The one real surprise in the Netflix romance “The Life List” is a somewhat logical twist in the finale, one that finishes this Sofia Carson star vehicle with a solid-enough tug at the heartstrings.

It doesn’t wipe away the watchable schmaltz that permeates the picture’s three, slow-to-unfold acts or give us insight on true love or the human condition. But it’s still a nice wrap up, and would’ve made the movie sit easier on the memory had they not slapped a bland anti-climax on after of it.

It’s about a dying mother’s parting gift to her only daughter, an adult challenge to “complete” a life list of things thirteen-year-old Alex reasoned-out in and wrote down in middle school.

“Learn to drive.””Get a tattoo.” Make the most of a “mosh pit.” Read “Moby Dick,” the whole novel. No cheating. Learn to play “Clair de Lune” on the piano. Oh, and “Find true love.”

Sofia Carson (“Carry On,” “Purple Hearts”) is Alex, 30ish and adrift. She lost her teaching job, so she took on a nepotism gig at Mom’s Rose Cosmetics firm. She’s living with a lovable lump (Michael Rowland) who might has well have “dead end” tattooed on his chest. Estranged from her dad with siblings married and making babies, Alex is taking her sweet time to grow up.

That is what’s behind mother Elizabeth’s (Connie Britton, excellent as always) decision to carve out a corner of her will to deal with Alex’s indecision. Elizabeth was late breaking the news to her three kids that “It’s back,” the cancer that will kill her this time around. But she went beyond being fair with her will and left Alex DVDs with instructions about how she can collect her share of the inheritance.

“I may not be able to dig you out” of any more messes, Mom assures her. “But I can sure as hell leave you a shovel.”

Alex will be rewarded with fresh DVDs from mom every time she crosses a threshhold and checks off an item among the twelve on the list — “Become a great teacher.” “Reconcile with your dad (José Zúñiga).” And there’s the promise of a bigger payoff at the end.

Can she accomplish this in twelve months? The family’s young pup lawyer (Kyle Allen of “West Side Story”), executor of Elizabeth’s will, seems on the fence.

But he’s there when Alex comes to grips with “Do stand-up comedy,” if not checking her worth regarding Herman Melville’s epic novel of the sea and a great white whale.

The cute lawyer is in a relationship, but not to worry. There might be true love with the handsome, rich Brit (Sebastian De Souza of TV’s “The Great” and “Fair Play”) who volunteers at the women’s shelter, where lawyer Bradley fixes Alex up with a job.

The narrative is Hallmark Channel worthy in its “Rich, entitled New York beauty’s problems” plot and solutions. “Play one-on-one with a New York Knick” is possible when you’ve got access and money.

The sentimental stuff — some of it anyway — lands well enough, reconnecting with that childhood piano teacher to learn Debussy’s most famous composition for that instrument, for instance.

But there’s little humorous here that manages to much as a chuckle. The stand-up comedy bit, the tendency to want to dance and sing along whenever “That’s Not My Name” pops up on the radio or jukebox, are presented as funny but “cute” will have to suffice.

This seriously slight film from the director of “Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason” struggles and strains and fails to justify its 123 minute running time, as in “It’s on Netflix, nobody will notice the funereal pacing.”

Theatrical cinema has had an awful time trying to remember how to write, act and film romances or romantic comedies. Netflix has had better luck in the genre by aiming young.

But “The Life List” is as bland as its title, a movie unworthy of comparison to most any “Bucket List” movie you can think of. Well, exxcept for that dramatic climax, the one that comes before the fender-bender of an anti-climax.

Rating: PG-13, sexual situations, drugs, profanity

Cast: Sofia Carson, Kyle Allen, Sebastian De Souza, José Zúñiga,
Jordi Mollà, Michael Rowland and Connie Britton

Credits: Scripted and directed by Adam Brooks, based on a novel by Lori Nelson Spielman. A Netflix release.

Running time: 2:03