Loved it loved it loved it!
The premise is a typical Hallmark Channel cliche: Gung-ho Career Woman meets Grieving Widower with Precocious Kids. But Away and Back is done so well that I found myself totally captivated in spite of its very minor shortcomings.
I've watched it twice now, and even though I am 100% city slicker, I feel as if I really know the Peterson family and their placid existence in the wilds of eastern Washington. The production team went into such detail making these characters believable and loveable, to say nothing of the cinematographer's gorgeous beauty shots of both the swans and the landscape. Perfect casting, perfect birds, perfect ethereal sunrises and sunsets!
Yes, 10-year-old Frankie's 100-mile solo trip on an ATV to find one missing bird does test one's suspension of disbelief, and occasionally the characters' dialog makes one think the screenwriters are trying just a little bit too hard, but neither of these faults ruined the movie for me. This is such a magical feel-good film that it's easy to extend a little grace: it's clear this production was a labor of love for everybody involved. There's a lot more going on here than just 95 minutes of "country cute".
May the powers-that-be be informed that movies like this are greatly to be preferred over the usual cornball comedies. Thank you Hallmark Channel: I will always remember and treasure Away and Back!
BTW: why is the oldest son called Stretch?
"When I became a man, I put away childish things, including the fear of childishness and the desire to be very grown up." C.S.Lewis, 1952