Stars Fell Again
Written by Robert Windom, Uyen Le, V.W. Scheich
Directed by V.W. Scheich
Starring James Maslow, Ciara Hanna, Ali Faulkner, Drew Moerlein
Running time 1 hour and 27 minutes
In select theaters and on demand February 3

by Gary M. Kramer, Staff Writer

The cornball 2019 romance, Stars Fell on Alabama, was wholly predictable, but at least it was likeable. But were there legions of fans clamoring for a sequel? (Not if you read the hateful Letterboxd reviews.) Moreover, given that writer Robert Windom and director V.W. Scheich actually did make a sequel, was there a reason to set it at Christmas? (Shouldn’t this film have been on the Hallmark channel back in December, rather than in theaters the week before Valentine’s Day?)

These are some of the questions that viewers may consider watching the lackluster Stars Fell Again, which has Hollywood agent Bryce Dixon (James Maslow) and actress Madison Belle (Ciara Hanna) going to Oregon to visit her family for the holidays. Bryce is hoping to propose to Madison over the weekend, and his friend David (Johnnie Mack) is on hand to help with that as well as to provide comic relief. However, before Bryce gets the chance to pop the question, Madison’s sister Harper (Ali Faulkner) announces she is engaged to her British beau, Noah (Tom Connolly), and that their wedding is in two days.

Stars Fell Again focuses mainly on Harper’s wedding and her sudden case of cold feet. When Noah’s arrival is delayed, Harper’s best friend, Josh (Drew Moerlein), fills in for a dance—something he does so well that Bryce comments on their chemistry. As other wedding disasters arise—such as having to relocate the site of the ceremony and replacing the flowers and the cake—Madison’s agents, the efficient Sarah (Cecilia Kim) and the crude Larry (Jon Elswerth), fly up to help straighten things out. 

Of course, all the drama drama drama keeps Madison busy, which prevents Bryce from proposing. The couple dances and they fight, they kiss and make up, but the leads mostly feel like supporting characters in this sequel. The spark Maslow and Hanna had in the original seems dimmer, and the film relies more on the actors being attractive than on their charisma or her celebrity. (A throwaway moment has Madison being recognized by a young adoring fan.) At least Maslow does get to perform “Have Yourself a Merry little Christmas,” but the running joke about Bryce having a fear of singing in public is unamusing.

Like the original film, Stars Fell Again is aggressively wholesome, which would be admirable if the film wasn’t so bland. Harper’s wedding anxieties mount because she dreams about sleeping with Josh, rather than actually sleeping with him. In another indication of how chaste this film is, the bachelor party is steered away from a strip club because the groom doesn’t support the sexual objectification of women. (The guys go bowling instead.)

The film also provides few surprises. Noah unexpectedly announces that he and Harper will be moving to England, which potentially dashes her father’s (Bill Winkler) plans to have Harper and Noah live in the house he secretly bought them as a wedding gift, as well as Josh’s hope of being with Harper. (No prizes for guessing how things play out in the end.)

Stars Fell Again also fails to deliver much in the way of romance or humor. A couple of kisses and cuddles tick the boxes of the former, and some bad puns provide the latter. There are various platitudes about love being a leap of faith as well as talk about the importance of family that are heartfelt, or at least, meant to be the actors all seem to read their lines with minimal emotion. 

Even during the big emotional moments, when the music swells and lovers’ eyes or lips lock, Stars Fell Again aims for swoon-inducing. Unfortunately, this hackneyed romance may have viewers feeling déjà vu or just plain bored, instead.