Holly & Ivy

Holly & Ivy is an overly melodramatic and maudlin Hallmark Movie. The story follows an out-of-work librarian named Melody who moves next door to a single mother with two daughters and is welcomed into their family, and when the mother gets sick with a terminal illness Melody offers to accept guardianship of her daughters. Janel Parrish and Marisol Nichols lead the cast and deliver solid performances (at least by Hallmark standards), and most of the characters are likable; which is kind of a problem as there aren’t any villains to cause conflict. Everyone is so nice and understanding, it gets a bit sickeningly. Still, there are moments that would melt even the iciest of hearts. A touching film about family, Holly & Ivy isn’t exactly bad, it just lays it on a little thick.