Right in Front of Me

Guys, I went into this movie pretty cold. I hadn’t seen many previews, didn’t really know the premise. So, I came in to this viewing experience with NO expectations. In fact, this weekend was so busy I wasn’t even sure I’d have time to watch it. But I did. AND I AM SO GLAD. Spoiler alert, I LOVED IT. Let’s get after it!

Our lead, Carly, chats with her pal at their bridal salon. Oh good-a classic Hallmark Job-wedding planner. No. She’s not a wedding planner. She is a bridal stylist! So even more niche than a wedding planner. And somehow busy enough to like have a store front. Bridal stylist? Is it just a wedding dress store? Her best friend, Sydney wants her to come hang out at the lodge she manages for the weekend. But Carly is a busy business bridal stylist so she can’t go. BUT WAIT. Some fancy bride is moving up her wedding by THREE DAYS. Dang. So they now have NO TIME to get prepped.

Carly gest the dresses organized in time and brings them to the bride and bridal party. So, the bride’s mom insisted on getting her own dress and she hates it. Luckily Carly is prepared. She somehow knew to make and bring a different dress for her. Totally the right size and everything. Obviously, she loves it. Okay so Carly like…sources all the bridal outfits? I mean, I guess that’s what a stylist does. Is this enough of a job? My dad says he likes the blush color more than the blue. I agree.

At the wedding, Carly talks to her old boyfriend-the wedding photographer- who is not our leading man so I guess that’s not happening. After talking to this old boyfriend, Carly decides to take her friend up on that lodge offer. It seems to be in San Fran.

Now we finally get a glimpse of our leading man, Nick. He is a chef at this lodge and he is trying something fancy in the kitchen. The head chef is not into it. He has his menu for the resort restaurant and he is not interested in any fusion. Nick is hoping to get more “foodies” to the resort but old Ed the stick in the mud thinks they get plenty already. So, Nick is basically just messing around in the kitchen while everyone else is working. Our lead tries to get their server Patricia to serve his fusioned empanadas to somebody…ANYBODY in the restaurant.

So Patricia dumps these empanadas on Carly. She loves them. Oh wait, no she doesn’t. She said she thinks something is kind of “off” with them. Nick immediately comes out to see what’s up. He needs to know specifically what was wrong. After she describes them as “bitter,” he decides to try some for himself and well, she’s right. Then Carly runs into a random college friend. This friend is here for a wedding. EVERYONE from their dorm is there but Carly wasn’t invited. She was too busy working to pay her way through college so she only made that one friend-Sydney.

Nick is back and has solved the mystery. He used the same knife for two different things so that messed it all up. Do you cut up horseradish? Is it an actual type of radish? I always assumed it was just a sauce. And it is DISGUSTING. Nick gives Carly a whole speech about his culture to get her to try it again. Good news! She likes it. She’s like, cool so I’m all set here now-BYE. Nick learns Carly isn’t in town for the wedding there at the lodge that weekend. They are sharing quite a lot to each other right out the gate. For example, Nick overshares that his parents wanted him to be a doctor.

Oh another old pal-Matt is here for the wedding. Nick wanders off. Matt wants to catch up with Carly. How many love triangles are there going to be? Nick returns. He’s like…oooh you like Matt? SPILL GIRL.

Then, Carly FINALLY runs into her friend Sydney. And then Sydney sees Matt too. She wants Carly to reconnect with Matt. They tried to go on a date once ten years ago so obviously there is definitely still something there.

Uh oh. There’s wedding trouble. The bridesmaids got their own dresses and they are clashing shades of pink. The bride thought she was going to be laid back, breezy bride but she’s since changed her mind. Carly steps in. So now Carly works her clothing magic. She’s found…a RIBBON. That’s it. So then the bride invited her to the wedding. Great. FREE CAKE. Nick returns for round one of wedding happy hours. I believe there will be 4 total. And then Matt comes creeping around the corner and makes small talk with the bellhop.

Later, Carly and Sydney chit chat. Are we still at Wedding Happy Hour #1? Or are they just in the hotel restaurant? Anyway, Syd is wiped so she heads home. Carly helps herself to the dessert table. And somehow MATT is here again. He just keeps creeping at every turn. Carly turns into a giant disaster every time he’s around. Dude what is his deal. He says “I’m really glad you’re here.” And then WALKS OFF. So realistic. Nick sidles back up and asks how it went. Then Matt pops up again and asks Carly to come with him to the wedding. Nick teases her about it. This is great so far.

Then Nick vents a little to Carly about grouchy old Edward. Carly offers to help him make some connections so he can open his own restaurant. Nick offers to help with Matt. Dude. Matt creeps up AGAIN. It’s getting weird.

Carly calls her coworker? And asks her to send some clothes for the wedding. MANOLOS. Dang business must be GOOD. They chat about Matt the wet sandwich. Carly is still super in to him.

The next morning, is Carly wearing the same shirt? It’s cute but…come on Carly. Carly runs into Nick again downstairs. I am not sure what this wedding event is. Is it Happy Hour #2? When will this wedding actually take place? Then Nick makes Carly soda water with like 16 maraschino cherries. BARF. Oh yuck. They bond over their love of skewered food. Then Matt the wet paper bag returns.

Carly tries to catch up with these old college acquaintances by herself. I FEEL FOR HER. Nothing worse than trying to jump in on conversation with an established friend group that you kind of know. They kindly invite her to be in their college girls group photo. Matt gets his thumb in the picture FOR SURE. Then Matt sees an embarrassing text from Sydney. Matt and the groom somehow have a football inside and are gonna toss the ol pig skin around, apparently. How old are all of these people supposed to be?

Later, this established friend group does more reminiscing. Carly tries to hang for it but I think we all feel uncomfortable. Carly and Matt finally have a normal conversation. Ugh. They take a selfie together. SO GENUINE.

Man Carly is just HANGING. Nick tops her off with more soda water and cherries. So weird. Carly offers to set Nick up with a private chef opportunity. And then Nick gives Carly her own special side plate. Ol Ed the stick in the mud comes out and says the ribs Nick made have too much spice. So is he actually a terrible chef or how is he in charge if he has a reputation for making bland food? How did he get Michelin awards? I don’t get it. Carly loves his secret skewers though. Uh. Nick’s secret sauce has sesame in it. Which Carly is ALLERGIC TOO. And she starts breaking out in hives. She is pretty cool about it though.

Later, the wedding guests make smores. Carly is just hanging with these people. What happened to her weekend with Syd? She is nowhere to be found. I think another girl-Lily- is angling for Matt’s attention also. But she just gives up too quickly and heads to bed. Carly chickens out on a walk with Matt after Nick suggests she plays it cool.

So Carly has a weird thing about dessert I guess? She wants to take it home and eat it VERY SLOWLY. She said she’s taken an hour to eat a piece of cake before? I can inhale a piece in about 5 seconds.

Syd is finally back. She and Carly stroll down the sidewalk but then she bails again! Carly sees Lily trying on a dress in one of the shop windows. She heads inside to help. Lily needs a new dress so Carly offers to help. Carly puts her in a bright red dress. It looks cute! But it is kind of plain.

Then Carly runs into Nick at the grocery store and then Matt too. He is wearing a vest. All three of them head to the food truck. Matt is like old frat boy to the max. And his face looks like a permanent Instagram filter. Neither boy is up for spicy wings. But Carly wants to win the free hat. So she takes the spicy wing challenge. Matt and Nick change their minds and join in. They each just have one wing. What kind of challenge is this? Matt and Nick are sweating after taking one bite. Is Carly even eating hers? Then the boys just chug a bottle of milk. They try to talk her out of eating hers. She dives in and pounds that solitary wing. Even the food truck employee is impressed. BUT ALL YOU HAD TO EAT WAS ONE. What kind of challenge is one spicy wing?!

Later, Carly and Nick walk and talk. Nick has one small bag of groceries. What’s that for? Certainly not for the restaurant? Carly gives Nick a little “Devil Wears Prada” speech about fashion. Nick wonders why Carly doesn’t design her own clothes. Then they run into a vacant café. AVAILABLE FOR RENT. Apparently Nick tried to start a restaurant before but it didn’t work out. Nick shares that his grandma is in a nursing home and he helps pay for her care. So he needs a steady income. Carly’s excuse is that she doesn’t like being in the spotlight. Not that designing your own clothes and starting your own line is COMPLETELY different than shopping for people.

Nick has to rush back to the restaurant to make a charcuterie board for the evening. We are now at Happy Hour #3. For this event, the bride and groom have a raffle for someone to win a private dinner with Nick. Matt wins. So that’s awkward. Oh Matt invites Carly to this private dinner. SO THIS IS SO AWKWARD. Nick seems bummed.

It’s private dinner time. Wow. Three appetizers. They are tiny though to be fair. Matt hates ALL OF IT. He is not the most adventurous eater he says. How many times can I call this guy a wet sandwich before Carly figures it out? Carly tells Matt how she got into styling. Matt doesn’t get it but has Matt mentioned yet how much he LOVES GOLF? Could he be any more basic? Matt gets a…work call? If you told me he was a professional golfer I would not be surprised. Mentioning how much he likes golf comprises about 75% of his lines. This poor one dimensional wet paper bag of a character. Nick brings the main course out while Matt is on the phone. Nick tells her it’s okay to eat it because it’s hot and also, screw that guy. Carly just GETS Nick and his approach to food. Matt and Carly quickly realize they have nothing else to talk about. Then CHEF EDWARD shows up! So Nick and Patricia hustle to clear up the whole thing. Carly offers to help. She tells Nick it was the best meal of her life. But also, would Ed come by late at night like that?

After dinner, Matt and Carly run into Lily. Matt thought that dinner was fine but Carly obviously LOVED IT. Matt and Lily both think cilantro tastes like soap! Match made in heaven. And dude, as a cilantro hater myself, it would totally ruin the best of meals. There’s just nothing to be done about it. Matt remains a wet sandwich regardless. I think Carly reads the room at that point about Matt and Lily. She excuses herself and Matt heads into town with Lily and one of the other girls. Carly finds Nick. Nick gives Carly a to go bag for dessert. He even includes a tiny fork so she can eat it in her little weird way.

The next day, Carly looks for clothes at a clothing store. For what? I’m not sure. Carly runs into Nick and thanks him for the rice cake. He tells Carly he is doing a trial run for Georgina-a connection Carly made for him. He’s nervous. Carly is not excited about the dress she found. She thinks about remaking the whole thing and Nick thinks she should.

Oh good. A dress making montage. Carly’s dress ends up being SO CUTE. Sydney pops in again and encourages her to do more dress making or whatever. I think the necklace is…ALOT. Too much. Carly tells Sydney they she and Matt are not going to happen. But she admits that she might like NICK. Then Carly heads off to help the bridal party. They all look great. The bride’s dress is very pretty. Carly asks Patricia how lunch went for Nick and she says it went so well!! They don’t have time to chat but they both say they have so much to tell each other. Then Nick gets a phone call. He seems bummed whatever it was.

Lily bows out of the conversation with Matt and Carly again. Carly runs after her. Lily is just sitting on the floor like a weirdo. OH Lily and Matt used to date. So that makes sense now. Carly is like, girl you and Matt belong together. Then Carly pulls Matt aside to talk about Lily. I have a feeling that Nick is going to see it and misinterpret. Matt knows she likes Nick too! What! He doesn’t see and misinterpret? Matt and Lily just reconnect no problem. That was unusual.

Then Carly runs into Nick and he tells her that Georgina passed on investing and then Chef Edward fired Nick for all of that. Carly apologizes. She offers to help. He says maybe they should have just kept their dreams to themselves!! NO NICK. And then he leaves. WHAT.

The next morning, Carly talks to Syd about the Nick fiasco. She is wearing the cutest coat situation.

Carly is back at her salon, sketching her own line of bridal wear? Dresses? You get it. How much time has passed?

At the grocery store, Nick picks up a hand painted bottle of sesame seeds and then walks away. Syd calls and wants to do a pop up shop of Carly’s dresses in her lobby. Syd wants her to talk to Nick again too. Carly thinks she needs to move on. Again, why has nobody called anybody in this amount of time?

At the resort, Syd puts on the cutest blue dress. Carly made it just for her! Syd mentions a new restaurant they should go to on Main street. So yeah just a new place. No big deal. They sit down and Carly reads the menu. The restaurant is called THE TINY FORK. Nick pops his head out and Carly goes to talk to him. WHY DIDN’T EITHER OF THEM CALL. HOW LONG HAS IT BEEN. WHAT IS HAPPENING. So all of Georgina’s guests did want to invest and tracked him down. Not sure what Georgina’s deal was. And why didn’t Nick ever call then after that? It has to have been six months right?!

Just get on with it you two. Sheesh. Carly is about in on her speech when Nick’s grandma (Lola) pops out. She knows all about Carly. So like OKAY why are we just now reconnecting if even Lola knows the whole story? And what is she doing there? Finally Nick admits he made a big mistake not going after Carly. Is Lola going to hang out for this whole speech? Then Carly follows Nick outside. Carly tells Nick how she feels. And obviously he feels the same way. And then they KISS. Finally. An again!! Yay. I am so relieved those two dumb dumbs got their act together.

Alright, so I think I liked this one BETTER than last week. I love a resort movie. I love a wedding movie. I love a FOOD themed movie. And I LOVE these two leads! LOVED them together. It just hit all the right points for Ol Cal. This is definitely my favorite Spring Fling movie. (Are we done with Spring Fling now?) And now it is my favorite of the year. For sure. What did you think?