I’d Rather Be in Philadelphia

I couldn’t believe it when I saw the actors who were starring in this one. Rebecca Dalton and Stephen Huszar are usually my two least liked Hallmark actors. Together! It just goes to show you how easy it is to confuse the actors with their roles. They were both nice and good people in this and I really liked them both. It didn’t hurt that Huszar played against type as a kind of nerdy head archivist instead of “The Brawny Man” type (Old version.) I would have liked him even better if he had worn those reading glasses more often.  More often than not, I have had a problem with some of the past roles the two actors have played and I am sorry to say I have held it against them personally. My bad.

Rebecca Dalton plays Emily who is a teacher (burned out) and a history lover who has come to Philadelphia to help her Mom clear out her late grandmother Beverly’s house to prepare it for sale. Even though this grandmother left lots of papers around, I am happy to report they were not twee little notes of so-called wisdom for her beloved granddaughter to find and get guided her on her path to life and love. They have just gotten started tackling the clean-out when a charming friend of her grandmother’s comes by to give Emily some Revolutionary War love letters that Beverly was preparing a report on. Her report was intended as a presentation to preserve the non-profit status of “The Ladies of Liberty,” a group of women history lovers who do research to preserve and honor Revolutionary War stuff. They are love letters from Jonathan, an American patriot and soldier, to Mary, whose family was loyal to England and disapproved of their affair.  Friend of Beverly is hoping that Emily, being a history buff like her grandmother, will take up the project by finding Mary’s letters to Jonathon, finishing the report, and saving “The Ladies of Liberty.”

The first step Emily takes is to go to the city archives to consult with an archivist who turns out to be her destined love interest in the pulchritudinous form of Stephen Huszar. The handwriting is not only on the fragile 250-year-old papers but on the wall. Together they tackle clues in the letters (there is a secret code!) in order to find Mary’s hidden letters back to Jonathan. Archivist Nathan is very intrigued by the historical correspondence which feature not only love but nuggets of history.  Despite a looming deadline of his own, they travel around Philadelphia following the clues and seeing the sites, including Betsy Ross’s place, featuring an unintentionally funny tour guide spouting very spurious history. Bless her heart. The romance blossoms during visits to each other’s family dinners, eating cheesesteaks, and discovering hidden walls. It all culminates in a fancy dinner meeting with Stephen’s boss and Archive patrons at which he is supposed to wow everyone with his own “one-of-a-kind” and “exciting” presentation. Which he doesn’t have because he has been too busy with Emily’s letters and falling in love and such. It is during this gala dinner that the big misunderstanding occurs.

Everything was good in this movie. The secondary characters were likable and well cast, I enjoyed seeing the sites of Philadelphia, the letters were sweet and even interesting, the romance was well supported and well paced, and the rapport between the two leading actors was on point. Best of all, neither one exhibited any problematic behavior. Even the misunderstanding made sense and was easily resolved. Happy endings abound for Emily and Nate, Nate’s career, Emily’s teaching rut, Grandma’s house, and the Ladies of Liberty. I am only left wondering why Hallmark did not premier this movie closer to July 4, America’s semiquincentennial. 7 stars.