Hallmark's "Always Amore" Movie Trivia QUIZ!

Always Amore Plot Summary 

A woman tries to keep her late husband's once acclaimed restaurant open, and so she is forced to work with a consultant to turn things around.

Starring:  Autumn Reeser & Tyler Hynes (2022)

Image:  Crown Media

The Restaurant Name Sums It Up

If you're not fluent in Italian, you may have missed the significance of the Campisi family's restaurant name.  Il Cibo E Vita is Marco's legacy, and it means food is life.

Food isn't only vital for healthy living, but food brings people together around a table to talk, connect, and build relationships.  Great food is associated with a good life.

Marco has been gone for three years, and the restaurant is failing.  Antonio is the key in bringing Cibo roaring back with his creative culinary masterpieces, but Ben Elliott (Tyler Hynes) has his work cut out for him.  Antonio stubbornly resists changing the menu to honor his mentor's memory.

A Good Example to Follow

By nature, most people resist change.  Hynes's character, Ben, teaches us a valuable lesson on how to approach people with new ideas.

Ben is easy-going and non-threatening.  Once he makes his assessment and is ready to implement changes, he does it in a manner that isn't aggressive and demanding.  He spends one-on-one time with each person involved to make them feel heard and understood.  He respects everyone's input.  When he introduces his game plan, he finds a way to compromise by incorporating elements of past practices into a new vision.  Gradually, he wins everyone over because they recognize he's on their side, driving them towards success. 

Something Old, Something New

The plot surrounding a consultant salvaging a dying company isn't new for Hallmark.  We've seen it before, like with Christmas in Montana and Merry & Bright, but Hallmark hasn't overused the occupation--we can be thankful this movie isn't about another WRITER.  

Early deaths are prevalent in Hallmark storylines, and Always Amore offers a double whammy:  both Elizabeth's husband and Ben's fianceé met untimely ends.  How convenient.

Hallmark does something new in Always Amore, however.  Whenever there is a competition, you can always bet the leading characters are going to win.  This time is different.  Elizabeth and Antonio compete in the Bainbridge Artisan Festival to create a much-needed buzz about their restaurant--hopefully in time to secure a loan.  They lose!  They are unable to topple another restaurant that has won eight years in a row.  It still works out, but success comes in through the back door.

Reeser wowed us in The Wedding Veil Unveiled when she took us on a journey through Italy and fell in love with Paolo, so it's fun to see her immersed again in Italian culture.  Another new and fun element is the introduction of Scopa, an Italian card game Elizabeth must win to get a better olive oil price.   

You'll also find some humor in Always Amore.  When Elizabeth hosts Monday dinner with family and staff, she makes a special dessert.  Her mother-in-law, Nonna who is sitting beside Ben, exclaims, "Ben fatto!" which means "well-done."  Ben thinks she's accusing him of farting.  The family also brings up Elizabeth's faux paus when she first married into an Italian family.  She broke the spaghetti before cooking it!  Not sure why that is a problem though--maybe the different sizes interfere with twirling the pasta around the fork.

Fans have complained that newer Hallmark movies lack chemistry between leads, but the spark between Reeser and Hynes is undeniable in this movie.  Bravo!