Adam Hurtig

A Suite Holiday Romance

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“Oh My Lord!”

~~Eloise (on the tippy top floor of The Plaza)

This is one of those Hallmarks that feels like it has to retcon what we have seen and heard with our own eyes and ears in order to create a last minute drama that tears the couple apart so they can get them back together at the very very end. In this one it is the “You’ve Been Lying to Me the Whole Time!” scenario. I understand that this is the formula. And I really don’t mind it when there is a reason for the conflict and drama. Like if the guy or girl had really actually been actually lying to the other one the whole time. But in this case, there was no lying to be had. At All. Well Ok, maybe just a little bit very near the end, when he realizes for the first time that she thinks he is someone he is not. He doesn’t immediately correct her misapprehension. It would have been difficult. He is in a state of shock probably because he is thinking she was only pretending to love him because she thought he was a higher status person than he actually was. Depressed as well, probably. And it’s too bad, because otherwise this was a pretty good Hallmark.

By virtue of a great article she wrote about Hazel Holley,  a famous children’s book author, Sabrina, our heroine, has been tapped to ghost write the memoirs of a great world famous art-broker.  He, Grayson Westcott, was once Hazel Holley’s butler while she lived at the famous Grand Fairbanks Hotel in Manhattan while writing her books. This book series is about a little girl named Cordelia who lives at this same world renowned and very fancy hotel. If you are familiar with Kay Thompson’s children’s series about Eloise and The Plaza, you will recognize a lot of parallels with this movie. Right down to Sabrina staying in the “Cordelia Suite” and a huge oil painting portrait of “Cordelia” in a place of honor. So that was fun! Also staying at the same luxurious hotel, is Lord Braxton, who is vaguely part of the royal family of England, and his secretary, Ian, who also works for the family’s charity, “Read for the Stars”. They are there to exhibit the Braxton family’s jewelry collection to raise money for this charity which fosters reading skills for learning disabled children. After they have their meet-cute (she starts to eat his delicious-looking sandwich by mistake at the hotel bar), Ian and Sabrina form an instant connection, start doing stuff together (remarkably not ice skating at Rockefeller Center, however), and fall in love.  Meanwhile Ian is trying to keep the immature and fun-loving Lord Spencer Braxton out of trouble, specifically keeping him from proposing marriage to the hotel jewelry clerk (who is doing post graduate work on the Victorian author, Elizabeth Gaskell. Kudos there, script writer!). Also meanwhile, Sabrina is interviewing Grayson Westcott for her book. He tells her the story of his love affair with an 18-year-old debutante while he was taking care of Hazel Holley. It ended sadly because she had to go to London to fulfill her dream and the dream of choice of seemingly all young Hallmark heroines: being a fashion designer. They keep in touch but when he finds out down the road that her family lost their money and her fashion designer dream is dead, he doesn’t go to her rescue. This was badly done on Grayson’s part and quite a plot hole. Especially since when she was rich he didn’t think he was good enough for her. 

Now the crux of the matter, which everyone sees coming. Thanks to Sabrina’s daffy and obnoxious friend, Sabrina thinks that Ian is really Spencer the royal Lord, but he is just calling himself Ian to protect his privacy. The fact that Ian, she thinks, is royalty and very rich doesn’t seem to bother her too much at first *wink*, but she finally realizes that the romance cannot be because they live in two different worlds and two different countries. So inspired by Grayson’s frustrated romance, she writes him a letter breaking up with him. Please note that he never lies to her except when he finally realizes, near the end, that she has the wrong end of the stick and thinks he is a rich royal and not a lowly secretary. At that point he is shocked, discombobulated, and he doesn’t know how to tell her the truth. And then she breaks up with him before he can set her straight. All this while, Sabrina knows he has no idea that she thinks he is a Royal. Very early on, she comments to him that he didn’t tell her he was “with” the Braxtons. Not that he was Lord Braxton, but “with” the Braxtons. And later than that, when their romance is in full swing, she tells her flakey friend that Ian has no idea that she knows he is really royalty. In other words Ian thinks she thinks he is just a normal guy. Which he is. After a pow-wow with Grayson, she has a change of heart and decides to try to make their relationship work despite the challenge of him being a Royal and all. But when the truth is finally publicly revealed she stalks off accusing him of lying to her “the whole time.” and “Was any of this even real?!” The only unreal part was what was going on in her own head. You’d think she’d be happy. How could he be lying to her? He never claimed to be a Royal, and thought she knew that. Which she knew. My head is still spinning.

Other than that, I liked the movie. It was good to see Jessy Schram again after 2 Hallmark-free years. The male lead was good as was Adam Hurtig as the volatile Spencer Braxton. The production was very well mounted with the hotel and New York City background. And, small spoiler, I’ll never have a quarrel with three happy endings. But it lost a star due to the rewrite of established facts.

Rating: 6 out of 10.

Christmas on Call

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911

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This one premiered a couple of days ago, but I didn’t have a chance to watch it on the day. It is one of my favorite types of Hallmarks: an ensemble piece with many stories going on at once. But it is very different for Hallmark. It is about first responders at Christmas time: emergency room doctors and nurses, EMTs, Firefighters, and Police. It is set in Philadelphia and is very Philadelphia-centric even though it was not filmed there, but in Canada as usual with Hallmarks. A lot of Phillyness is incorporated into the movie including Cheesesteaks, nods to Rocky, The Mummers Parade, and the Eagles (Go Birds!). Philadelphia is almost a character in the movie (And ladies and gentleman, for tonight’s performance, the role of Philadelphia will be played by Winnipeg. Or, “Winnipeg IS Philadelphia!”, if you prefer.) Lots of shoutouts to the sites and culture. Even Jason Kelce’s mom, Donna, makes a cameo appearance playing a deli owner who serves our main heroine Hannah her first Cheesesteak.

She is an emergency room doctor who has recently moved to Philadelphia from Seattle. She meets an EMT wheeling in an accident victim and there is an immediate spark between them. Hallmark gets a diversity gold star, which have been few and far between lately, for featuring an interracial romance. Actually, they really lean into it because there is a second one between two police officers. So yay.  Also, the Hannah and Wes relationship is kind of a stand out because of the physicality of Wes, the EMT. He is huge! 6 foot 4 and built like he could have played offensive tackle for the Eagles himself. Hallmark guys are usually not that big. Anyway, I really liked the out-of-the-box choice and the match up. His character is practically a saint.  Anyway this one weaves the individual stories of the emergency workers and the people that cross their path with lots of Christmas celebrations, duty, and do-goodery. While Hannah and Wes try to find time in their demanding schedules for their incipient romance we get to know two police officers who had a romantic encounter, a misunderstanding, and a second chance to reconnect. In between, we meet a nurse who is missing her daughter in the military, two neighbors feuding over Christmas decorations, a lonely asthmatic who needs more than just medical help, A new EMT who is not confident in her abilities and whom Wes is mentoring, A fire chief whose family is supportive despite the time demands of his dangerous job, and a son worried about his widowed mother once he goes off to college. The big climax with 15 minutes to go is not a conflict or misunderstanding, but a brave rescue of the fire chief from a burning building by Saint Wes who is also trained as a firefighter.

All of the stories, though not really connected with each other are smoothly incorporated into a pretty cohesive unit. Although the pace is speedy, I never felt that any of the stories were given short shrift. There was never a dull moment. There was also a lot of heart and a little humor. Sara Canning is a Hallmark regular, but used too sparingly, in my view. I have always liked her. Another stand out was Reena Jolly who played Danielle, the prickly police officer who gets a second chance with love. If you love Philadelphia, you really shouldn’t miss this. Or even if you are neutral, like me. Philly-haters should also watch and take comfort in the fact that it wasn’t filmed there.

Rating: 7 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 Santa Summit

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Finding Waldo was Easy Compared to This

I didn’t think I’d like this one when I saw the previews. It seemed self-consciously goofy and manic. And the idea of a romance movie where the couple spends the whole time apart looking for each other just does not float my boat. Boy was I wrong. Thanks to the funny script, out-of-the-box plot, and the lovable cast, this one was a winner.

The story centers around our main girl, Jordin, and main guy, Liam, played by Hunter King and Ben Hollingsworth, trying to find each other during a big day-long Christmas party/celebration called “The Santa Summit.” Everyone dresses as some version of Santa Claus and goes from fun activity to fun activity throughout the whole day. The two strangers, dressed as Santa clauses meet and during a 5-minute conversation form a real connection. Unfortunately, they are parted before they can get each other’s names and details and end up searching for each other in a sea of other Santas, finding clues along the way, for the whole movie. What makes the search so enjoyable and entertaining is Jordin’s two friends who go with her to the Summit and the people they meet throughout the day. Although Jordin and Liam do not meet up again until the end, there are encounters between Liam, his brother, and the two friends, Ava and Stella, and other miscellaneous coincidences and near misses that contribute to the final happy ending. Ava is a nerdy Lord of the Rings quoting math teacher, and Stella is a grumpy Grinch of a former music teacher. Along with Jordin, each finds love and learns some valuable lessons along the way.

This, like two other Christmas movies this year was very high energy with quick amusing throwaway lines, running jokes, and clever banter. It was tightly knit and every scene seemed to contribute to the plot or the character arcs of our likable ensemble cast. At least I can’t remember any needless silly montages or boring tentpole scenes that serve no purpose other than to stretch the movie out to its required 88 minutes.  The friendship of the 3 women was front and center, as well as the relationship between Liam and his brother. But the charming sweet romances were not relegated to the back burner in this one. Shy Ava (the always-welcome and talented Amy Groening) has been secretly in love with a fellow nerdy teacher for a couple of years and finally finds the courage during the Santa Summit to confess her love to him. Of course, it turns out he has always felt the same way about her. Stella’s grumpiness is a wall she has put up to protect herself from more disappointment since she hasn’t been able to teach music anymore because of budget cuts. She meets the mysterious stranger Freddy who challenges her to embrace music once again. Stephanie Sy who plays Stella was the star of the show in my opinion. Her sour disgusted tone of voice and facial expressions throughout the day are priceless. And when she finally gets up on stage in public and busts out with one of the most joyful versions of “Jingle Bells” you can imagine, it was the highlight of the movie.

It all came together beautifully at the end with the help of a lovingly constructed Gingerbread House, a silent disco, a hapless mascot dressed as a Christmas Tree, and a Reindeer bicycle taxi driver who never gets paid, but who gives our heroine a stern lecture near the end that provides a wake-up call and restores her hope and joy. When I saw Jeff Beesley was the director of this gem, I wasn’t surprised. The attention to detail was impressive as always. And was that Niall Matter in an uncredited cameo at the end?

Rating: 9 out of 10.

‘Tis the Season to be Merry

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“I Just Want Someone to Tell Me Not to go”

**Spoilers**

I loved Rachel Leigh Cook and Travis Van Winkle in this. They really did have excellent chemistry. The script is witty and intelligent and the acting by all concerned was top-notch as well. Merry is a social media influencer with over 3 million followers who specializes in relationships. She is about to publish her first book using her relationship with her fiancé Dale as proof that her rules for a successful relationship really work. Unfortunately, her fiancé does not exist. She just daydreamed him up. She tries to break the news to her publisher, Sonia, but keeps getting interrupted. She decides to accompany her best friend and editor, Darlene, to Vermont to escape awkward questions and figure out what to do.

Merry is concerned that Darlene’s brother Adam might be there, but Darlene reassures her. He does good works for people in third-world countries but he is not a missionary. We get no details as to why the concern but assume there was some kind of flirtation or relationship that didn’t go well. Well, Adam does show up and shows up in her bed, which results in a nice bit of physical comedy. Merry gets involved with all of the holiday activities which throw her and Adam together. Meanwhile, Darlene really likes a local boy, James, who seems to really like Merry. Oops. Meanwhile, Sonia finds out Dale does not exist and comes to Vermont after her. Merry has to rewrite her book and come up with the outline by Christmas. Sonia’s a tough cookie, but we see another side of her when she meets the local boy’s father, a fellow Clemson graduate(!) So we have 3 romances going. There is a side story about Adam and Darlene’s parents selling their land and business which had been in the family for 3 generations. Adam has actually come home to settle down at last and is full of plans for the family business that he expects to take over after his parents retire. They didn’t think it necessary to give the kids a heads up pretty much yanking the rug out from under them. Darlene doesn’t care, but Adam is hurt and angry and he pulls no punches with his parents. I love that he didn’t just put on a brave and noble face. They deserve to feel bad. Honestly, I kind of hated them. Of course, they have a right to sell, but without even letting their kids know what their plans were? It had been handed down through 3 generations!

Well, Merry finds her inspiration from her romance with Adam (There are No Rules to a Successful Relationship-must be a short book). She rushes her outline to Sonia at the Airport where she sees Adam, leaving for Asia, since there is nothing for him anymore in Vermont. She yells at him “Don’t Go!” and he doesn’t-The End.

Rating: 7 out of 10.

December 27, 2021

The Christmas Club

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Christmas Magic

This production was blessed by the good acting on the part of Cameron Mathison and Elizabeth Mitchell. They made a good match, and the story was very romantic. A slow development of their relationship with more than a hint of magic provided by the wonderful Gabrielle Rose. Two strangers, both missing true romantic love in their lives, team up to help a little old lady who lost her Christmas Club money. They give her $40.00, and from then on, magic follows them, and brings them together. It was something a little different from the typical cookie-cutter offerings from Hallmark. It had some very imaginative and heartwarming plot points. Elizabeth was a little over-sensitive in parts; a little too fragile, but I guess that was her character. They did not drag the misunderstandings out too long. Probably not a re-watch, but I enjoyed it.

Rating: 7 out of 10.

November 22, 2020

Christmas at the Plaza

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The Lead Actress and Her Character are Lame in what is Otherwise a Top-Notch Hallmark

This one had a great setting (The Plaza in New York) and an interesting premise to hang the romance on. Jessica is at the iconic hotel to put together a history of “Christmas at the Plaza” and finds a theme in the fact that the Christmas tree every year at the Plaza has a different custom-made tree topper. She is missing a year, mysteriously, and her quest is to solve the mystery, and hopefully produce the long-lost topper. The love interest, the wonderful Ryan Paevey is this year’s hotel decorator. This also featured a last-minute secondary romance, which was touching. As a secondary character, Julia Duffy is a joy. We need to see more of her. She added humor and quirkiness to her lines, that a lesser actress would have done little to nothing with.

The one weak link was Elizabeth Henstridge, whose delivery was very blah, and gave the impression of low-energy and coldness. It wasn’t helped by her character’s tolerance of her boyfriend who was rude and thoughtless and obtuse. Even when the charismatic and attractive Ryan (can you tell I’m a fan?) shows interest in her, she just can’t be bothered to break up her two-year relationship until her hand is forced. And the laziness extended to the workplace. The character’s first reaction, when faced with the challenge of having to actually figure out her presentation on her own without it being handed to her on a silver platter, was to quit. Maybe another actress could have made her relatable and likable but Miss Henstridge, though very pretty, is not much of an actress. At All.

Rating: 8 out of 10.

November 28, 2019

A Dream of Christmas

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Another Hackneyed Plot Device, but…

Our heroine, Penny, (Nikki DeLoach) frustrated because her loving but frequently absent husband may not be home for Christmas, casually voices a random thought about how she wishes she had never been married. Voila! A busybody and eavesdropper behind her in line uses her Christmas Angel powers to grant her her “wish.” Except it is not a real heartfelt desire, it was just a momentary voicing of some mild frustration. She loves her husband dearly, and her husband is crazy about her. He is absent because he is a wildlife photographer, and it is now or never to catch the reindeer migration for his book, which is a mutual dream for the couple. She can no longer go with him because they decided she had to give up her marketing of his photos to get a paying job to support them until his business becomes profitable. And now she has to give a presentation that may lead to a big promotion.

Horrified and bewildered at her new life, she encounters the Christmas demon…er, angel again, but the cold rhymes with witch refuses to take back her thoughtless whim…er, sincere wish. It was nice to see Cindy Williams again, but the character she plays is really creepy, scary, and mean. I don’t think this was intended. I blame the director. She has the gall to blame Penny’s dilemma and tragic consequences (her happily married sister is now single and her children no longer exist) on Penny and then on God himself, refusing to see it was her grossly inappropriate and unasked-for meddling that is at fault and it is her responsibility to fix all of the collateral damage.

Enjoying some of the perks of her rich and successful new life, Penny briefly flirts with just moving forward and forgetting her past. A very handsome new client wants to date her, she likes her VIP status, her important position and the work she does, and her Jaguar. Who wouldn’t be tempted? Luckily she and her husband never had children. So that is an important hurdle she doesn’t have to jump. Only two things are wrong. She misses her husband, and her sister is no longer a happily married mother.

It sounds like I didn’t like this movie, but I really did. It is based on a very weak premise, but Penny’s journey really is done well. Her flirtation with the client, who seems at first like a great guy, is tanked because she knows and feels like she is still married. She seeks out her husband, now a very successful corporate photographer, and sparks still fly. The chemistry between them is some of the best I’ve seen in a Hallmark movie. Andrew W. Walker, a Hallmark perennial, really touched my heart in this, as did Nikki Deloach, as Penny. Of course, all is settled in typical Hallmark fashion but this one had some intriguing qualities and even a few surprises. **9 out of 10 stars**

December 11, 2016

Rating: 9 out of 10.

Journey Back to Christmas

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Strong Ending Redeems a Lackluster Tale

***Huge spoilers****Unlike many, I am not a huge Candace Cameron Bure fan. I find her competent. The first ¾ of this movie left me rather cold, despite the wonder and mystery provided by the great concept of a miraculous Christmas comet. The main character, Hanna, was just a too-sweet cardboard cutout. However, the time travel gimmick usually delivers stories that keep me engaged or at least semi-engaged, and this one was no exception. I did roll my eyes at the irrational behavior and attitudes of some of the townspeople and the police. Why all the hate and suspicion of nefarious motives on the part of the police chief, Her primary supporter, Jake’s partner, and the town busybody? The conflict was too manufactured and not rational. When Hanna, fresh from segregated 1945, is examined by the black doctor, and interrogated by the black chief of police, why no surprise or incredulity? They missed a great opportunity to add a little depth (or humor!) to the story there, and it would have taken all of 20 seconds. Her one champion, Jake, a policeman, was nicely played by Oliver Hudson. Sarah, Jake’s partner, was foreshadowed to be the love interest, but for most of the movie, her cynicism and unfounded suspicions made her very unlikeable.

The last ¼ of the show is more than redeemed by the appearance of the Tom Skerrit character. Now an aged and respected figure whose life was changed by Hanna by her kindness to him when he was a little boy, he validates her story. He leads the way to finding a solution to her predicament of which life to lead. Previously unknown ties between Hanna of 1945 and Hanna of 2016 are uncovered. The doubters are proved wrong and they are even a bit redeemed in the process. Both Hanna and the understanding cop, the two leads, find their happy endings, though hers was cheesy to the max. Oh well. Sometimes cheese is the way to go.

Everything was tied together beautifully. The last quarter of the film had me in tears. It was that good. I don’t think I have ever seen a Hallmark movie that went from “blah” to stellar with such whiplash speed!**8 out of 10 stars**

Rating: 8 out of 10.

December 4, 2016