(Photo Credit: Universal Pictures)
(“Reminders of Him” trailer courtesy of Universal Pictures)
“Lifetime” television movies sometimes face undeserved criticism.
In fact, television movies do not always receive the love that some deserve.
But what happens when filmmakers combine the best qualities of a “Lifetime” movie with big-screen acting performances?
What happens is “Reminders of Him,” a movie that shifts from heart-wrenching to heartfelt, with the feel-good ending common in many “Lifetime” and “Hallmark” movies.
Life comes at people very fast.
One minute, a person can have nothing going right for them.
Then, in the next minute, another person might walk into their life and change everything in an instant.
That is what happens to Kenna (Maika Monroe, “Hot Summer Nights”) and Scotty (Rudy Pankow) one day while Kenna is working the cash register at the Dollar Den in “Reminders of Him.”
Kenna smites Scotty so hard that he buys one dinner plate at a time so that he can work up the nerve to ask her out on a date.
When Kenna tells Scotty that the Dollar Den does not allow their employees to date customers, he immediately returns the plates that he has just purchased.
Kenna likes everything she sees in Scotty, except for the ugly old orange pickup truck that he drives, which belongs to his best friend, Ledger.
The whirlwind romance between Kenna and Scotty happens so quickly that Scotty’s friends and family members do not even get a chance to know her before he begins thinking about taking the next step in the relationship.
Their quick romance is the type of Hollywood romance that people only dream about.
Unfortunately, dreams can quickly turn into nightmares with just one bad decision.
What was supposed to be a happily ever after love story turns into a Greek tragedy as Scotty ends up deceased and Kenna ends up behind bars.
To make things even more complicated, Kenna is expecting.
But because she is behind bars, she is unable to raise her daughter, Diem (Zoe Kosovic), as a normal mother would.
She is not even allowed to spend much time with her, as the child is given to Scotty’s parents to raise.
Although Diem is not raised by a traditional mother and father, she is not lacking in support and love thanks to her village of caregivers.
A big part of the village raising Diem is Scotty’s best friend Ledger (Tyriq Withers).
In “Reminders of Him,” Ledger becomes an uncle to Diem, even filling the role of father at times because of his close bond with her biological father, Scotty.
Despite Ledger and Scotty’s brotherhood, he never even met Kenna.
While Scotty always dreamed about becoming a husband and father, Ledger had his sights set on NFL glory, even spending some time with the Denver Broncos.
That tunnel vision made Ledger go missing in action for some of Scotty’s biggest moments in life.
Perhaps Ledger’s absence when Scotty needed him the most is what drives him to do everything he can for Diem.
After his NFL days end, he moves across the street from Diem’s grandparents into his parents’ old home and dedicates his life to Diem and his successful Laramie, Wyo. bar.
While at the bar, he becomes smitten with Kenna, not knowing who she is.
In “Reminders of Him,” Kenna is released from prison and is determined to get back on her feet and meet her daughter.
She takes any job that hires her.
Kenna lives in a sleazy apartment.
The young mother walks to and from work, even in the storming rain
But she also shows up unexpectedly to Scotty’s old neighborhood, attempting to meet Diem, much to the chagrin of Ledger and Scotty’s parents, Patrick (Bradley Whitford, “Get Out”) and Grace (Lauren Graham).
What results are fireworks and drama that will break the hearts of moviegoers, then mend those broken hearts by the end of the movie.
“Reminders of Him” presents the ultimate “what would you do” scenario.
If your child’s ex-partner, and parent to your grandchild, caused your child’s death, how would you respond?
Would you allow forgiveness to enter your heart?
Or would you hold a grudge forever?
Would you want your grandchild to have a relationship with the killer of your child?
What do you tell your grandchild about their other parent?
These are the questions that the Landry family and Ledger must answer when Kenna is released from prison.
Furthermore, Ledger must reconcile his feelings for a woman that he develops a crush for, before he realizes it is his dead best friend’s ex.
How would Scotty feel about Ledger’s developing feelings for Kenna?
Additionally, how would Scotty’s parents feel if they found out?
More importantly, “Reminders of Him” deals with the difference between a cold and calculated criminal versus a person who made one bad mistake that resulted in tragedy.
Should that person be allowed a second chance at life?
Or should that person face judgment, ridicule and scorn for the rest of their life?
All the cast members deliver the emotions that one would expect from such a complicated situation.
And despite the seriousness of the storyline, comedy is injected into “Reminders of Him” thanks to Lady Diana (Monika Myers).
The Lady Diana character has a Bruh Man (Reginald Ballard) from “Martin” type charm as she enters people’s homes uninvited, then invites herself into their refrigerator.
Despite the positives of “Reminders of Him,” the movie is predictable.
But predictability can be tolerated when a movie tugs at a person’s heart like “Reminders of Him.”
REGAL RATINGS
FOUR CROWNS=EXCELLENT
THREE CROWNS=GOOD
TWO CROWNS=AVERAGE
ONE CROWN=POOR
- Movie Review: ‘731’ Another Film That is a Warning - September 26, 2025
