Ugh. I probably should not watch any Lifetime movies where police are shown, since they invariably are shown to be incompetent.The premise here is that Robert (Priestly) and Teresa (Roth) along with daughter/step-daughter Christy go on a boating trip. Robert has written a book called How to Date a Brainy Woman. Despite being on a narrow river, a storm hits and they are in the middle of the ocean! Teresa is the namesake "brainy woman" who can do anything from maintain an SUV to CPR to starting a fire using a cell phone battery. Unfortunately, she can't figure out to use the marine radio on their basically intact boat that is 50 feet away from them, or to remain with the boat for rescue. The requisite females in jeopardy scene takes place about 53 minutes in, and it's not a psycho- it is a bear! Well they are on Bear Island after all. Instead, they place Robert, who has a damaged leg, onto a litter and decide to pull him... somewhere else through the woods.Meanwhile, Teresa's mom, played by an actress too young to be her mom (13 year age gap), tries to report the family missing after they have not been seen for a day and a half. She goes and talks to the "Chief", who is wearing a uniform that says Sheriff's Department- here's a clue for Canadian script writers- in the US, the head of a Sheriff's Department is the Sheriff, not the Chief. The Chief blows her off, and says she needs to wait longer. The Chief is an imbecile. Apparently he has never been sued for negligence. My review title is one of the dumber lines in the movie, spoken by deputy Blondie, who is actually the smartest officer in the movie. It illustrates why no search delay would take place. Mom gets the good news that Teresa is pregnant! We learn the bear is being tracked by Deputy Dumb-Ass and a tracker dude, who tells deputy D-A to fire off a couple of rounds into the air. Why? Things come to a head with about 15 minutes left. Teresa is again in jeopardy from the bear after she has another less than brainy idea to go off for help on her own. Deputy D-A and the tracker see the bear, and feedback from the radio scares it away. The Coast Guard shows up at the crash site, and Christy takes a flaming branch (at least until she gets to a creek) to go back where they started. She and Robert are rescued by the Coast Guard. Teresa hits the trifecta for females in jeopardy with only 7 minutes left. Deputy D-A and the tracker lost the bear, but she found it. Then they find her and the bear, but tracker says not to fire, you might hit her- even though she was not in the line of fire. Just when I thought I was out of goofs, the tracker has the bear attack him and Deputy D-A with rifle in hand does NOTHING. He could have literally held the muzzle of the rifle to the head of the bear and killed it. Apparently the bear prefers blondes, and goes after Teresa. He finally ganks the bear after it again threatens Teresa. I think she has the record for females in jeopardy for a Lifetime movie. Maybe Deputy D-A and the "Chief" can find new jobs after the lawsuit.At the end we see Robert's book was a success, and presumably months later Teresa appears to be very pregnant- a big belly and big boobs- although it is likely a combination of a prosthetic belly, a push-up bra, and high heels- she is now several inches taller than Robert (Roth and Priestly are about the same height). A trivia point here is that Roth in fact gave birth to her first child in March 2010, so she was likely pregnant during filming.Robert's next book should be titled How to Date an Attractive 40-Something Canadian Actress, as it would be a more accurate title than the one here.The movie is a succession of more plot holes than the LMN usual. 3/10 on the regular movie scale (higher=better), 8/10 on the Lifetime movie scale (higher=dumber). It was a 7/10 until the last 6 minutes thanks to Deputy D-A not shooting the bear.

Family in Danger is the top for "Courage," a 2009 Lifetime movie starring Jason Priestley, Andrea Roth, and Genevieve Buechner. Priestley plays a widower named Robert who has remarried Teresa (Roth). He is also an author who has written a book, "How To Date Brainy Women." Naturally his teenage daughter Christy (Buechner) is a resentful brat who doesn't like Teresa.Robert suggests the family head for Bear Lake in their boat. A huge storm comes up, and Robert disappears. The two women find him, but they have pretty much wrecked the boat, and Robert has an infection in one leg and the other leg is broken. Teresa retrieves their supplies from the boat.It turns out that Robert is married to Superwoman. She builds fires from cell phone batteries, she makes a stretcher when they have to move Robert, she applies first aid to him. You name it, she does it. I'm surprised she couldn't repair the boat. Give her some gum and I'll bet she could have done it.Nature in the form of a grizzly bear is their enemy, and the family finds itself trying to escape him.This movie is completely predictable and somehow, the womens' hair looked pretty good after a storm and roughing it. Jason Priestley basically lies around being sick. I saw him at a restaurant once greeting what were obviously a family of old friends. He seemed very sweet and he's short.Despite its predictability, I have to say it was entertaining. The acting was nothing special, but Andrea Roth is very likable, as is Priestley. How he didn't lose that infected leg is a miracle.

During the opening credits, it looks like a flood is causing serious damage for some people. This turns out to be a boating trip hit by a storm. Two days earlier, the story begins… After his new book "On Dating Brainy Women" receives a cool reception, Seattle-area author Jason Priestley (as Robert "Bob" Childs) decides to take his family out on a boating trip to Bear Island. While he is away, the book catches fire... but we'll have to wait and see if the family makes it back, to learn the good news. Bear Island turns out to be a great name for the island, because a snarling, blood-thirsty bear hangs around there. But first, we see how Mr. Priestley and his family got there. The impromptu trip began calmly. Then… the weather started getting rough, the tiny ship was tossed. If not for the courage of the fearless crew, the "Christine" would be lost...It's always nice when a disaster movie adds characterization. In this case, the story is about fractured family values. Priestley was a widower who wed beautiful and brainy Andrea Roth (as Teresa Martin). She's beautiful, blonde, a bit younger and incredibly bright. Bratty teenage daughter Genevieve Buechner (as Christy) asks her step-mom, "Is there anything you don't know?" When the men in the cast are incapacitated, Ms. Roth easily takes command. She shows great strength; but, when manly men are around, Roth trips and falls like a helpless lady. The whole point of the disastrous experience appears to be a divine plan to make them somehow form a family. Too bad there wasn't an easier way. Supporting mother Gabrielle Rose (as Hannah) is good, a second family seems poorly edited in, and the bear might scare small children.**** Courage (2011-06-18) George Erschbamer ~ Andrea Roth, Jason Priestley, Genevieve Buechner, Gabrielle Rose

"Dear God, please protect us from this storm." After receiving the news that his new book is not selling and the store he works at is going to close because of it Robert (Priestley) decides the best way to clear his head is to get on his boat with his family and get away for the weekend. While on the way to the island getaway a storm hits and the family is stuck on an island, but they are not alone. Being that this is a movie from the "Faith & Family" series, I was expecting some cheesiness from this. I was not disappointed. This is a hard movie to review. There really is no substance to this movie. The acting is pretty bad, and the movie seems to get more and more absurd. That being said, it is a religious themed movie and all of that stuff is to be expected so it can't be docked because of it. It you have seen any of the other "Faith & Family" movies you will know what to expect from this one. If you are looking for a feel good, uplifting movie this is a good one to pick, but again there is not much to this one. Overall, not good, but not bad either. A decent one time watch. I give it a C.Would I watch again? - No I wouldn't *Also try - Letters To God & Expecting A Miracle