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Hallmark's "Moonlight in Vermont"--A QUIZ, A Poll, Fun Facts About Syrup, & the Book

Starring:  Lacey Chabert and Carlo Marks

Released:  2017

Summary:  After a breakup, an upscale real estate agent visits her family's inn in Vermont to rest and rethink things, but her ex shows up with a new girlfriend.

Lacey Chabert & Carlo Marks in "Moonlight in Vermont"
Image:  Crown Media

Happy Couples Upset Fiona


It's funny how our personal circumstances give us tunnel vision.  If you're trying to have a baby, you notice everyone who is pregnant or pushing strollers.  It seems like everyone you talk to has the perfect job when you are miserable in yours and can't find a better one.  When you're struggling with health issues, you see everyone jogging or walking their dogs, making you feel isolated in your pain.  

Nate grows weary of just being one more thing Fiona has to juggle in her busy schedule.  Fiona should have seen this coming, but when he ends their relationship, she's gutted.  Even as time ticks on, she knows exactly how many weeks, days, and hours it has been since they parted ways.  


Everywhere Fiona turns, she sees happy couples.  Isn't that how it works?  Despite being up for the promotion of her dreams, Fiona decides to escape Manhattan and head to her dad's inn in Vermont to sort things out and recalibrate.

Moonlight in Vermont
Image:  Crown Media

What are the odds that in just over three weeks, Nate would turn up at the same inn with his new girlfriend?  Fiona does the most logical thing--she pretends the inn's chef, Derek, is her new boyfriend.  She not only wants to appear emotionally unscathed by their breakup, she wants to make Nate jealous to try and win him back.  Fiona and Derek strike a deal, and he agrees to keep up his end of the charade.

If you were in Fiona's shoes, would you stay at the inn while Nate is there, or would you leave?  Share your opinion in the poll below!

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Time To Stop And Smell The.....Maple Syrup?


When you pluck a person out of the city and dump them in a rural area, their first complaint is there is nothing to do. Not true!  There are just different things to do.

Fiona and Derek enjoy the annual Maple Faire where there's a pancake eating contest, tree-tapping, a Maple Dance, and a syrup tasting.  

If you could put Fall in a bottle, don't you think it would taste like maple syrup?  Vermont maple syrup is a "sweet" thread that adds to the charm of Moonlight in Vermont.

Fiona learns to take time to savor different syrups and appreciate the subtle nuances of their flavors, and it serves as a metaphor for her life--she finally learns to slow down and invest her time and energy into life's most important things--family, friends, and love.


Fun Facts About Maple Syrup

  • Vermont is the top maple syrup producer in the USA.  In 2019, the state produced over two million gallons!
  • Maple syrup has the same calcium content of whole milk.
  • To produce sap, a maple tree must be at least 40 years old.
  • It takes 40 gallons of sap to produce one gallon of maple syrup, which is the annual output of 4 maple trees.
Moonlight in Vermont movie
Image:  Crown Media

Which of These Statements Best Describe You?


Fiona's stepmom, Delia, says, In a small community, you run into familiar faces everywhere you turn.

Fiona prefers New York for a different reason.  She responds to Delia with, In the city, you can lose yourself in the crowd.

What's your take on these statements?  Is it better to live in a close-knit community where there's no such thing as strangers, or is it better to be anonymous in the big city where you retain more privacy?  Share your thoughts in the comment section


My Favorite Movie Scene


Remember the scene at the Maple Dance when Derek is dancing with Fiona and sings along with crooner Frank Sinatra while staring deeply into her eyes?  I didn't know Moonlight in Vermont is actually a song, did you?  

Derek is devastatingly handsome and looks so dashing at the dance.  When he smiles, his face lights up like the sun.  

The sparks fly in this scene, but of course, we are denied the kiss, even though it's the perfect moment.

Thank God for Unanswered Prayers


Fiona succeeds in making Nate jealous, and his girlfriend realizes he's still hung up on Fiona, so she angrily breaks things off and leaves the inn.

Nate tries to convince Fiona they both rebounded and then bounced back together because they are meant to be, but Fiona realizes Nate is not the one for her.  She chooses Derek (who wouldn't?).

All of us go through seasons of life where we want something so badly--and if we don't get it, we're devastated.  But, looking back, we realize it wasn't the best plan for our lives anyway.  We didn't initially see the big picture and how things would really play out in the end.  It's at these moments we can thank God for unanswered prayers.


Hallmark Movies Based on Books Are Usually Better


Did you know Moonlight in Vermont is based on a novel by the same name?  

Movies derived from books seem to have more depth than the average, run-of-the-mill Hallmark story.  Authors do all the heavy lifting with character and plot development, dialogue, setting, etc., so the reader can get lost in a story with substance.  When one of these novels captures Hallmark's attention for movie production, Hallmark trims off the fat to fit it in a time slot, but when they do it correctly, the story is more poignant and emotionally engaging than the typical Hallmark formula.

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