How I love a good old-fashioned romance film with a happy ending!

Well, if you want a more expensive, sadder yet less realistic seaman falls in love with a city woman film, watch Message in a Bottle. It has Kevin Costner, Paul Newman and Robin Wright, and is beautiful to look at. It’s also nicely shot, directed and acted. The problem? It’s based on a Nicholas Sparks movie.

Now, I’m not against Nicholas Sparks. I actually like how he creates bestselling romances, and that they are made into films where I get to see a lot of actors and actresses in sweet, escapist roles. My problem is with Nicholas Sparks’ endings.

But Navigating the Heart is more me because well, there are no kids, dead or cheating spouses, hidden identities that will cause huge fights, terminal illnesses or deadly accidents.

It sure has a lot of arguing stemming from the early proud and prejudiced moments of the two main characters, who will later discover that they actually have a tone in common and hell of a chemistry.

Okay, I should tell more about the plot at this point. Here we go:

Manhattan magazine’s well-known writer Edith (Jaclyn Smith) isn’t happy with the direction the magazine’s taking and grudgingly accepts an assignment on the high prices of salmon. Heading from Manhattan to a small fishing village in Ottawa would causes the expected culture shock, but things get more unpleasant when she meets handsome yet grumpy fisherman John Daily (Tim Matheson). While he is loved by everyone there, he’s not at all in the mood for a know-it-all reporter who’s after a superficial story.

And if she wants the best story, she will have to find a way to survive a few trips on John’s boat without killing him.

But while these two think the other one is insufferable, nature decides to throw in a deadly storm and a leak to make matters worse.

And this time, what doesn’t kill you, can make you fall in love.

Of course there’s the difference of lifestyles and locations, but things might not be as complicated as they initially seemed…

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You might very well hate this movie if you’re not a romantic. But even as someone who doesn’t like eating fish and can’t imagine herself on a fishing boat, it became one of my favorite romances.

Because when you want to feel good, you might need some clichés.

It also helps if you like Tim Matheson. (I really do.)

Inspired by a true story, 2000 TV flick Navigating the Heart was directed by David Burton Morris, written by Cathleen Young and Lee Guthrie. Based on the novel Fishing with John by Edith Iglauer.

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PS If you want something depressing, darker and with sci-fi, try Another Earth. You can read about it my writing blog. But worry not! I warn before the spoilers come.