Meghan Heffern

Absolutely Devoted to You

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Sustad to the Rescue

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**Sigh of Relief** Thank you, Kimberly Sustad for coming to Hallmark’s rescue after a string of sub-par movies (in my opinion). She is a treasure that can transform a plain throwaway line like “I’m Leaving” into part of a witty repartee that not only makes you laugh, but gives the viewer another layer to her character, already bursting with charm and likability. When she is in a Hallmark movie you know that she will make a good movie pretty great and a so-so movie pretty good. What can I say? She is just a terrific actress. She gives any character she plays charisma and authenticity. And that is hard to come by.

She plays Kaitlin, a segment producer for a morning show whose executive producer is retiring. Kaitlin wants the job not only because she is an ambitious go-getter, but because if they bring in someone from the outside he or she will bring their own team, jobs will be lost, and her little behind-the-scenes family will be broken up. Her promotion depends on the show’s end of summer big bash being a big success and beating the other morning show in the ratings. To that end, Kaitlin latches on to the can’t miss idea of bringing back a boy’s band who had a massive hit in the 1990s, but strangely disappeared from the music scene after their first album. The band, and particularly the lead singer, Derrick (Jesse Metcalfe), is beloved by Merrie, the influential co-host. If Kaitlin can reunite the band to perform on her show, Kaitlin’s promotion is assured. While 3 of the 4 members of the band prove easy to find, friendly, and obliging, Derrick, the linchpin, does not. Kaitlin finally tracks him down in a small Long Island community center where he serves as the director while fiercely protecting his hard-won anonymity. It was he that was responsible for breaking up the fledging promising band in the first place as he could not handle the fame, pressure, and huge venues which broke the connection he felt with his audience. Unfortunately for him and fortunately for Kaitlin, the community center is struggling. To raise money, they are putting on a variety show featuring a talented band of 4 teens that Derrick is mentoring. This didn’t make a lot of sense. He is coaching them to be good but not so good as to be successful. Because their lives will be ruined like his was. Oh well. Unfortunately (or fortunately) sales are slow and Derrick agrees that he will “think about” joining his former bandmates on the morning show, if Kaitlin can take the variety show in hand and make it a financial success. 

** Spoilers**

While a romance built around a struggling community center is not exactly an original idea for a Hallmark (insert sardonic laughter), the rest of the plot elements added new wrinkles and had more than the usual entertainment value. The 4 teens were talented and their musical number was cute once it was whipped into shape by the “world famous choreographer” that Kaitlin brings in to help. One of the boys is sad because his military father can’t get leave to come home for his and his wife’s 25th anniversary party until Kaitlin intervenes. Her assistant Sara, played by the talented and likable Meghan Heffern and TJ, one of the old band members, fall into insta-love. Of course we have the mystery and angst of Derrick’s anxiety at possibly being dragged back into the spotlight and his old friends and Kaitlin trying to help with amateur therapy and lecturing. Not surprisingly,  the big secret of his idetity he thought he was hiding was no big secret after all. Everyone was just being polite. Under pressure from her sponsors, Merrie, the giddy co-host and resident loose cannon, announces prematurely and behind Kaitlin’s back that the reclusive mystery-man, Derrick, will definitely take part in the reunion show and perform. This is the “going to hell in a hand basket” part because despite his promise to “think about it”, Derrick never had any intention of joining his bandmates on the TV show. Of course, under Kaitlin’s guidance, the community center variety show is a sell-out. Despite this, in a low point for his character, Derrick weakly refuses to change his mind and help a girl out. I guess technically, he never made a promise to appear, but as all parents know, when you say “I’ll think about it” it means you will. They definitely had a deal. I was pretty disgusted with him but will draw a curtain so as not to be too spoilery about the last 5 minutes of the movie. LOL.

All, and I mean all, of the actors in this effort did a great job and really pushed what could have been a fairly pedestrian Hallmark into “really quite good” territory. In addition to Kimberly Sustad, Lynda Boyd, who played the tough but amiable gatekeeper to the community center and Derrick’s loyal friend, made a nothing part a highlight. Tetiana Ostapowych who played Merry was over-the-top irritating and silly, but that was what her role needed to be. The young teens were great, and the former band members a pleasant and sensible port in a storm. Despite an unnecessary apology and some cheesiness at the very end, Hallmark is back in my good graces. **7 1/2 stars**

Rating: 7.5 out of 10.

Merry Christmas, Ted Cooper!

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Ted’s Misfortunes

This hugely enjoyable movie is what results when Hallmark brings a gimmick free well written and plotted story together with two of their most engaging and talented lead actors. I am happy to report that this was, well, fantastic. A rare 10 out of 10. In the arc of the story, there was not a tired and over-used trope to be found. Well, to be strictly accurate, some tropes were to be found, but they were not over used. This is, after all, a Hallmark Countdown to Christmas movie. It starts out on an attention getting note, when we realize that this is centered around a male character, not a female, or a couple whose individual stories get an equal focus as they merge together.

Robert Buckley plays sunshiny Ted Cooper, a TV meteorologist in Corning, New York. He is, for good reason, “the most likable man” in the state. Ted has achieved some notoriety for always having bad luck during the Christmas season. He has been attacked by a possum living in his Christmas tree, and almost burned his house down another year. One time, he contracted a disease so rare that it was named after him. In fact, this year, his co workers have a pool set up as to which possible disaster(s) will befall Ted this year. Will he be impaled by reindeer antlers? Get run over by a sleigh? Go to jail? Electrocuted? Choke on a chunk of fruitcake? But, contrary to what one might expect, Ted’s Christmas Spirit has not been dampened. Ever optimistic, he is confident that this is the year he will not fall victim to his legendary bad luck. He takes the ribbing and teasing (primarily from his co worker, Ken the slightly smarmy anchorman, played by Brendan Penny in a funny turn) in good part, and even throws back a few zingers of his own. He is not a victim. We are not only told that everyone loves Ted, but it isn’t long before we love him too. He is kind and considerate, always putting others first, but he’s also cute, funny, and smart.

Being the good brother he is, he is spending Christmas with his older sister in Lackawanna who is in charge of the Gingerbread Invitational which will be raising money for the local hospital. Of course he can’t get his car started so he has to take the bus, and then mistakes a college girl’s luggage for his own. So he spends the first few acts of the movie dressed like a “sorority girl during rush week.” Cue pink sweater jokes. He is soon squared away in the wardrobe department when his old favorite teacher, Ms Mittens, takes him in hand, and, with her walking group, takes him shopping. Of course he becomes an honorary member of her crew, The Sole Sisters. But it isn’t long before a box of Christmas lights falls on him and knocks him out. At the emergency room, he is seen by the doctor whom he had a massive crush on while in high school. They have some banter and make a connection which is further facilitated when he has to get further treatment later that day after getting poked in the eye by a Christmas tree. “Oh, our favorite customer!” “What can I say? I like to support local businesses.” He has to do his first TV spot promoting the Invitational while wearing a Santa Claus eye patch much to the amusement of his crew back in Corning. It looks like Ted’s run of Christmas bad luck is continuing apace and someone in his newsroom is going to strike it rich with the “Ted’s Misfortunes” betting pool. And did I mention that the “Lands in Jail” choice is soon quickly checked off?

That’s just the first 20 minutes. I was just so almost-in-awe of all of the twists and turns, the humor, the heart, and the sweet romance in this story, I wish I could talk about them all in exhaustive detail.  Kimberly Sustad is wonderful as usual as Hope, who as a doctor and the once most popular girl in highschool, Ted thinks is too good for him. Thanks to his sister’s manipulations they start dating and Hope is smitten by his cuteness and fun personality. But trouble looms when she starts to question whether Ted is letting her in to see the real person under the good guy persona. First, he refuses to send back a hamburger which was not made to his instruction because he doesn’t want to get the waiter in trouble. Her worries are confirmed when she learns he is putting off accepting a big promotion in nearby Buffalo out of gratitude to the station in Corning who gave him a chance when no one else would. Ted is loyal to a fault and always gives up what he wants to make everyone else happy. 

There is heart in this story as charm. We learn why Ted puts everyone else’s feelings ahead of his own and how, thanks to his sister and Hope, he finally learns that he can balance advocating for himself while still being a friend to all.

It is no surprise that Robert Buckley, who developed this story, and Kimberly Sustad who are always engaging and natural on their own, make an irresistible pair together. Their partnership in the romance and repartee is effortless. The humor is warm and integral to every interaction, not based just on a few clever one liners. The conflict is not manufactured out of some phony machinations, but is a natural result of plot and character. What a concept! Every detail was on point, including nods to “national treasure” Mark Harmon and Taylor Swift. Kudos for including an actress in a wheelchair as Hope’s best friend! The movie concludes with Janice in Corning winning a fortune for her perverse guess that Ted will end up “Kissing a Beautiful Woman on Live TV” (odds 10,000 to 1) and anchorman Ken having to sell his boat. Mark my words, this one is destined to become a Hallmark Classic and top 5 all time popular Christmas favorite along the lines of A Biltmore Christmas, Snow Bride, and Round and Round.

Rating: 10 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.

Retreat to You

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Off the Beaten Path

This was a genuinely funny romantic comedy and one that I was happy to see had Hallmark moving even further afield from the list of Family-friendly “No-Nos”. Now that they have ventured into the once forbidden territory of gay and interracial romance, this movie tests the waters of normalizing premarital sex and swearing. Or at least a suggestion that premarital sex might be within the realms of possibility for two consenting adults and kind of very mild swearing. Baby steps.

Rachel, likably played by Meghan Heffern, has duped Abby, our heroine, into joining her at a “Lifestyle Wellness Retreat”. Early on, we learn quite a bit about Abby, played by Emilie Ullerup. She is a Public Defender, is very stressed out, and likes to argue. She is a “glass half-empty” type of person, cynical and closed off. But she is quick-witted and loves candy, her best friend Rachel, and that’s about it. The movie starts off with a lot of genuinely funny banter, which continues throughout.

While at the “Wellness Retreat” (for God’s sake do not call it a “Camp”) they meet two of the other campers, a bickering older married couple, the very funny director of the camp, and the very cute head Chef, whom immediately catches Rachel’s eye and vice versa. This secondary couple is Hallmark’s nod to interracial romance as he is Chinese. No Gay couples or black people this time. Or actually, there might be a gay couple but they are deep background. Down-to-earth Abby is not a joiner, nor a fan of nature, or places that call meals “nourishment gatherings.” And, to seal the deal on her bad attitude, Abby meets Sean, her former childhood best friend from whom she has been estranged for 17 years. She tells Rachel that he is a monster who abandoned her at a bus stop as they were getting ready to leave on a long-planned cross-country hiking trip. True to form, Abby has never been in contact with him since, never caring to find out why he did that. Interestingly, the viewer learns bit by bit that Abby is not really telling Rachel (or us) the full story. While finally agreeing to “talk” about what happened 17 years ago, the two hike to an isolated scenic lookout. It is revealed that Sean was actually in love with Abby but didn’t have the guts to tell her. Abby tells him she was in love with him too. They have a pretty hot kiss and fade to black. When we come back to the couple they are lying on a blanket together. Now I’m not saying they did the deed or anything, but it is pretty obvious that they didn’t stop at that one kiss. This is pretty groundbreaking for Hallmark as kisses are usually only interrupted almost kisses, and the actual touching of lips is restricted to the last 30 seconds of the movie. On the way back to camp, oops, the “retreat”, they get hopelessly lost in the wilderness for two days and and two nights. Abby manages to remain in full makeup during their ordeal including falling face first into a mud puddle, and a lot more about their lives, feelings, and that fateful day is gradually revealed to each other and to the viewer. We learn that Abby’s parents were terrible which explains the walls she puts up, and the recent death of Sean’s beloved mother. There is also some pretty good comedy. In one scene, Sean doesn’t want to help Abby catch a fish to eat because he is a vegetarian and he thinks he couldn’t eat “anything with a face.” Abby yells, “Well, I’ll give you the butt!” Abby leaves a trail of candy wrappers to guide possible rescuers only to find that Sean has been picking them up, then to top it off, gets a lecture on “littering”. Abby pulls out candy she has been hiding in her clothes, and Sean quips that she looks like a “sarcastic pinata.”

Meanwhile, Rachel has discovered that Abby didn’t sleep in her bed that night, and is very worried. When Hot Chef suggests that maybe Sean and Abby are together, they go knocking on Sean’s door, looking for them. Yes, the possibility that they might have spent the night together crosses their minds. Groundbreaking, I tell you!!! When Rachel tries to rally the troops into a rescue party, it sets off an argument between the Bickersons, and the wife ends up yelling back at her husband, “Screw the class!!” This counts as swearing in Hallmarkland. No, it’s not the F word, but still! I can guarantee you would not hear such a thing on the Great American Family channel because that would be smutty.

Towards the end, Abby shuts down Sean when he wants to explore continuing the relationship. Sean leaves the retreat without saying goodbye, in a history repeats itself scene. Rachel talks some sense into Abby and Abby has an emotional breakthrough. Sean has some sense talked into him by a teenage gas station attendant in a very cute scene, and the Happy Ending is not far behind.

Rating: 8 out of 10.

Love at Sunset Terrace

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UPtv Gets it Right Again

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This was a very well-done little story. Up TV, in recent days, is really showing up Hallmark in terms of fresh faces, well-written scripts, and character development. The three leads were more than half the appeal. Ellen Woglom was appealing and charming as the female lead. She has a killer smile and I appreciated that she did not have a stick-thin runway model body. Carlo Marx was handsome and likable as the vulnerable father who was over-protective and almost needy with his daughter. The young daughter was played by Erica Tremblay. Again, a young actress who was hired for her talent rather than cutesy-wutesy looks and perky sparkles. She is the younger sister of the multiple award-winning film actor, Jacob Tremblay.

The romantic relationship developed naturally and believably rather than a series of “meet-cutes” and fake instalove based on nothing but two pretty people snarking and bickering at each other. The setting looked like a real place rather than a McMansion plopped down in front of a stunning view. I’d stay there and feel right at home. The conflict was the same old same old (workaholic big city girl reconnects with nature while meeting troubled widowed Dad of young girl and presto chango lifestyles are changed and a new family is formed). But Up TV shows once again that this tired plot can be done in an entertaining and engaging way. Hallmark really should be upping their game. I fear they are have become over-reliant on their “big” name stable of actors and actresses at the expense of giving exciting young talent a chance to shine and scriptwriters who work hard to offer a quality product while still falling within the genre’s parameters.

Rating: 8 out of 10.

March 21, 2021

Winter Castle

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Sn-o-o-o-o-o-w Boring.

This was a very poorly written Hallmark. I’m not talking about the plot, which usually goes without saying in Hallmarkland. The dialogue was sub-par but my main problem was the character of the love interest and his little girl. Neither one of them had all of their marbles. What kid of her age would even be vaguely interested in the stupid lost polar bear and orca bedtime story that the heroine started to tell her? Let alone transfixed in wide-eyed wonder. No kid of normal intelligence. I predict a very disappointing career for our heroine, an aspiring children’s author. And what single guy would invite his helpful single neighbor to a destination wedding unless he was committed to their future, and not “confused?” An idiot, that’s who. Once again we are expected to be interested in spending two hours with pleasant and attractive but boring cookie-cutter characters whose stories have nothing to engage the viewer. I can tolerate humdrum characters if the story is involving, or an indifferent story if the characters are appealing. But not the lack of both. Three stars for the reject’s nice song, and the crazy Ice Castle, and real snow.

Rating: 4 out of 10.

January 15, 2019

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