Clever concept wrapped up in a paint-by-the-numbers romcom. Broken Hearts Gallery has all the makings of a delightful romantic comedy. Furthermore, its path to success looks to be clear of any plot-blematic traffic jams; however, despite the promising start to the journey, unexpected congestion forces the cute movie to take the nearest exit into the town of Mediocrity where it resides in perpetuity. This movie is a prime example of how a thoughtful story can suffer from thoughtless plotting. Continuing the roadway analogy, plotting is the method by which the story is told, the roadmap, if you will. It follows accepted conventions that enable a writer to construct just how you get from the beginning to the end. Sometimes, a movie can have a great narrative, but then the promising narrative gets rerouted or derailed along the lines. At the end of the day, it’s a screenwriting problem. Often times, the setups and punchlines are delivered in such as if to be followed up by a laugh track. And don’t get me wrong, I love the laugh track. Hence why it is part of my newly launched audio sitcom Four’s a Crowd. However, a motion picture is not the place to utilize writing tools best suited for a half-hour situation comedy. This movie’s lean into sitcom writing should not come as a surprise since the producer Selena Gomez got her start as a sitcom star and the director Natalie Krinsky has written for Gossip Girl. The worlds of teen sitcoms and dramas are the worlds with which this talented team is most familiar. Often times these types of movies include a great cameos or supporting roles from an A-list star of the stage or screen, and this movie is no different; however, the A-list supporting role of the gallery owner played by the incomparable Bernadette Peters is completely wasted. While the talent of Peters is underutilized and misappropriated, the rest of the cast is charming! What this movie lacks in strong writing, it makes up for in keeping the audience entertained by the banter and witty dialogue between characters. Again, something better suited for a television comedy in which the plot is somewhat secondary to the campy performances and unrealistic comedic exchanges between characters.

Broken Hearts Gallery is about art gallery assistant Lucy (Geraldine Viswanathan) who gets dumped by her longtime boyfriend, and decides to create an art exhibit featuring carefully curated pieces representing past relationships.

If you’re looking for an uplifting movie to accompany your weekend, then this will do the trick. What’s funny is that movies that should release in theatres are releasing at home; and then you have this glorified Netflix or Prime original movie that should be released at home, somehow releasing in theatres. Distribution companies have this whole thing backwards.

Ryan teaches screenwriting and American cinema at the University of Tampa. If you like this article, check out the others and FOLLOW this blog! Ryan is also the creator of the Four’s a Crowd sitcom podcast now streaming on your favorite podcatcher. Interested in Ryan making a guest appearance on your podcast or contributing to your website? Send him a DM on Twitter or email him at RLTerry1@gmail.com! If you’re ever in Tampa or Orlando, feel free to catch a movie with or meet him in the theme parks!

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