Love in Bloom Plot Summary
When Amelia's soon-to-be-married sister gets stranded at a mountain spa retreat in Australia, she and the best man, Grayson, must step in and save the wedding. Despite being a successful Chicago florist, Amelia worries she's losing her touch, but circumstances help her rediscover her passion.
Starring: Susie Abromeit and Julian Haig
Image: Great American Media
My Movie Grade: A
If you notice how perfectly the role of Amelia fits actress Susie Abromiet, it's interesting to note she and director, Rogue Rubin, are friends, so Rubin built the character around Abromeit (minus the green thumb!). Many rom-coms these days lack authenticity, so incorporating aspects of an actor's own personality into the fictional character they play is genius, as it makes them appear more genuine to viewers.
Love in Bloom Is Filled with Garden Imagery
If you love gardening, this movie is for you.
Amelia is aptly named for her mother's favorite flower--the Camellia. She isn't the only one in the movie, however, with a blossomy name.
Mr. Poppy serves as the gardener of Hummingbird Inn and Gardens where Amelia stays during her visit, and his wife, Delilah (also a type of Dahlia flower) goes to great lengths to make her feel at home.
Mr. Poppy is a very flowery and poetic speaker. When he shows Amelia a beautiful perennial growing in his garden that he never originally planted, he compares it to how love sometimes grows, too, where you didn't expect it. He speaks her language! According to Mr. Poppy, weeds are just flowers that refuse to grow in rows. Quoting Audrey Hepburn, Mr. Poppy also encourages Amelia by saying, to plant a garden is to believe in tomorrow. If Amelia sows into her relationship with Grayson, she just might find the future of her dreams.
Image: Great American Media
Amelia's favorite adage is found on a framed picture she carries with her: When the seeds of love are sown, it's you that blooms. Amelia is certainly not blooming with the man she's currently dating. They've been together for several years, yet he never makes time for her. Being a busy surgeon, his career and possible promotion take precedence. Grayson, on the other hand, knows how to cultivate love, as evidenced by his best man speech at the wedding. He says love is like flowers in a garden--a seed, with the right amount of care, grows into something beautiful that wasn't there before.
Viewers even learn a gardening tip in the movie. Did you know that planting marigolds by rose bushes causes ladybugs on the marigolds to eat the bugs that attack roses? Remember that next growing season!
While Love in Bloom is obviously double entendre, the script weaves the thread of garden imagery throughout the movie in a masterful way to hold the entire story together.
Following in Her Mom's Footsteps
Despite her stellar reputation as a florist, Amelia compares herself to her mother, who was also in the same business. After receiving one bad review, she doubts herself and worries she's a one-trick pony when it comes to her signature arrangement of all-white flowers. Her mom had been better at connecting with people, but Amelia lacks that personal touch, until she accidentally stumbles upon her mother's secret.
Grayson helps her find her passion and inspiration again, and Amelia finally decides on her next venture. Her sister's wedding gives her a boost when she trends on social media with #ameliainbloom.
Image: Great American Media
Who Is Julian Haig?
In the rom-com world, fans often voice discontentment when new actors are cast in place of their favorite faces from movies past. One reason for this is that some networks have been, of late, pairing less talented new leads who share zero chemistry with their co-stars based on a "woke" casting formula that totally misses the mark.
Julian Haig breaks the mold. He is best known for his recurring role on the CW show Riverdale and is fresh to the rom-com scene. Haig was born in Melbourne, Australia in August 1991, so the Australian accent is the real deal, which is super attractive to rom-com groupies! He earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Sports and Exercise Science before rerouting to acting. Haig moved to Vancouver, Canada in 2016. You can follow Haig on Instagram.
Let's hope Great American Family will cast the handsome Haig in more movies!
Image: Great American Media
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