Being a parent is perhaps one of the difficult jobs possible. We have to care for a tiny baby providing all the nurturing, support love as they develop into an adult. All we can do is try our best and hope that things turn out right as our child prepares to leave the proverbial nest. Children are the cornerstone of the traditional family unit and because of this has held a prominent place in family oriented entertainment. One of the leaders of this genre is the Hallmark Channel. Some may make jokes about how they are overly melodramatic and their made for television flicks come across as extended after school specials and to some degree such comments are based in fact. There is, however, another side to the coin. Hallmark is a great source of family approved entertainment and there is absolutely nothing wrong with that. Sue they occasionally pull heavily on the old heart strings but they typically deal with topics important to the modern family. One example is ‘Every Second Counts’ by John Bradshaw. It deals with one of the deepest relationships between child and parent; the one between a father and his daughter. Since my only child is a daughter I could readily relate to the themes explored in this film. It is difficult for any man to watch his little girl grow up and become a young woman. All of us in this situation know that a father is caught in an age old dilemma of wanting the best for our daughters while resenting their entrance into adulthood. While this is shared with all parents and children the bond between father and daughter is a special one. In this movie that relationship is put to an emotional test. As a parent we are certainly older and hopefully wiser than our children and there comes a time when that will be put to the test. No matter what our dreams for our child’s future may be they get to a certain age when they have their own thoughts on that matter. This is an eternal struggle between a parent and a child coming of age and starting a life of their own and there are inherent overly emotional scenes but the quality of the movie is such that they can be considered acceptable. Say what you will about Hallmark productions being corny, they do represent some of the best family movies around. When you see the Hallmark seal of approval on a film you know that you will not have to worry about the content. This film is available on DVD through First Look Studios. They are well known for cutting edge independent films but this demonstrates that they also have a commitment to family friendly faire.

The story was provided by a team of three writers; Kevin Commins, Barbara Kymlicka and Robert Vaughn. They do represent a broad spectrum of previous scripts. Commins had a previous family film and a more grown up screenplay both created for television. Kymlicka has three other scripts mostly in the horror vein. Vaughn worked on a family adventure film prior to this project. All of this experience had come up with a solid screenplay that provides the required morality play set against the world of equestrian competition. This does add a well needed touch of action to the film and a little country western feeling that does have a proven track record with most audiences. The drama is based on the relationship between Brooke Preston (Magda Apanowicz), a bright and talented seventeen year old and her father Joe (Stephen Collins). During his prime Joe was a champion rider and wants his daughter to realize her natural ability with horses and follow in his footsteps. Brooke sees her life unfolding in a different direction. She wants to attend college after her graduation from high school and have a normal life. All drama requires conflict to be successful and this story has one that is as old as time; a parent trying to live vicariously thorough their child. While this is a simple premise it is one that is filled with possibilities and this script makes excellent use of it. Joe found the thrill of winning intoxicating. He felt alive when he came out on top against the best riders around. He wanted the same for his daughter. This is not a case of teen rebellion. Brooke is not defying her father as much as attempting to follow her own course in life. A parent gets used to the amount of control that can be exerted over their child and it is a major paradigm shift when that child is becomes their own person.

John Bradshaw certainly has a lot of experience behind the camera. He worked as an assistant director on numerous films, most of the made for television variety. Many of these were not what would be considered family movies. As the director he stuck with television flicks and continued in the thriller and mystery genre. Even though he doesn’t have a lot of work with films of this type he does a remarkable job of it. He prevents the film from crossing the line into the melodramatic through skillful pacing. He doesn’t let the story drag but keeps things moving at a good clip throughout the film. Part of this is due to the sport depicted here, team penning. This is a popular part of a rodeo where a team of three riders have to cut specific calves out of a group and lead them into a pen. This helps to break up the more emotionally charged scenes and keep the pace lively.

As a seventeen year old girl Brook wants the same things as her peers. She wants to hang out with her friends and perhaps even become interested in a boy but her schedule of training and competition allows little time for such things. Her father is determined to see her rise to the top of the sport reaching past his former glory days. Brook wants to forego the limelight and go to college but that will take a lot of money. When the family home is about to be foreclosed the pressure mounts on the young woman. She now has to win not only to fulfill her father’s dreams but to save their home.

Stephen Collins has remade his career into playing fathers of confused teens. For eleven years he played the wise and gentle Reverend Camden on the golden bar of family television, ‘7^th Heaven’. Here he takes on a gruffer persona as Joe, the former Penning champ. He is beset by financial woes and not only sees Brook as furthering his personal dreams but saving the family. Magda Apanowicz is a very talented young woman who certainly has a bright career ahead of her. He is currently best known as a main cast member on the ABC Family hit ‘Kyle XY’. She has a command of her craft that is amazing to watch. Ms Apanowicz is able to emote without going overboard, a rare quality. In her scenes with Collins both come across as natural. This is a gentle little film that will entertain the whole family. It might even get you thinking about a similar situation in your own home.