot. The chemistry between Gilbert and Johnson is sketchy at best and their love scenes, while an attempt at passion is tried to be created, seems to be forced and overblown.
The best chemistry of the movie is actually between Liana Liberato, who plays Pip, Gilbert's daughter in the movie, and Brad Johnson. They have some of the finest scenes in the movie, drawing together.
Also while Melissa Gilbert is a fine actress, her attempt at a French accent is second-rate and laughable. I thought it was a joke when I first heard her speaking. It is definitely not her best work.
All in all, I was quite disappointed with this movie.