In the town of Paradise, the pencil factory is the main employer, and when its owner dies, it falls to his son, Michael, to return home and try to deal with the situation. The factory is heavily in debt, and the bank is calling in the loans. Since the father had also mortgaged his private assets, Michael’s mother now risks losing everything. Michael sets out to salvage what can be saved — but this also means shutting down the factory, causing the town to lose its only major employer. The factory’s financial manager, Charlie, who is also Michael’s childhood friend, has a plan that might turn things around. But is Michael willing to listen to her?
The film is perhaps more about the issue with the factory than the romance, though the romance is still present. It’s a good film, a bit rougher around the edges than most in the romance genre. Still, one might question the ever-present resistance to progress and technology — a mindset that feels misguided.
