Movies, etc.

‘Twas the Date Before Christmas

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A Blind Date Christmas

**spoilers**😉

Can we all just take a moment to appreciate and enjoy the fact that Amy Groening, seemingly forever relegated to the role of best friend, co-worker, sister, colleague, etc. Has been finally promoted to main girl in a Hallmark Romance? Hopefully this is a trend not a blip. Of course she was wonderful and authentic as usual. And she hit the jackpot drawing Robert Buckley as her leading man. The two had a great natural chemistry.

We meet Jessie and Shelly, her friend and sister-in-law, discussing Jessie’s disappointing luck with dating apps. Jessie is trying to move forward after a mysterious broken engagement (I mean who would break up with Amy Groening?)  She gets a visit from her mother who tells  her that they are foregoing what would be the 23rd annual  traditional “Chamberlain Family Christmas Olympics” to avoid upsetting her and stirring up old memories of happier days. Jessie loves Christmas and their family traditions and is upset and guilty that it is being canceled because of her. On an impulse, she lies to  her mother that she was going to bring a date to the festivities so they can’t cancel and disappoint him. Her mother does a 180, thrilled and excited that her daughter is finally moving on from her romantic disappointment. But now Jessie has to find a guy that is willing to meet her family on their first date and embrace the Christmas fun for the whole day.

Meanwhile we meet Bryan whose company is about to build an innovative affordable housing complex, replacing existing retail shops. There is one candle shop that is the last hold out and his company is about to serve her an eviction notice to his discomfort. Even though Bryan’s father founded the company and he will eventually be the head honcho, he is not ready for that right now. His interests are more about the actual building and creating, not in being the lord of all he surveys. Bryan reluctantly agrees to the eviction however because the company cannot afford not to build, and he does not have a viable alternative plan.

When Bryan’s friends find out he will be spending Christmas alone and see Jessie’s dating profile which has been altered to make attendance at her family’s wacky Christmas Eve festivities mandatory, Bryan is intrigued. They start texting and then meet up. The two have an easy rapport and share the same sense of humor. It’s A Blind Date Christmas!

I love an ensemble movie and although this one was mostly focused on Jessie and Bryan it was chock full of quirky and amusing family members and warm interactions. The usual plot points crop up: lonely Bryan is fully embraced by the family, many Christmas games and other hijinks ensue including the usual cookie baking, gift wrapping, tree decorating, snow ball fighting, etc. Since no ice skating was involved I was able to tolerate all of the shenanigans. Plus, each event has its own offbeat spin. Some of the family figure out that the couple are not only not almost engaged (yes, that misunderstanding happens) but barely know each other thanks to the Couple’s Quiz.  And, as always, the big conflict/secret is always lurking in the wings. Soon after the Christmas Eve events commence, Bryan finds out out that the little candle shop that his company is about evict belongs to the aforementioned Shelly. What. Are. The. Chances?

It is soon clear that Jessie and Bryan are made for each other even though it is only their first date. Their relationship was fun and sweet, thanks to the two actors and their camaraderie. When  Jessie tells him about her sad broken engagement it brings them even closer together. When the whole truth comes out regarding the couples’ relationship and Bryan’s true identity, the fit really hits the shan. “Are you telling me that a complete stranger might win the Chamberlain Family Christmas Olympics!?” Bryan leaves but soon finds a solution that will benefit the whole community and allow Shelly to keep her store. The family is eager to welcome him back into their good graces. He finally takes control over the direction of his company and scores a second date with Jessie on New Year’s Eve, no less. “ Too Late. I accept.”

Rating: 8 out of 10.

Holiday Crashers

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Lying Liars from Lieville. But No Judgement.

**Spoilers**

Lifelong BFFs, Toni and Bri, work together in an invitation and card shop. Bri is the wild fun loving madcap one-always up for a lark but kind of aimless. Toni graduated at the top of her class from “Haltword”, a top Ivy League law school wink wink, but had a panic attack while taking the bar so is not a lawyer. She is working at the shop while trying to figure out her path forward. She is the daughter of one of those lawyers who promote themselves with those nerve-jangling TV ads and paste their faces on billboards and buses. She loves her Dad very much but she has always been embarrassed by his brand of ambulance-chasing injury lawyering and the way he drums up business. It’s not that she doesn’t love the law, but is afraid ending up like her father. He, of course, wants her to partner with him, but she is reluctant because in sophisticated circles he is somewhat of a joke.  So, in her mid-twenties, she is “taking a pause” and trying to figure it all out.

While delivering boxes of party invitations to a wealthy matron during another party she is throwing, Bri gets the the idea of pretending to be a guest for a laugh and drags Toni into the adventure against her better judgement. They both have a great time (Toni may have her feet on the ground but that doesn’t mean she is a stick in the mud). Toni meets Justin, an attractive guest and there is instant attraction between them. One thing leads to another, and the girls, taking advantage of their access to extra invitations, start going to all of the best parties in town while creating new exciting fake identities for themselves for each party. Like a Formula One Race Car Driver, Crash Test Dummy Manufacturer, and Olympic Skier. All harmless fun, you understand. In their adventures, Bri falls for a humble parking valet she keeps meeting, and Toni continues to run into Justin who is the corporate head of a corporation that acquires other corporations. Justin, played by the elegant Chris McNally, is just…Wow…in this movie. At one party she meets Latisha, one of Justin’s employees who was a fellow classmate of hers from “Haltword”. Latisha tells her boss what a great lawyer Toni is (based on what a great student she knew her to be).  He invites her on a Christmas retreat as a consultant after she advises him not to get involved in buying a company that her Dad will soon be filing a class action suit against. Toni tries to refuse but is powerless in the face of Latisha who almost gives birth on the portico. Also Bri, the human dynamo, adds her two cents, and Toni is powerless to refuse.

So just harmless party crashing and fantasy identities has just turned serious. Toni can get into serious trouble with the bar association for practicing law without a license even though she is just consulting and will refuse to be paid. It will also harm Justin and his company’s credibility. As Justin and Toni continue to fall for each other, Toni learns that due to a troubled childhood with his father and a past romantic betrayal, Justin cannot tolerate liars. Always on the verge of confessing the truth to Justin but never quite finding the courage, she finds herself in an increasingly impossible situation.

Despite all of the deception and lying, this was still enjoyable. The script had some funny jokes; especially the pop-culture references sprinkled throughout. Lyndsy Fonseca, who played Toni, has established a good track record with me, and newcomer Daniella Monet as Bri was a lot of fun. Because of their acting I just made the decision not to be judgey about their characters’ behavior.  Besides, a most beloved rom-com, While You Were Sleeping was based on Sandra Bullock’s big lie, and who ever had a problem with Sandra Bullock’s Lucy? Certainly not me.

 As all of the fake identities start to catch up with the two friends, it results in some pretty good comedy as well as tension. Olympic Skier, Huh? And Doula? The romance between Vinny the valet and Bri was sweet. It turns out Bri is not the only one who can conjure up a fake identity. Bri finding the ideal career path at last was an engaging sub plot, and her backstory did a lot to justify her more questionable actions. I love the way Toni came to terms with her Dad’s ways. The best scene in the movie is when she hears some of the party goers make fun of him and his commercials and she stalks over and rips them a new one, revealing her true identity in the process. This was a breakthrough for her and the point where she finally starts finding her way forward careerwise.  I also liked that Justin held Toni accountable for her lies when the truth finally came out. She was truly remorseful and apologetic, but he rightly had none of it, and they didn’t meet again for another year. She had passed the bar and had gone into partnership with her Dad, even starring in one of his crazy TV spots. I loved that. Good for her. When Justin sees her on TV, his heart melts and a happy ending is not far behind. Not that her saving him and his firm “two billion dollars” with her inside information played a factor in his forgiveness. Not at all.

Rating: 7.5 out of 10.

Haunted Wedding

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Scooby-Don’t

This one started out great but lost its way, got pretty confused, and floundered around aimlessly to the inevitable happy conclusion. It’s a shame because the premise was a fresh one for Hallmark, the two lead actors were good and likable as were the characters they played, and in the beginning, there were several cute lines in the script. It opened with a spoof of Ghost Hunter-type reality shows with which I am very familiar because a lot of reasons. Ghost hunting is our couple Jana and Brian’s hobby and the movie opens with them doing just that. They really nailed the usual lingo and crazy machines that all respectable ghost hunters would not be without. It turns out that on this occasion Brian has lured Jana into a haunted insane asylum to propose marriage. It was cute. I really liked their relationship and that they were so enthusiastic about the unusual hobby that they shared in common. 6 months later they arrive at the (3-tombstone rated!) Keystone Manor, a haunted inn that they have chosen as their wedding venue. And this is about where it all starts to go downhill.

The house is haunted by the bougiely named Angelique DeMorney whose revolutionary war-hero true-love was ambushed and killed the day before their wedding. The anniversary of their planned elopement is coming up on Brian and Jana’s wedding day and Angelique is determined that there will be no wedding in her house unless it is hers to Malcolm, her dead lover. Jana and Brian decide to find out whether Malcolm is out there somewhere in ghost form (he is) and reunite them so they can cross over into the great beyond together forever. After “research” they find him at a pub which used to be the old jailhouse where he died of his wounds. It turns out that Malcolm was an ancestor of Brian and they look exactly alike. This familial connection is why Brian and Jana can interact with the two ghosts. New-to-Hallmark Dominic Sherwood was effective in the dual role, distinguishing the slightly goofy Brian from the serious and sad Shakespeare-quoting Malcolm very nicely.

Hardly anything in this movie made sense. For over 200 years Angelique has not been able to communicate with or be seen by anyone until the arrival of Jana and Brian. They are her one chance to finally be reunited with Malcolm and they vow to help her do so. They are ghost hunters. Brian is an ancestor of Malcolm. What could be more coincidentally fortuitous?  Yet Angelique is spiteful and hostile off and on (mostly on) throughout the movie. She sabotages their wedding preparations and plays mean tricks like turning their wine into vinegar. This ghost has powers outside the realm of the usual poltergeist activities. She whines all the damn time. She would have been well served if Jana and Brian left and had their wedding at “The Radisson (like normal people)”.

Brian calls in a disgraced TV medium recently exposed as a total fraud. (Why does he do that?) It is immediately apparent that he is a big phony and is rude to Jana and her more scientific approach to boot. Why don’t they throw him out on his ear immediately? But they put up with him until his stupid scheme literally blows up in their faces.

Why does Jana continually bring up her former fiance who left her at the altar years ago and often in Brian’s presence? She and Brian are a solid couple but Jana starts to doubt him for no reason. The conflict did not make sense in the context of their otherwise loving and fun relationship. Plus it was hurtful to Brian. Brian accuses her of trying to purposely sabotage their relationship and he’s probably right. It was meaningless manufactured drama and unnecessary.

And most importantly of all, why do they send their parents on a hayride when Jana’s father has debilitating allergies?

The script is full of overused trendy catchphrases like “We got this!”, I finally felt “seen”, and “I really get you”. Some of which come out of 200-year-old Angelique’s mouth. The one they thankfully forgot was “It’s complicated.” I usually ignore this stuff but I am up to here with these lazy word crutches. The whole thing, once the ghosts got involved, was more like a Scooby-Doo episode than the promising self-aware comedy-romance it started out to be. It’s almost like they changed writers mid-stream. I’m not saying they did, but the thought occurred to me.

Skipping through a lot of scenes, it all ends with a double wedding of the humans and the ghosts with the ghost couple going off together into the light. I strongly suspect that once Malcolm gets to know petulant and bitchy Angelique a little better they will be heading for Heavenly Divorce Court.

Rating: 4 out of 10.

Autumn at Apple Hill

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An Easy Watch

Erin Cahill plays Elise, a divorcee who is not-a-mother and is trying to keep her struggling Apple Hill Inn that she inherited from her late grandparents afloat while trying to keep the large hotel chains who are trying to move in on her at bay. It is a beautiful and beloved Inn, but it is falling apart. Her friend and employee Nora has been trying to get her to computerize the administrative duties and use social media for promotion, but Elise feels that this would take it too far away from its roots and old-fashioned charm. Meanwhile, the guests eat their breakfasts with umbrellas at the ready so the pipes don’t leak on their food.  She has a lot to fix and update to make the Inn viable but can’t get a loan until she shows a 15% profit by the end of October. Her banker encourages her to consider partnering with one of the big hotel chains who have come a callin’ but she is dead set against becoming nothing but an employee in her own hotel.

Meanwhile Luke (Wes Brown) is the CFO of a large hotel conglomerate headed by his mother. He is a workaholic who is running his staff ragged. His Mother puts her foot down during a lunch where he will not get off his phone. He is very annoying. To protect her employees from his punishing management style, she cuts off access to his cell phone account and suspends him from his position so he will go on a mandatory vacation. He is horrified and discombobulated. Paula Boudreau plays his elegant resolute mother and when she spikes his guns, we cheer her on. She is a force to be reckoned with. Completely at loose ends, he sees an old photo and fondly remembers growing up in his old hometown of Landover and decides to spend his forced vacation time there. And Landover just happens to be where The Inn at Apple Hill is located! He has fond memories of the Inn and it is there he insists on staying! When Elise looks at the old paper register book (“Oh but the tactile feel of paper though!”) she recognizes his name as a big hotel magnate and assumes he is there to worm his way into taking over her hotel. She proceeds to make his stay as miserable as possible giving him the worst room in the place. The Bates Motel is mentioned.

Eventually Elise finds out that Luke has no nefarious designs on her Inn and they start to get to know each other and work together. With Luke’s help and expertise, will Elise be able to get that loan and save her Inn? It all rests on the success of bringing back the Inn’s traditional Halloween Party that had gone by the wayside 15 years ago.

Despite the often used and predictable storyline. I rather enjoyed this. The surprising twist in Luke and his mother’s business relationship near the end was an unexpected and welcome development. The secondary romance between Nora and the electrician was sweet and added a nice touch. Sarah Luby as Nora was funny and charming. In fact, all of the supporting characters were likable and well-written. Erin Cahill and Wes Brown were fine, especially Wes Brown. They had an easy-going and natural rapport. Before Luke and Elise started making nice, she was the recipient of some pretty brutal and much-deserved assessments of her hospitality. Their back and forth was pretty funny. (“I can show you my plaques!” “ Did you buy them on the internet?”).  When she finds out he is old pals with a respected local tavern owner and mutual friend, relations between them are quick to thaw. She is genuinely ashamed of herself and her learning curve in embracing modern methods and a new attitude were engaging and realistic. She was intelligent and reasonable and didn’t try my patience with stupid pig-headedness. The movie did use my least favorite Hallmark trope, “Bad Business”, but it wasn’t the focus and was over before it became too irritating. It was nice to look at. The tasteful fall decor in contrast to the random and eccentric seasonal bric-a-brac of other networks and Hallmarks not Hallmark-produced, added to the overall pleasantness.

This one had too familiar a plot to get really high marks from me, but it had enough positives to overcome a formula that could have made it tired and boring. Instead, it had a comforting tried and true old-fashioned feel that I really liked. It was easy to watch.

Rating: 7.5 out of 10.

The Real West

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A Ranchy Romance

I’m afraid I am somewhat of an outlier on this one. Kimberley Sustad, with her acting and authenticity was a queen, as usual. The script was a good take on 2007’s Steve Carell dramedy-romance Dan, In Real Life with the leading roles reversed. Some funny lines were made funnier by Kimberly Sustad’s comic timing, as always. And when emotions and angst are called for she is always more than equal to that as well. The plot had some good elements, both amusing and poignant. Rebecca’s ( Kimberley Sustad) relationship and banter with her two sons and her mother were well drawn mostly due to the acting of all concerned. But unfortunately, I just couldn’t get over the way the romance part was handled, the behavior of Rebecca’s flaky free-spirit younger sister Cassidy, and how the college issue with her 17-year-old son was resolved.

Rebecca is a university professor and widow with a teenage son and a 9-year-old who is told by her family that she needs to get a life and start dating again. Meanwhile, they are set to join her mother and sister at a dude ranch for a family vacation. When they get there, she learns that her sister has arranged the whole thing to follow a guy she has gotten serious about and thinks might be “The One”. She met him in upstate New York but he works there in Colorado as the horse guy for the ranch. She wants her sister to meet him and give him her Seal of Approval before she takes it any further because she isn’t a good judge of character like her sister is. Also, her mother hopes to set Rebecca up with a childhood friend who has grown up to be a real hunk. To add to the fun,  her 17-year-old son has invited his girlfriend along without her permission or knowledge until the young lady shows up with her luggage the morning of their departure. I’m not even going to go there because it turned out to be a very minor ripple in a sea of trouble.

Rebecca has yet to meet Jake, her sister’s boyfriend, when she goes into town to buy a cowboy hat. She meets a ruggedly handsome cowboy-looking dude there whom she takes to be the store clerk. The immediate electricity between the two just crackles. He flirts with her very seductively including getting all up in her space. This was not harmless fun and jokey flirting, but in earnest. He pretends he is the store clerk and proceeds to help her find the perfect hat because the hat should reflect the inner self. Whatever. The Sorting Hat routine continues as he places 3 hats on her head to choose from, looks deep into her eyes, and spouts off lines such as “Tried and true… When others grow weary, you grow stronger…Tough and tender…and strong enough to ride the land but gentle enough to warm the hearts of anyone lucky enough to know you.” Ick. Now I couldn’t tell if Lucas Bryant was kidding with his performance of a laconic, growly-voiced cowboy type, but I am up to here with every actor who plays a cowboy trying to channel Sam Elliot, kidding or not.  One of the funnier lines was Rebecca’s reaction to his hat-fitting methodology. “Oh. It’s a hat AND a horoscope.” But she is smitten, and buys all 3 of the hats after which she goes out for a 3-hour coffee break with him and they exchange numbers. Later, back at the ranch, her sister’s boyfriend shows up and she introduces him to her family. Guess who. Now I didn’t blame Rebecca at all. She was shocked, disturbed, and embarrassed. But I didn’t like how Lucas Bryant’s part in this was glossed over and ignored. He actively pursued her while still in an at least semi-serious relationship with another woman who turned out to be her sister. And he didn’t seem to care or have any sense of regret or chagrin over his behavior. He was very passive about the whole thing like her sister’s feelings had nothing to do with him. Either he had no empathy which I hope was not the case (because there is a word for someone who has no empathy) or he just didn’t show any. He was pretty inscrutable. He doesn’t break up with the sister until the movie is almost over and after the two boys had grown attached to him and he and Rebecca were hot and heavy emotionally.

Speaking of the sister, she  stupidly and obliviously persisted in throwing Rebecca and Jake alone together so Rebecca could get to know him. It was so bad, I thought that she was trying to match-make between the two having decided he was not for her after all. If only. That would have been fine and kind of funny. But no, when she finally figures out the two are well on their way to being seriously involved, she gets all mad at her sister! When she did nothing but throw them together at every opportunity! Why didn’t Rebecca tell her the truth about him putting the moves on her behind her back and their mutual attraction when her one job was to alert her sister to any red flags she sussed out? No clue.

I don’t want to pile on about this movie because there were so many great things about it. I will only briefly mention the third thing that didn’t sit right with me. What was with Rebecca giving her son her blessing to follow his girlfriend of 4 months to an out-of-town and lesser university rather than stay at home to go to a better school? And one to which he presumably would not have had to pay tuition since she was a professor there? That seemed way too irresponsible and indulgent to me.

Believe it or not this was a good movie with good acting from all concerned except I didn’t know what Lucas Bryant was trying to do. Probably the direction he got. Besides Kimberley Sustad, Lynda Boyd as the mother made an impact despite her few lines and small part. The side plot of Rebecca’s youngest son being obsessed with ghosts was amusing and quirky until we found out what was behind his interest, and then it was poignant. Azriel Dalman as the youngest son was wonderful as always. He is a regular Hallmark actor.

I didn’t see this movie until 3 days after the premiere for reasons I won’t go into but I wanted to love it going by the many glowing reviews and positive feedback. I just couldn’t get past the way the main characters were written. I was disappointed. Oh and by the way, the next time a Hallmark actor says “It’s complicated.” I won’t be responsible for my actions.

Rating: 6.5 out of 10.

Falling Together

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A Worthy Cause, A Good Message, But a Not So Great Movie.

No one does cheerful and energetic like Ashley Williams and boy oh boy they picked the right girl for this role.  She plays Natalie who is moving from Miami to Pittsburgh to manage admissions at Carnegie Mellon University. Natalie loves to “get involved”  and fix things. In other people’s lives. She finds fertile ground in her new digs, a condominium of 25 units in the heart of the city. It seems that half of the residents are either at each other’s throats and the other half don’t give a rat’s derriere about what’s going on around them unless it affects their lives. Natalie isn’t having any of that. She is all about community, making friends with the neighbors, and helping. She lives for it.

But she gives a party that no one comes to and parks herself outside the building trying to give her neighbors free muffins to no avail. They sense a trap and don’t fall victim. Not helping matters is her exact opposite, the super of the building, Mark (Paul Campbell). He is good at fixing the plumbing, but fixing the personal lives of the residents, his employers, is above his pay grade. He takes his religion of “not getting involved” very seriously in all aspects of his life. Now you would think this dynamic between the two would result in a sweet romance, witty banter, and comedy. Unfortunately, the lack of chemistry between the two actors put paid to that hope very early on. But Of course, these two are fated to be together forever making each other miserable. Just kidding, they are fated to fall in love and find a happy medium between the two extremes. Thanks to a mutual friend, the owner of a neighborhood diner, Mark starts spending some time with the human steam roller that is Natalie and he is helpless in her path. With his help and advice, she eventually makes progress with her neighbors, mending fences and fostering community and such. And Mark’s protective walls start to crumble.

Meanwhile, since Natalie’s actual job does not start for 6 weeks she has lots and lots of time on her hands. This could have been very dangerous for Pittsburgh, but she finds a grateful and enthusiastic embrace from Carnegie Mellon’s Alzheimer’s association. Their current project is Walk to End Alzheimer’s to shine a light on this disease and raise money for the cause. Natalie could not have found a more worthy channel for her talents and energy. She makes friends with the head organizer of The Walk, Linda. Highlighting the tragedy of this disease, Linda candidly reveals to Natalie that she is a victim of early-onset Alzheimer’s. Vivacious and capable, Linda is played by Linda Kash, who is particularly affecting when she stands with Natalie in front of a photo of herself and wonders who that woman is, because she looks very familiar. Surprisingly, Linda’s advice to Natalie is similar to Mark’s: Stop every so often and take time to care for yourself, find what gives you joy, and do that. Help others, but find fulfillment within, not in investing all of your energy in other people and their business. Stop and smell the roses, or in this case, appreciate the beauty of the autumn leaves. Of course, Mark learns from Natalie’s approach to life and is changed for the better in the other direction.

It is a good message and kudos to Hallmark for basing their movie around such a worthy cause. Unfortunately, they tried to pack in too much to do it with any depth or complexity. More time was needed to develop Natalie and Mark’s relationship and their individual arcs, the neighbors’ subplots and their characters’ journeys and arcs, and of course Linda’s. The romance was blah. Ashley Williams has managed to rein in her smiley ebullience in the last few movies she has starred in and I have really liked her. It all burst forth in this one and it was way too much. Hopefully, she’s gotten it all out of her system for a while.

Rating: 6.5 out of 10.

The Heiress and the Handyman

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No Cents and No Sense

This premiered on Hallmark +, the Hallmark streaming service, about 2 weeks ago and it has garnered numerous reviews on IMDb and comments on Reddit, mostly negative. I can’t really disagree with them. There were a few kind reviews as well, and I can’t really disagree with those either. I don’t subscribe to Hallmark + so my first taste of this one was its premiere, last night on the Hallmark Channel. Two aspects of this movie seemed to rile most of the reviewers, namely Jodie Sweetin’s hairstyle, indeed, her hair itself, and the set decoration. Jodie’s hair was indeed confusing. I was a bit mesmerized by it. It was obviously a wig, and a bad one, but why? The internet demands answers!

The sets looked like Hobby-Lobby threw up all over them, after which a few “set decorators” came in to rearrange and evenly distribute the detritus on fences, wind it around pillars in the form of garlands,  and glue it to indoor and outdoor walls. Orange and yellow leaves and things made out of orange and yellow leaves were all over the place. This movie was not produced by Hallmark but purchased by them from another production company.  I hope they got a good deal.

The plot was the often used “rich heiress loses her fortune but finds the true happiness in the simple life” with a healthy dose of “fish out of water.” Often the key to her awakening is bonding with a child of some sort and a handsome man who is often the father of said child. In this one, it is a pig and a handsome farmer. June (Jodie Sweetin) is reduced to sleeping in her car after losing her entire fortune, but luckily inherits a farm mansion  near Greenville, State Unknown, from a little-known (but beloved!) Aunt. The state is unknown but it is in America, in the country, and they grow a lot of apples there. Also a lot of deciduous trees with lots of autumn-colored leaves. All proceeds as usual, including a Fall Harvest Festival and a pie baking competition. My main concern with all this was how an Oxford-educated woman could lose her entire fortune to the cryptocurrency crash and never have an inkling as to what was going on. Or was it her business manager who invested all of her money in Shitcoin? In which case, why wasn’t he fired? Later he finds her grandfather’s 1980s stock portfolio somewhere mysterious, and thanks to Grandpa buying Apple for $22 a share, her fortunes and her PJs (Private Jets) are restored to her.

Strangely, I didn’t hate this. I really don’t know why. It had kind of a simple comforting vibe. I like Jodie Sweetin although this was not her best effort, and Corey Sevier who played Bart, the organic farmer, has been excellent depending on the role. His role in this one was bland, and he did that great. I really liked Ann Pirvu who played his sister, and Jenni Burke made the most out of her small role as the pie judge. There were some amusing lines in the script here and there, and the basic plot was as serviceable as the riches-to-rags and back-to-riches trope usually is. I can’t give it more than 5 stars. I guess my one-word summary of the whole thing would be “innocuous.”

Rating: 5 out of 10.

His & Hers

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The “A” Team

Frequent partners in Hallmark movies, Brennan Elliot and Lacey Chabert were perfectly cast as two married lawyers on opposite sides of a divorce case. And they could not have been better. They are mature adults who were playing mature characters blissfully married for 7 years, successful, and fulfilled in their careers. Thankfully not characters who still do not have it figured out professionally or personally though well into their thirties. Dana and Mark (Chabert and Elliott) are not “chasing or not chasing their dreams”, or doing anything Hallmark couples are usually involved in like getting themselves unstuck from some trauma or life altering misunderstanding. It was a very fresh plot-line for Hallmark although at first I thought it might be a riff on the classic Tracy-Hepburn vehicle, Adams Rib, or the little noticed (but one of my favorites) 2004 romantic comedy Laws of Attraction. But no, this one ends up doing its own thing once past the basic setup of romance between opposing  forces in the legal arena.

Dana and Mark are two good lawyers who are sincere, kind, cheerful, honest, wholesome, and a perfect match for each other. Now this could have gotten into drippy-sappy territory, except that Lacey and Brennan unapologetically embrace their characters; and instead of cringing at them, I just really liked them. Mark is about to make partner in his firm provided he wins his next case representing Brett Noble, one half of a reality TV couple who is about to go through a very messy divorce. So he is under some pressure there from his tough boss. Dana is a corporate  lawyer who has been assigned to represent Brett’s wife Tabby despite the fact that family law is not her thing. They  hope to work everything out in arbitration to avoid going to court. Besides avoiding bad publicity and negative attention from the press, Dana has an aversion to the courtroom. She abhors public speaking, “I get weird, I clam up, I make that face.” Mark wants to avoid court for the usual reasons, but also because he loves and supports Dana and doesn’t want her to go through that kind of stress and anxiety. Unfortunately the two contentious spouses each “want everything” and refuse to compromise.

Predictable (and unpredictable!) shenanigans ensue. What I liked most about this movie is that despite the couple being tested by the conflicts between their clients inevitably encroaching into their personal lives, there is never any fear that their relationship will be seriously threatened. The writers did not go the obvious route, but let their two clients provide the brunt of the relationship drama. Although Mark and Dana’s marriage weathers a few minor squalls due to their conflict of interest, they just love and respect each other too much to let it develop into a serious storm.  At one point the two open each others’ background checks by mistake and are shocked by what they learn. “You were incarcerated?!” “You were married?!”-for 1 hour to a “Will Kemp”-inside joke. “You were crowned Miss Supreme Ann Arbor?” “I did it for the scholarship money!” “You gave a speech on World Peace!” I was young-everyone makes mistakes.” They stalk off to opposite sides of their apartment but turn around immediately and hug it out. “This isn’t us.” In fact, rather than causing dissension, their involvement in the messy divorce ultimately brings them closer together, spurring them to tackle previously unaddressed issues and questions.

To add to the fun, there are a lot of blink-and-you-might-miss-them inside jokes involving Brennan and Lacey’s past movies together:  “You know I love baby goats”, says Dana, and the way she fills in a crossword puzzle. I felt there was an opportunity missed by not taking advantage of Lacey “I am not a litigator!” Chabert’s comic timing by having her struggle in the courtroom before finding her feet longer than she did. Oh well, time constraints and all that. Stephanie Bennett and Clayton James nail their roles as the shallow seemingly vacuous battling couple. The script was sharp with some wit as well as situational comedy. There were also some twists that I did not see coming until I did, and the ending was very satisfying with justice served outside the courtroom, and Mark and Dana’s professional and personal lives on an even better track than they were before. If that’s possible. It was a very strong entry in this year’s “Fall into Love” premiere movies although no one was “falling in love” and there was not an Autumn leaf in sight.

Rating: 8.5 out of 10.

Head Over Heels

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The Devil’s in the Details

This one was the Hallmark version of The Devil Wears Prada but with footwear. The plot was very basic and stayed in its lane with all the predictable plot points coming up as expected and where expected. A young(ish) cobbler working at her father’s shoe repair shop gets a chance to widen her horizons by getting her foot in the door of  a prestigious shoe designer as a receptionist. Her dream is to be an actual shoe designer herself. Sure enough,  she is quickly promoted to being the Miranda Priestly character’s personal assistant (named Delaney Diaz in this movie). Addie’s  love interest, Austin, is the Stanley Tucci character who is not gay but young(er) and eligible. Olivier Renaud plays Austin, Miranda’s (Delaney’s) “PR guy.” At least that’s what they call him. He works for his father’s big and important PR firm. It’s weird though because Delaney seems to be his only client and he is always around doing all kinds of stuff besides PR, like window dressing and hanging pairs of shoes over a walkway for promotional purposes. But this keeps him close at hand so Austin and Addie can develop a relationship, and that’s the important thing. Wait a minute. Doesn’t hanging shoes on a wire signal gang or drug activity? Probably he didn’t know that.

Of course Addie gets herself in trouble due to her naivety and trusting friendliness and almost brings the company to its knees, but then turns around and saves the day with her shoe designing acumen and motivational pep talks to the Miranda Priestly character. Obviously tweaked a bit to be more Hallmarky. Meanwhile, she learns how to provide Delaney Diaz her morning iced latte without the ice melting. It’s more complicated than you might think.

It was all pretty standard stuff if more derivative than usual. Some of Hallmark’s best efforts have been based on well-known romantic comedies and it was fine due to amusing well-written scripts and likable characters that were well-acted. This one didn’t offer any of those saving graces. The Delaney Diaz character was all over the place, going back and forth between being a mean tough taskmaster to being easily manipulated with a heart of mush. She was supposed to be an icon and leading light of the shoe design world but had suffered some setbacks and failures which has destroyed her confidence. She basically has sold out putting her name on inferior very basic shoes that she doesn’t personally design in order to save her company. But she still acts like a diva and is worshipped as such by all and sundry. Her character and the way she acted did not make sense and she did some really dumb things. As did everyone. The actress, Alexandra Castillo, did a good job with a character that was probably difficult to play. Unfortunately, the actors who played the two leads were too old for the parts as written. Addie’s father treated her like she was 10 and Austin was completely under the thumb of his father, and complacently so, until the end. That’s ok for characters in their early twenties, just finding their feet, but is not a good look if you’re well into mature adulthood. Especially for the Austin character who otherwise looked and acted like a grown-ass man pushing 40. Not even an attempt to explain the stunted state of his personal and professional life. Again, like he was 22.

Cutting to the chase, Delaney rediscovers her creative spark, her new line of samples is manufactured in  2 days, and her company is saved, all thanks to Addie who gets promoted to shoe designer. Austin starts his own PR firm. The characters and what they did seemed to twist themselves into knots in order to serve the usual Hallmark beats rather letting than the things we expect, grudgingly accept. or even like, from Hallmark flow naturally. I struggled with this one and not in a fun way. My advice?  This one did nothing to go out of it’s way to be good, so I wouldn’t go out of my way to watch it.

Rating: 5 out of 10.

The Magic of Lemon Drops

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The Roads Not Taken

**Spoilers**

Seems like there has been a lot of fantasy stories on Hallmark lately and this was another one. I was a little suspicious and the title did not set me at ease. But I really enjoyed it. It was well constructed with likable characters and sharp dialogue.  Lyndsy Fonseca and Ian Harding, the female and male leads were wonderful. In fact the whole cast and the characters they played were top-notch.  When Lyndsy does a Hallmark odds are (so far) that it will probably have a fantasy element. She has been nothing but appealing and likable. Stephanie Sly as The Best Friend, and Mariam Bernstein as The Eccentric Aunt were stand-outs. Ian Harding brought a real Paul Campbell vibe to his role which is about the highest compliment I can give him.  Honestly this role could have been written for Paul Campbell, one of my and many others’ favorite Hallmark regulars. Ian Harding played the love interest in Ghosts of Christmas Always. Enough said.

Lolly works with her father at their little restaurant, The Eatery. She is tired, sad, and frustrated. Her dreams of having her own fun and elegant restaurant in New York complete with love and her own family have almost faded away. John B. Lowe plays her father who  embodies my most disliked Hallmark type: A business owner who will sacrifice everything to save the business except take advice and make the changes needed to give his business a chance to survive. Not an auspicious start. To add to Lolly’s discontent, her ex-boyfriend is back in town. He is a successful doctor because he left her and their small town to pursue his own dream. He is a happily divorced and professionally satisfied single father now, and Lolly is full of regrets over their bad break-up which was her fault. When she voices her frustrations and doubts about how she can get her life back on track to her Aunt Gert, Aunt Gert, who is a truly wonderful character, ends up giving her 4 magic lemon drops.  If she eats one before she goes to sleep, her dream that night will be one whole day living a life she yearns for. When she wakes the next morning, she will remember the “dream,” which will help her choose the best path.  She gets 3 chances. The 4th drop, if she takes it, will allow her to pick one of the 3 lives she dreamed of, and her memories going forward will only be of that one life.

The first life she wants to experience is her professional and creative dream of her own restaurant in NYC. When she wakes up the next morning she reflects on the fact that despite having her Michelin-starred fantasy restaurant, her life was still full of creative frustration and financial troubles. She still had no love life, and in addition she was on the outs with her sister and her father. She is more confused and frustrated than ever, so the next night she wishes her wise and loving mother was still alive to support and advise her. That happens and it is wonderful but it also comes with unlooked for and unwelcome consequences. The last lemon drop is to peek into what her life would be like if she and Rory had not broken up, but are happily married with their own family. And it was lovely. But….

In between the nightly dreams of the alternate lives, We spend the days with Lolly as she starts a little side-hustle business of gourmet frozen fruit and herb pops (‘Lolly-Pops”) which gets off to a promising start. She mends her relationship with Rory and starts to see her Aunt Gert, her sister, her father, and even her late mother with new eyes. All these multi-layered stories weaving in and out of each other and each playing out in logical conflicting consequences yet with recurring themes in common could have been a hot mess. Just like that sentence. But it was done seamlessly. And I was not confused.  I was impressed with the detail incorporated into each dream life and its setting along with her “real” life interspersed in the daytime. Everything kept moving forward at a perfect pace and was tied together beautifully to the littlest detail. They even managed to incorporate a cute dog.

There was drama and surprises. Lessons are learned. And they are good ones. Life is a series of trade-offs both sweet and sour. Find your joy and happiness in what you chose. Best of all, the romance was compelling, fully developed, and mature without the usual silly Hallmark tropes. Gosh, I think I’ll have to give this one an almost 10.

Rating: 9.5 out of 10.