Do you know what frustrates me about TV movies and in particular Hallmark movies, they can have the most wonderful of storylines and a decent cast but spoil things by layering on the sentimentality far too thick. And that is my problem when it comes to "A Time to Remember" because the storyline which sees an estranged daughter returning home to try and patch things up with her elderly mother is pretty decent if a little obvious. Plus the cast which includes Dana Delany, Doris Roberts and Megan Gallagher all give solid performances even if their characters feel a little cliche. But when it comes to the side of the story where things become emotional anything close to subtlety goes missing as director John Putch layers on the saccharine thick and fast. It doesn't completely ruin "A Time to Remember" but it spoils it.

As an artist and single mother Britt Calhoun (Dana Delany - Tombstone) is an independent spirit who likes living life on her terms despite the father of her young baby wanting them to make a go of it as a proper family. When her sister Valetta (Megan Gallagher) invites her to return home to spend Thanksgiving as a family with their mother Maggie (Doris Roberts), Britt isn't entirely sure as history has caused bitterness between Britt and her mother. But she returns and as she tries to reconciliate with Maggie she learns that Maggie is in the early stages of Alzheimer's and to embarrassed to admit it to her.

To be honest when ever I watch a Hallmark movie I am prepared for a storyline which will feel familiar and obvious and as such the obviousness of "A Time to Remember" never really becomes a problem. It doesn't take a genius to work out that something in the past has caused Britt to fall out with her elderly mother and it also doesn't take a genius to realise that Britt having been estranged from her mother is the only one who doesn't know that she has Alzheimer's. And going on the theme that it doesn't take a genius, well it doesn't take a genius that when Britt discovers that her mother is suffering will be a catalyst for them to patch up their differences to give us the uplifting ending that you expect before the movie even starts.

But the thing is that it doesn't matter that much of what happens in "A Time to Remember" is obvious because it has a charm about it. You warm to those occasional moments when Britt and Maggie connect as they look over old photos and you smile over the way Maggie ends up frustrating Britt because quite frankly most children will have felt frustrated by a parent at least once in their life. And their is a genuine warmth to all that happens in this movie even in moments of drama as Britt just wants for her mother to show her approval of her and her son just once.

Now if that was all there was to "A Time to Remember" it would as a Hallmark movie feel incomplete because to be honest the words Hallmark and sentimental sort of go hand in hand. And that is the problem with "A Time to Remember" because in trying to deliver the emotion of the story be it Maggie dealing with Alzheimer's or Britt and her mother patching things up it goes seriously too far. The various scenes which feature either Britt or Maggie admitting to their mistakes, often in front of friends, feel false as does the dialogue and whilst you do feel some emotion you also find yourself trying not to laugh at how cheesy it is. And it is a shame as just a touch of restrain when it came to trying to deliver the emotion and "A Time to Remember" would have ended up more than just average.

As with the storyline to "A Time to Remember" the characters are just as obvious be it Britt being the more fun loving daughter of Maggie whilst her sister Valetta is straight laced. And then there is Maggie who to be honest is almost a walking cliche as she celebrates success in Valetta's life but almost seems cold to Britt. But despite this the actual performances be it Doris Roberts touching performance of Maggie and her struggle with Alzheimer's or Dana Delany's equally touching performance as Britt who just wants approval are good. In fact they make what are really quite cliche characters interesting and easy to connect with.

What this all boils down to is that "A Time to Remember" is a touching movie which whilst having an obvious storyline is boosted by some solid performances. In pretty much every way it is a typical Hallmark movie and sadly like so many of these movies it suffers by being less than subtle when it comes to the emotional side of the story and ends up feeling very forced when the big emotional finale rolls around. It is still an entertaining movie but like so many TV movies not overly memorable.