By Andrea K. Hammer
Gardeners and flower lovers, immersed in the beauty of the season, will not want to miss the following five films showing the power of growth. With a few delivering unexpected twists, viewers will also discover the ways that flowers can heal–even in unsettling circumstances.
Tulips in Spring
Directed by David Winning, Tulips in Spring stars Fiona Gubelmann, Lucas Bryant, Kelly Rowan and Iris Quinn. This film is visually stunning to watch–with wide expanses of tulips in full bloom. Beyond the colorful appeal to the eye, the featured romance is strong, with Lucas Bryant delivering another commanding performance as a flower broker in his signature low-key but riveting style. The dilemma of identifying the competitor who is sabotaging tulip growth in the owners’ greenhouse adds a troubling but textured layer, which drives the forward movement of the film.
Love on Your Doorstep
Love on Your Doorstep, which Ken Friss directed, features Stephanie Bennett, Darien Martin, Sebastian Stewart and April Telek. This movie is notable because a local florist running a same-day delivery service resists TV-show publicity. In an unusual twist, the central figure repeatedly refuses the chance to be spotlighted as he surprises recipients with beautiful bouquets of flowers on various occasions. The refreshing change of this completely genuine, down-to-earth character makes this film about the power of flowers one to remember–and watch again.
Love Blossoms
In Love Blossoms, Victor Webster is a dedicated botanist who also displays resistance–when offered a job with a persistent perfumer. With scenes showing co-star Shantel VanSanten accidentally treading on beautiful flowers in an extraordinary conservatory, viewers watch her unrelenting pursuit of the botanist in amazement. The movie is enlightening because of the unusual focus on finding someone with heightened sensory abilities and the behind-the-scenes look at the workings of a perfumery.
Sunflower Valley
Directed by Robert Lieberman, Erin Cahill, Marcus Rosner, Colleen Wheeler, Brent Stait and Kate Francis appear in Sunflower Valley. In this film about a writer returning to her hometown of Sunflower Valley to complete an assignment, the massive flowers play central scene setters. Focusing on the local town people, this movie shows how sunflowers help shape and covey the atmosphere.