The book was wonderful, full of quirky characters including Father Tim and Cynthia. I saw nothing of the book's characters in the movie, that I could even remotely identify the way Jan Karon magically painted them in her book.

Full disclosure, I haven't watched this Hallmark movie....BUT, I just saw the "movie poster"/ad moments ago on my facebook feed and knew not to bother. I came here to see if my instincts were correct and it seems they are. Obvious miscasting and sterile romanticizing. I've thought for years the characters of Mitford deserve a TV series. I'm going to sound older than I am here...but in the vein of The Waltons w/room for all of the town's quirky characters and special locations---but with a modern time frame. I'm sure we would still be disappointed in characters because they are so vivid in each of our own minds, but they would be given the "fleshing out" that is due them.Never should have been just a movie. ---Thank you for your reviews saving my time...although again, just from the picture of the two main characters, it was obvious.

No wonder Jan Karon did not want her books to be made into movies. She didn't want any tampering with the existing characters and especially not the additions of new ones. What she was concerned about has come true. The beloved stories and characters have been distorted when set to film.

I suppose this is all right as family entertainment if you'd never read any of Ms. Karon's Mitford books. However, as someone who eagerly anticipated reading each and every one of her books as they were released, I was very disappointed in the Hallmark movie version. My first comment was that Andie MacDowell and Cameron Mathieson were just WRONG as the lead characters. The plot only loosely resembles that of the books, and my overall opinion kind of goes downhill from there. It just doesn't do justice to the real Mitford (town or characters) at all.