Second Chancy Romance

First off, Welcome Back to Hallmark, Steve Lund. I don’t know what you did to get yourself banished, or what Hallmark did to you for you to have to take a break (actually I think I do know), but Gosh, it was good to see you again. I guess absence does make the heart go fonder, because though he’s been a favorite for a long time, now I love him. Move over Kris Polaha. Unfortunately, the role he plays in this one leaves a lot to be desired.

Jenna is a former foster child who was taken in by Angie when she was 13-years-old, joining three other children she considers her brother and sisters. She has made a great success of her life which we know because in the opening scene she is strutting confidently down the city street in heels and a trendy power suit talking on a cell phone. She is an “event guru” who is going to a meeting with a tech billionaire about a charitable event he wants to put on. In the lobby, she runs into (Yes, literally, papers a-flying) Andrew (Lund) who is Billionaire Tom Redland’s right hand man and consultant. They have a “What-are-YOU-doing-here?” moment. They were high-school sweethearts who broke up when Andrew ghosted her and went to Paris to study. They will be working together to put on this huge and important Charity event which Jenna handles like a boss. Actually she is the boss, as Tom Redlands, who is a good guy, handsome and short, makes her the lead on the project. Andrew, who is handsome, very fit, and tall, is a good sport about it. He does show that he is a good guy in moments throughout the movie, but he does have a character arc, so he is not supposed to be perfect like Jenna. Unfortunately it wasn’t handled very believably or well, so while Steve Lund’s performance is a positive, the character he plays is a negative.

• He ghosts Jenna after highschool and although he apologizes, he never comes up with a good explanation other than “we were kids.” In fact, he blames his wealthy mother (weak!) for not approving of Jenna’s background and insisting on getting him away to Paris. But when we finally meet his mother she is perfectly lovely and seemingly thrilled that her son is in love with such a beautiful, nice, and successful woman. And she greets Angie, Jenna’s foster mother like an old friend. Definitely not the sort who must have wrapped Andrew in duct tape and thrown him on the plane to Paris to prevent him from saying goodbye and I Will Still Love You Forever to Jenna. And kept him like that to prevent him calling her on the phone. So it makes him look like a liar.
• When Billionaire Tom invites Jenna to discuss their project after hours at dinner, Andrew acts like a petulant child, jumping to all sorts of jealousy-fueled conclusions. Yes, Tom does seem to be interested in her personally (who wouldn’t be?), but Jenna is pretty clear that it is Andrew who holds her heart in his hands. He goes to the gym to work out his anger and frustration, and he is actually pretty scary about it, suggesting a possible issue there, in my opinion.
• Thank goodness he didn’t know that Tom proposes marriage to her on their second date which was very weird. Jenna actually is like “Dude. What?” and leaves the restaurant with the intent of talking to Andrew. She finds him sitting on the sidewalk outside her apartment (also weird). He is about ready to confess his love and regret, when Tom’s chauffeur drives up with her purse which she left at the restaurant. For some reason, this triggers Andrew (who already knew she was out with Tom) into stalking off into the night with no goodbye (sound familiar?). Jenna calls out after him “Nice Talk!!” which was kind of funny. God, Hallmark, can you please lose this big last minute misunderstanding trope? He rudely ignores her for the remaining minutes of the movie until, thanks to a pep talk from Mommy, he makes up with her and the rest is history.

Throughout the movie, we are treated to weekly dinners with Jenna’s foster family, setting up the next three movies in this Hearts Around the Table series which will feature Jenna’s three siblings. We also have a little story with Rory, a new arrival Angie is fostering. Angie is played by Mindy Cohn of The Facts of Life fame. She is great, looks great, and her character is very endearing. These home scenes are lively and warm. Older sister Shari seems like a real pistol. She is rightly very suspicious of Andrew, and makes her feelings crystal clear to the point of rudeness. And good for her. The other brother and sister are played by Jake Epstein, a big favorite of mine, and Kathryn Davis. In this one, talented actor Steve Lund conveys all the emotions his character is going through with skill and authenticity, even adding a little welcome humor that might not have been written into the script. Unfortunately I just didn’t like those emotions. I am optimistic about the next three movies, particularly Shari’s story and more of Jake Epstein (and hopefully, Steve Lund). And Mindy Cohn-loved her in this.