Anyone who used to watch 90s Lifetime movies will feel right at home when watching Saving Paradise. The old-fashioned style, schlocky narration, and the overly emotional tone guarantees some quality entertainment. The film previously had the name Pencil Town, which I believe fits the movie and its tone much better. Love it or hate it, Saving Paradise is as questionable as it gets, and the product is almost exactly what it claims to be on the label.
Following the death of Don, the president of the pencil factory, who unexpectedly dies due to a heart attack, his ruthless son Michael is dragged back home. To make things even worse for Michael, he is labelled the unwanted heir of the pencil factory which is on the brink of complete destruction. To be fair, Michael has not been home for even ten years, and the moment he shows his face at the factory, all the locals instantly hate him. Michael initially has a “thing” with CFO Charlie, but that quickly turns into resentment. The horrible thing for Michael is that now, the whole town is completely against him. Things grow even worse for him there because the bank is giving him a loan of 90 days, within which his company needs to pay back. Michael has no option now but to figure out whether to sell the factory off or put up a fight for the company.
Things happen almost as you think them would happen, and an overconfident Michael undergoes one of his most important life lessons that feel as if they are being unchecked one at a time. His background story is surprisingly rich due to the unintentional death of his older brother, DJ, from years ago. Echoes of this strange event linger ominously in the first half only to be elaborated as the film proceeds. Michael bears the burden of his past and the shackles of guilt which, is played with conviction by William Moseley. Most of the townspeople are just cliche, but I could not help but enjoy an introvert named Walter (George Steeves) who happened to be a local and his random pencil trivia. There is more chemistry to the relationship between him and Michael relationship than Michael has with Charlie. It is sparked when Michael casually mentions that “hood is Upper East Side Manhattan” during a game of bowling.
If one manage their expectations, Saving Paradise is probably a quaint, enjoyable film. The charm is there somewhere hiding within the outdated yet wonderful script from Van Billet. It is a well mannered, yet old-fashioned drama that we have seen dozens of times, instantly melting to when the embrace comes around like a dull pencil going into a sharpener.
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