In-Lawfully Yours

Movie review by Renee Longstreet, Common Sense Media
In-Lawfully Yours Poster Image

Common Sense says

age 10+

Sweet, wholesome faith-based romcom has positive messages.

NR 2016 85 minutes
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Parents say

age 14+

Based on 7 reviews

Kids say

age 8+

Based on 1 review

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A Lot or a Little?

The parents' guide to what's in this movie.

What Parents Need to Know

Parents need to know that In-Lawfully Yours is a comedy-romance that uses a light touch as it focuses on falling in love, grief, and one woman's religious awakening. The very lovable and unpredictable heroine, a spiritual novice, recovers from a painful divorce as she attempts to support and care for her ex-husband's newly widowed mom in a small town with a church at its center. A husband's infidelity (he's caught in the act in a hotel room) sets the story in motion; except for that, the movie is wholesome throughout. Comic action includes two men scuffling in a diner and a few harmless falls. Christian messages about faith, selflessness, solace, and honesty are gently integrated.

Community Reviews

Cindy H.
Cindy H. Adult
August 25, 2018
age 15+

A gracious, sweet journey of faith and love, not for legalists

A woman’s marriage irreparably breaks down after her worldly, greedy excuse for a husband cheats yet again and is caught in the act. What follows is a heart warming story about faith, healing, love, caring for widows and how grace triumphs over legalism in church. If you have a legalistic stance on divorce and remarriage or problems dealing with a less than perfect start to a relationship then this movie might ruffle your feathers. If watching with teenagers (it’s not a kids movie due to the opening scenes in the hotel room) it would provide a good chance to talk about marrying someone with a living faith, as the heroine develops throughout the movie.
1 person found this helpful.
jdfi
jdfi Adult
November 4, 2016
age 18+

Cute, but major problems

The major problem in this movie is that the pastor had no problem dating an unsaved woman. We are supposed to be cheering on their relationship, but it's clear she doesn't know the Lord. I kept thinking, "Well, maybe she'll get saved at the end," but it's unclear whether that ever happened. Whether that was going to happen or not, he was unequally yoking himself. The church committee members are supposedly the bad guys. They were overbearing, but they were certainly right to question the relationship that their pastor was engaging in. I would be worried if they WEREN'T extremely concerned. This movie could have been written differently to make it both a love story and a story of someone coming to Christ. It's unfortunate that it wasn't.
1 person found this helpful.
See all 7 parent reviews

What's the Story?

Though her ex-husband Chaz (Philip Boyd) is a scoundrel, Jesse (Chelsey Crisp) truly loves his mom, Naomi (Marilu Henner), in IN-LAWFULLY YOURS. So when Naomi's beloved husband dies, Jesse leaves New York City, committing herself to helping the older woman through the difficult time even if that means staying in small-town Virginia. It doesn't help when a life-changing move to NYC for Naomi is imminent, set up by the scoundrel himself. As the two women pack up the house, both saying good-bye to their pasts, Jesse finds herself drawn to the community, especially Naomi's church and its young, widowed pastor. Ben (Joe Williamson), still adjusting to his loss though years have passed, is a strong presence for both of them. Complications ensue when Chaz, with highly questionable motives, arrives to hurry things along.

Is It Any Good?

Strong performances and a comic but gently heartfelt approach to delivering Christian values set this romance apart from often ponderous faith-based films. Chelsey Crisp brings warmth, humor, and honesty to Jesse in In-Lawfully Yours, despite the fact that she portrays an amazingly naive character who knows nothing about spirituality of any kind. That performance, along with the likable Joe Williamson as Ben, distracts from some very silly characters and plotting (the perpetually busybody church ladies and Jesse's constant interruptions during Ben's sermons) to make this an entertaining and engaging story. It's wholesome and fun, appropriate for romance lovers, tweens and up.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about the humor in In-Lawfully Yours, which is based on character rather than situation. What is the difference between the two types of comedy?

  • What does the character of Chaz symbolize? What values does he represent? How do those values contrast with the way Ben chooses to live?

  • To serve their narratives, storytellers often portray small towns as ideal and big cities as loud and corrupt, because it's an easy way to set up conflicting values. In the real world, is that the case? Why, or why not?

Movie Details

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