The Photograph strongly resembles a Hallmark Channel movie, but with an African-American cast. And, instead of that one chaste kiss at the end of many Hallmark movies, The Photograph has just enough mild sexual content to merit a PG-13 rating.

Here are a few Hallmark Channel movie tropes that appear in The Photograph:

1. One of the characters is a journalist. Michael (LaKeith Stanfield) is a writer for a New York based magazine.
2. One of the characters leaves her small hometown for the big city, but comes back home to visit. Christina (Chanté Adams) is a photographer who leaves Louisiana for New York.
3. One of the characters spends a lot of time reading a letter left by a person who is no longer around. Mae (Issa Rae) reads and rereads the letter left by her mother who is recently deceased.
4. One of the characters has a parent die. (See #3.)
5. One of the characters stays in the small town and has a reunion with one who comes back. Isaac (Rob Morgan) is one who is left behind.
6. A surprising revelation occurs. Although some might say, “I saw that coming!” (Sorry, no spoiler here.)
7. A number of coincidences move the plot along. (No spoilers here either.)
8. Several conversations include glasses of wine.
9. Romantic attraction for the two main characters, Michael and Mae, is obvious to the audience if not to the characters.
10. Family members caution against moving too fast into a serious relationship. Michael’s brother Kyle (Lil Rey Howery) shares his thoughts over wine and beer.
11. A sad goodbye.
12. A happy ending. (Well, duh.)

Stanfield and Rae each have lots of charisma and they have great onscreen chemistry. The parallel tales of the two generations are presented with a bit of melodrama—but that’s a good thing.

The Photograph is a romantic movie for grownups. Yes, the film was written and directed by a woman, Stella Meghie.

Like many Hallmark Channel movies it touches emotional buttons, it has some contrived plot elements and most of the situations get resolved in satisfying ways.