John B. Lowe

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.

A Carol for Two

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Broadway Baby

I really really liked this classic Broadway/old 1930s-ish story. There was lots of entertainment to be had including well-chosen Christmas carols and singing that was off the charts thanks mainly to the two leads. They had a very romantic vibe together throughout. Ginna Claire Mason, who has been in two previous Hallmarks, one of which was also set on Broadway,  was very talented and appealing in this one. Jordan Litz, a legit Broadway and theatre star was also a real standout in this, his first film role. He doesn’t even have a picture yet on his IMDb profile as of this writing.

Violette’s talent has made her a big frog in a little pond in her small Idaho town and, supported by her now cancer-free father and the rest of the town, including chipping in some cash, has decided to try her luck on the Great White Way, fully expecting a smooth road ahead. If you think this sounds like one of those old Busby Berkeley musicals, you would be right. Literally right off the plane, train, or bus, she finds out that the show she was going to be in has lost all of its investors and the plug has been pulled. Luckily, she has a safety net. Her late Aunt Carol was once a big name in the theatre world and her best friend owns a kind of restaurant/talent show mash-up where she supports and promotes the budding careers of young aspiring Broadway hopefuls. Hazel takes Violette in and immediately gives her a spot singing and waitressing. The other staff aren’t pleased with this bit of nepotism as they all had to pay their dues before being given a chance to display their talents. But it isn’t long before her talent and Midwestern Nice win them all over. Particularly impressed is Alex, the most multitalented of them all.  We get to know him and his leech of a cousin and roommate, Brad, who falls for Violette at first sight. He has to be her boyfriend and gets Alex to help him impress her kind of like Cyrano de Bergerac. Meanwhile, Alex and Violette are picked to perform at Fiore’s on Christmas Eve where a big Broadway bigwig will attend and give them their big break. As they rehearse, Alex and Violette, who have everything in common, grow closer, while he is feeding Brad, who has absolutely nothing in common with her, intel to keep her interested.

 The big mystery is why she continues to tolerate Brad with handsome Alex right there bonding with her, singing with her, and tinkling the ivories for her. Also why doesn’t Alex put a stop to all the deceit? Thanks to him, Violette thinks Brad is sweet and thoughtful, and Alex, who ought to know better, thinks Brad is a “good guy” at heart. Which he is not. At all. I hated him, the little worm. He was the major strike against this generally wonderful and entertaining movie. I am not kidding. I think he was supposed to be funny but every time he came on the screen, I just wanted to slap him into next week. Unfortunately, I also wanted to slap Alex for putting up with his mess. Another strike was Violette’s relationship with her super super loving and super supportive father. He kept bugging her on the phone for tickets to her big show and she kept lying to him because of the old “I don’t want to let him and all the townspeople down” thing. They seemed too needy and dependent on each other and it gave me the creepy crawlies. It’s probably a “me thing” but father and daughter matching pajamas? Really? The last strike against this one was when Violette found out the truth about Alex and Brad a minute before they had to go on stage for their big break. Instead of sucking it up and acting like the professional “the show must go on” she aspires to be, she completely collapses in front of the Broadway impresario and the audience filled with influencers (and her father! surprise!).  This also ruins long-suffering Alex’s big chance as well. Theoretically. Luckily, they get another chance and this time they sing Alex’s own original song. It was all right for that kind of thing. The last scene is one of those old cliche (but lovable) scenes with the two in a clinch floating in front of the lights of Broadway with all of the rapturous headlines about their future triumphs whizzing by. It sounds like I didn’t like this since my last paragraph is all about what I didn’t like. But thanks to the New York vibe, the nostalgic plot, and the chemistry between the two leads, the bijous outweighed the blights.

Rating: 8 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.

Miracle in Bethlehem, PA.

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Jesus, Mary, Joseph, and the Wee Donkey!

There has been a lot of revisionist Hallmark history going on and this movie brings it to a head. This is basically an allegory about the traditional story of the birth of Jesus, complete with The Bethlehem Star Inn, Mary (Ann), Joe, Goldie, Frankie, and Grandma Myrtle, an old barn, and even a Wise Man, a guy named Shepherd and a dog named Donkey. The story is about a new adoptive mother (told the good news that her baby is ready for pick-up by a woman named Gabriella) who is caught in a snowstorm and has to bunk in with Joe because all of the hotel rooms are filled. In short, it is a very Christian religion-centric movie where the leads actually talk about their faith, and God, and quote the bible. And Church is front and center.

Some seem to think that the competition offered by Bill Abbott and his GAF network somehow scared Hallmark back to faith-based programming when actually the opposite is true. It was under Abbott’s leadership that Hallmark got away from more faith-based programming. Here is a quote from him about Hallmark in 2019 in answering why Hallmark seems to snub other religions and traditions:

“…we don’t look at Christmas from a religious point of view, it’s more a seasonal celebration. Once you start to slice it more finely within individual religions it’s a little bit tougher to necessarily tell that story in a way that doesn’t involve religion and we always want to stay clear of religion or controversy.”

It was under his authority that Hallmark cut out Christianity from Christmas. To the point that there were no more Christmas Carols that sung about God or Jesus. Forget about “Joy to the World the Lord has Come / Let Earth Receive Its King.” What forced him out of Hallmark was the incorporation of gay and lesbian couples and more racial diversity, not that he wanted to put on “Family and Faith-based programming.” At Hallmark, he was all about keeping movies secular with no God or Jesus involved in Christmas movies. Needless to say, he has now changed his tune.

Now that Abbott is gone, Hallmark is returning to its faith-based roots with a few of its movies and outdoing GAF at its own game. This movie, and many other movies since he left exemplify that in large ways and small (religious Christmas Carols are finally back.) Christianity is included along with other belief systems. Pick and choose or embrace and learn as you will. But with Hallmark you have that choice.

That off my chest, the movie itself didn’t quite hit all the right notes. There were many things I liked about it, particularly Laura Vandervoort’s portrayal of Mary as a compassionate, successful and respected attorney who puts her Christian faith into practice. Her vulnerability about her inability to have children and her patient longing for a long-anticipated adopted child was very affecting. Unfortunately, Benjamin Ayers, who is usually a favorite of mine was miscast in the role of Joseph. This Joseph, as written, that is. The actor’s forte is as a mature, true-blue All-American Male type. Kind of Lumberjack-y. That type would have made a great Joseph in this movie and a good match for the Mary character as she was written. But for some ill-advised reason, the writers made this Joseph an ex-rock band frontman who quit that career and life in general when his father died. He has taken over his Dad’s garage and living in his old house. Nothing wrong with that, but the place is a pigsty and he has degenerated into a slovenly apathetic man-child who spends his off-time playing video games much to his put-upon girlfriend’s frustration. She leaves him and he couldn’t be bothered to care less. And the haircut Joe is sporting is more suited to a 20-something hipster metrosexual type. I mean the guy has the time and motivation to go to a hair salon to get the latest cutting-edge hairstyle but can’t muster up the energy to do the dishes. Into his life comes Mary Ann who arrives at his sister Frankie’s B & B in the middle of a dangerous snowstorm. All the rooms are occupied but Frankie cannot bear to turn away the nice beautiful woman with the little newborn baby. Her brother Joe has a spare room in his house. Of course, Joe is smitten and by the end of the movie, he has completely reformed. They are together but the pairing is unlikely, to say the least.

Besides Joe’s character, other distractions compromised the strong potential of the story. His singing, for example. Ayer’s rendering of tender and innocent Sunday-school song, “This Little Light of Mine” Joe Cocker style to the sleepy baby was just cringeworthy. And there was a flat and pitchy choir performance of “Oh Holy Night” that took me right out of the movie. Some of the links between this story and the original were a little too on on the nose. As a lawyer, Mary Ann saves the family barn by finding a tax loophole. The mother cries, “Oh Mary Ann You are an absolute Saint!!” I don’t know if that was meant to be funny, but I laughed. And I feel like it was At, not With.

So all in all, I liked the concept and the potential was huge for a moving and thoughtful story. In some ways it succeeded but some unfortunate choices kept it from being an unqualified success at what I think they were going for.

Rating: 7 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

A Kiss Before Christmas

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A Tale As Old as Time

**spoiler**

Alternate time plots are very popular. And for good reason. As oft-repeated ad nauseum as they are they also automatically offer a lot of opportunity for and promise of drama, comedy, wonder, suspense, and emotion. Usually, at least at Hallmark, a woman is dissatisfied with her current circumstances, and magic happens. She goes back in time to a fork in the road. This time she takes the other fork and experiences what her life would then have been like. In the end, no matter what the permutations in this basic plot, she ends up embracing the importance of family and during November and December, “The true meaning of Christmas.” It’s a tale as old as time.

In this one, in a change of pace, it is the man who takes a time trip. Joyce and Ethan are a happily married couple in their mid-’40s. Teri Hatcher and James Denton are each pushing 60, but they are very attractive and it was a suspension of disbelief I was happy to roll with. I believed them. James is a successful lawyer, but he is overworked and is not at the top of his profession. So he has a middle-class lifestyle rather than the affluent, luxury-filled position of his colleague, Sean. He is an ethical good guy, and not willing to be ruthless and unscrupulous in his pursuit of success. But now financial concerns and family tensions due to his lack of family time are starting to get to him. Enter magic Santa. He goes back to that turning point and takes the other path. He now has the luxurious home, the fancy car and the big office. But no family. Luckily Ethan’s two kids were adopted so they still exist and are not wiped off the face of the earth. So that metaphysical and spiritual dilemma is avoided, thank goodness. His wife is no longer a school teacher but a high-profile lawyer who is constantly at loggerheads with Ethan’s firm. She wants to save things, they want to tear them down. He enlists her help, to her consternation, because she is the only one he knows he can trust.

He can’t go back to his old life until he learns his lesson. Actually, he learns his lesson pretty early, but Magic Santa shows no mercy until the pain and horror of losing his family brings him to the brink of despair. Magic Santa ain’t playing.

Adding to the enjoyment is Marilu Henner, the owner of the law firm who is there to ensure Ethan will still get his promotion while doing the right and ethical thing and that Sean, his corrupt bully of a colleague gets his comeuppance. Teri and James had great chemistry (no surprise there) and took a well-worn plot to the next level.

Rating: 8 out of 10.

November 23, 2021

Snowed Inn Christmas

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Snow Good!

With Bethany Joy Lenz and Andrew Walker taking the lead, how can it not be at least good? The popular duo play 2 journalist colleagues sent to Aspen to compete for top spot at their magazine. They both are “off” Christmas. Andrew, because he can’t bear to go home to his lovely family since his Dad died. Bethany, because her boyfriend just dumped her after looking forward to spending it with him and his family. They get stranded in Santa Claus, Indiana, at a B & B run by Mr. And Mrs. Winter with both trying to find a Christmas story there that will save their jobs. Rivalry leads to mutual appreciation, liking, then love, even though they are so different from each other.

Andrew’s character seems a little sneaky at first. But when he finds out Bethany was an unadopted orphan who made up her happy Christmas tradition stories, he takes her to his nearby home so she can have the family Christmas she has always dreamed of. It was sweet and touching and embodied the true spirit of Christmas.

Bethany realizes right away that there is something magical and mysterious going on with the B & B and the Winters. The fantasy is handled with wonder and without silliness thanks to Belinda Montgomery and John B. Lowe who play the couple and the excellent script. When she finds a photograph of the Winters dated 1842…Well. I will say no more, but she knows she has her story. If only she can find a certificate designating the Inn as a property of historical significance that will prevent its demolition. Yes, there is that going on as well.

The only quibble I had was when bad boyfriend showed up, she took way too long to dump him. The actors all shine in this one, with a special shout-out to Tasha Scott, a former Tyler Perry stand-out, who made the small part of their boss entertaining and special. The last short scene with “The Winters” is worth an extra star all by itself.

Rating: 9 out of 10.

November 22, 2020