Skip to main content

Posts

Thoughts & a TRIVIA QUIZ on Hallmark's "Don't Forget I Love You"

Don't Forget I Love You Plot Summary   A woman opens the time capsule left to her by her deceased mother on her birthday, and she finds a list of challenges her mother hoped would help her find love. Starring:   Emilie Ullerup and Clayton James Image:  Crown Media The "Challenges" Might Be Good For All of Us! Don't many of us eventually cocoon into our comfort zones?  We find a groove that works for us, and we feel safe there. Why not shake things up a little!  The challenges Taylor (Ullerup) must complete in honor of her mother's wishes might be an elixir we could all use to refresh what has become mundane in our lives. Remember what they were? Get to know someone new. Do something you're afraid of. Play hookey for a day and do nothing or anything. Join a team. Be spontaneous. Tell someone you love them. If you're married, get your spouse on board to add a little spice to your daily grind.  If you're single, maybe the challenges will work their magi

Can You Answer These Trivia Questions from Hallmark's "The Perfect Pairing?"

  The Perfect Pairing  Plot Summary Influential and anonymous food and wine critic Christina slips on ice and falls while visiting a winery--and no one knows who she is.  Single father Michael and his family take her in to help jog her memory. Starring :  Nazneen Contractor and Brennan Elliott Brennan Elliott always shines even when his co-stars don't.  Image:  Crown Media Notice the Double Entendre? If you're a word nerd like me, you have to love the title of this movie--it's just so.....perfect!  Not only does Christina/Joy help select the perfect desserts to pair with Michael's new ice wine at the party, the two of them end up being an ideal match.   The Irony of It All Christina can be a drain to be around because she always focuses on the negative instead of the positive.  You know the type.  Her former writing partner, Eleanor Parks, dissolved their arrangement because she didn't like Christina's attitude, and even her boyfriend and mom admonish her to gi

Take This Trivia QUIZ on Hallmark's "The Wedding Veil"

The Wedding Veil Plot Summary   The Wedding Veil is the first installment of a new trilogy that follows three longtime college friends who discover a mysterious, antique veil fabled to unite its bearer with her true love.  After discovering a long-lost painting, museum curator Avery and new board member Peter investigate the artwork's origins as they plan a gala to unveil it. Starring :  Lacey Chabert, Kevin McGarry, Autumn Reeser, and Alison Sweeney Lacey always makes a beautiful bride!  Image:  Crown Media The Wedding Veil Is Inspired by Lori Wilde's Book Churning out tons of new movies each year takes a toll on Hallmark's creativity.  How many plots can be about a writer, and is it common for so many people to suffer from amnesia? Recycled stories grow wearisome, but when Hallmark taps authors outside their own bubble, fans benefit from fun, light-hearted romances that are refreshingly unique. The Wedding Veil  is inspired by the book, There Goes the Bride by Lori

Hallmark's "Where Your Heart Belongs" Not the Best Role for Jen Lilley Plus a Movie QUIZ!

Where Your Heart Belongs Plot Summary   When a New York marketing executive returns home to help with her best friend's wedding, she learns the hard way that the love and support of family and friends means more than she'd ever imagined. Starring :  Jen Lilley and Christopher Russell Mackenize Finds Her Heart Belongs at Home Where Your Heart Belongs proves what we rural folk have known all along--big city living corrupts good morals! Mackenzie Sullivan is from the small town of Sweet Grove, but pursuing a marketing career in New York City for years while trying to stay ahead of her competition has blurred her boundaries between right and wrong. It takes spending time with friends and family to open her eyes to the person she has become, and she doesn't like what she finds.  She's a small-town girl at heart, and home is where she needs to stay in order to be truly happy.  It also helps that a drop-dead gorgeous man from her past lives there too. Jen Lilley's Char

Take This QUIZ On Hallmark's "One Summer"

Starring:   Sam Page, Sarah Drew, Amanda Schull Released:  2021 Summary:  After recovering from an illness, a husband and father returns to his late wife's beachside hometown, with his children, to spend summer in her childhood home. Sarah Drew and Sam Page Image:  Crown Media Finally, Some Wonderful Acting! In Hallmark's quest for new talent, they have repeatedly disappointed fans by slapping couples together who don't belong and hiring based on affirmative action rather than acting ability.   One Summer is a welcome relief.  Sam Page, Sarah Drew, and Amanda Schull nail their roles in this movie and take viewers on a very emotional journey through the pain of loss.   One reason this movie stands out among the status quo is because it's based on a novel of the same name by David Baldacci. You may remember Baldacci from his book, The Christmas Train , being made into a Hallmark film back in 2018. After miraculously recovering from an unexplain

Do You Wish You Could Have A Do-Over? Hallmark's "Love Strikes Twice"

Starring:  Katie Findlay, Wyatt Nash, and Marshall Williams Released:  2021 (Fall Harvest) Summary:     Maggie is a workaholic who is having marital issues.  She makes a wish for a do-over and time travels to 15 years in the past.  She must choose between staying with her husband or her old boyfriend. Image: Crown Media You Can't Judge a Movie by Its Cover My expectations for this movie were low, solely based on the movie poster and previews.  Katie Findlay, the 31-year-old actress playing the lead, did not seem like Hallmark material.  She struck me as a cross between a vintage Cupid print and Betty Boop. This antique Victorian Cupid print is from 1912. Before she played "Aunt Bethany" in National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation, Mae Questel was Betty Boop. Katie Findlay.  Image: Crown Media I was wrong, and I admit it.  In fact, no other actress on Hallmark's bank roll could have done the part better. Straightening Findlay's hair, arranging it in a smart bob, a

"Taking the Reins" Serves As A Great Movie Metaphor

Starring:  Nikki DeLoach, Scott Porter, and Corbin Bernsen Released:  2021 (Fall Harvest) Summary:  A writer looking for a cover story returns to her family's ranch to write an article about an equestrian event.  She rediscovers her passion for riding and her ex-husband.   Samantha and Luke get a second chance at love.  Image: Crown Media Taking The Reins Is The Perfect Movie Title If ever Hallmark picked the perfect title for a movie, it's this one.  Taking the Reins  serves a literal and metaphorical purpose.   On the surface, the idea of  taking the reins  refers to Samantha (DeLoach) and her father (Bernsen) guiding a horse, Rascal, during an equestrian competition.  The concept runs much deeper, however. Why are reins necessary?  Without them, riders would have little, if any, control of their horses.  In the movie, many of the characters are grappling for control and direction in their own lives.   Samantha wants to write a cover-worthy article, and it requires her to