Change Your Image
domer-88239
Reviews
Love on the Right Course (2024)
Hungary For More Believable Athletes and Better Casting
Once again, Hallmark cast a lead "current or former pro athlete" with an actor who seemingly started learning the sport and its mechanics a week after the script arrived. Previous movies about baseball and hockey and football players, ice skaters, etc have been painful to watch ... and "Love On the Right Course" adds 'pro golfer' to the list. Enough!!
A simple and obvious casting tweak would have at least tripled my IMDB stars for this movie. Ashley Newbrough is lovely, but her golf swing wouldn't make a junior varsity team. Her scoopy pitch shots were cringe-worthy for a "pro". Marcus Rosner (a golf instructor here) had a passable full swing. Cameo cast member, co-writer, co-producer Brittany Bristow should have been the lead actress based on her golf swing alone, and her acting style and charm would have brought more sizzle to the script's inevitable lead romance.
Team Bristow (dad, mom and daughter) continued its string of overseas shooting locations, this time in Hungary. Many roles were filled with eastern European actors. It helped toggling on Closed Captions. Enough said about that.
Golfers will see that TaylorMade was an exclusive brand logo for clubs and bags. But the golfers' and gallery wore strikingly plain, logo-less clothing and headwear ... and the last time I saw that was in "Caddyshack".
Dream Wedding (2023)
A Nightmare of a Dream Wedding
Major Annoyance: Possibly the worst-acted movie of all time. There were three types of performances: over-acting / hamming it up (the lead's sister "Megan", fake macho man fiancé "Paul", contest rival "Joanne"); mailing it in (Jesse Hutch's "Andy"); or random souls pulled off the street with zero experience or training (Kate's, um, parents). Barbie-beautiful Rebecca Dalton ("Kate") managed to both over-act AND under-act, both involving weird facial expressions.
Minor Annoyance: Empty early scenes to fill run time (sisters wandering around a wedding show = 2 mins; sisters talking in a bathroom = 3 mins; sisters talking in an office kitchen = 2 mins).
Final Annoyance: The sudden, almost forced ending. Maybe those earlier filler minutes could have been used to develop a relationship connection and feelings between two characters?
When Love Springs (2023)
I gave it a second chance, and discovered a hidden gem
The first time I tried to watch "When Love Springs" the first half hour was so bad I quit and rated it 1 star. As others have noted, Act I is truly bad: Rhiannon Fish's hyperactivity, her boss' robotic gruffness, the recent ex-'s arrival with a new (mostly mute) girlfriend, etc.
I gave it another chance recently. That start hasn't improved with age, but the rest was a pleasant improvement ... and worth the wait if only for the introduction of a hidden gem: Renee Herbert. As the lead's sister, she could have been a trope: a sounding board with words of wisdom about what the lead's best life is missing. But she was a true presence on screen (ok, after her goofy elevator intro), and her style was endearing and easy. Just her facial expressions stole several scenes. She is an ethereal beauty. I hope that Hallmark gives Renee more roles soon, and a well-deserved lead. She's a discovery!
A Royal Runaway Romance (2022)
Topographically-challenged
I enjoyed the storyline and main characters. But my low rating reflects how Hallmark movies (and this one most especially) insults us by assuming we will just believe that the state of Nebraska has British Columbia-like mountains. The final scene's drone pullback view broke my willingness to overlook the repeated errors (way beyond 'goofs').
A Dickens of a Holiday! (2021)
Deserved a Hallmark Hall of Fame label
Palpable chemistry between the leads. Heart & charm galore. Character development, and some touches of (insert Master Thespian Voice here) ACTING! Limited movie tropes. Brooke D'Orsay is as lovable as ever. But Kris Polaha showed more chops than in any of his past movies. This one will be a joy to rewatch many, many times!
Next Stop, Christmas (2021)
More Career-bashing Propaganda
The beginning is full of Hallmark's propaganda that the time and effort needed for a woman to succeed in a career (here, as a doctor!) deserves shaming because she doesn't see her family enough. The ending is ridiculous, that she delays her relationship with her True Love for a decade???
Journey of My Heart (2021)
Where Eagles Should Not Dare
Shuffle script pages of Hallmark's "Chasing Waterfalls" and "Pearl in Paradise", and plop the movie in BC/"Alaska" forests and mountain lakes and you have this movie. Another "hidden"/off-map destination trek. Another mistakenly-published photo that might reveal the destination. Another lack-of-leads'-chemistry and sudden or forced romantic ending for a Hallmark movie. This movie would have been salvageable with a better lead pairing. A few rotten Easter eggs if you stay through the end: an out-of-season August-ish aurora, and a brown bear that morphs into a circus grizzly bear.
As Luck Would Have It (2021)
These Irish eyes are smiling!
This is a beautiful movie, and deserves sequels! Like other Hallmark movies filmed in Rome, Paris and Africa, location authenticity raises the bar. There is beautiful scenery, quaint locales, pub music, brogue, and whiskey. Sláinte!
"Luck" isn't your typical Hallmark movie, but in the best of ways. It has a "Leap Year" (2010) charm. 'Lindsay' favors Amy Adams, and 'Brennan' has Matthew Goode's wry humor and touch of melancholy.
Hallmark truly redeemed itself from what my disappointment in "Forever in My Heart" (2019). Ok, "Luck" has another hotel development project intersecting local Ireland, but it shows us more of Ireland, including the majestic Cliffs of Moher. JoAnna Swisher is utterly charming. Allen Leach is a native Irishman, and his accent and use of the old Irish language are second nature, not coached.
Snowed-Inn Christmas (2017)
Heartwarming and funny, with great chemistry
This is an thoroughly enjoyable movie because of the great chemistry between Bethany Joy Lenz's and Andrew Walker's characters. It was playful and sincere. Bethany has never been more adorable! Come for some typical Christmas movie themes, but stay for this couple.
The Mistletoe Secret (2019)
Cyrano de Boringwreck
Tyler Haynes and Patrick Duffey were the only passable actors in this movie. When the lead (Kellie Pickler) can't, take a pass.
The storyline evokes the Cyrano de Bergerac theme (one lady, one romantic ghost writer, and a handsome yet vapid third wheel). But I couldn't even root for the ghost writer to win the lady's heart. Kellie reads the lines, but misses all the proper emotions that go with them. Tyler looked like he was in pain when he was trying to connect with Kellie.
Aside from recasting ANY other Hallmark actress in a re-do (because this storyline has potential rial!), try Patrick Warburton as the third wheel ... if he channels his inner David Puddy character's hollow machismo.
A Christmas Love Story (2019)
The best Christmas movie of 2019!
You expect that a Hallmark Hall of Fame movie will be good, but "A Christmas Love Story" is wonderful, and sure to bring a tear to your eye while you're smiling with joy!
The entire cast - especially the superb and radiant Kristin Chenoweth - is a joy to watch. The relationships felt real. The plot twist was truly unexpected as the story unfolded, and took the show to another level!
This movie will be the one you will look forward to seeing again, year after year.
Write Before Christmas (2019)
Love, Actually Happens
This is the best of Hallmark's 2019 Christmas movies! It seamlessly mingles the lives and loves of a small group of friends and relatives, like "Love, Actually". You learn enough of everyone's background that each love story carries weight.
While (shameless plug alert) Hallmark cards are the vehicle, the simple act of telling someone how important they are to you sparks each of the story lines, it's impossible to not root for the inevitable happy endings (and there are about six of them).
A follow up movie in a year or two would be good so we see where these relationships go. Ok, I just want another movie with Torrey DeVitto and Lolita Davidovich.
A Wish for Christmas (2016)
Hiding
Lacey spent the whole movie hiding her baby bump behind purses, boxes, tables, overcoats, etc.
Poinsettias for Christmas (2018)
The romance needed some fertilizer
Poinsettia blooms aren't the only thing not blooming here. Romantic chemistry between the leads was nowhere until the reveal just before the closing credits.
And was the TV show host supposed to be the romantic rival??
Over the Moon in Love (2019)
At least they can sing
HMC movies that are produced by the star tend to disappoint, and this one was no exception. Some are saved by great on-location views; this was not.
Star/writer/producer Jessica Lowndes mixed parts of "Royal Matchmaker" with "Cyrano". The concept had potential, but the end result was mostly flat and forced.
Wes Brown, as always, does his best to convey a real interest in his leading lady. But Ms. Lowndes hasn't learned that skill. So the movie seemed to be simply an indulgence for the star/writer/producer.
My Boyfriend's Back: Wedding March 5 (2019)
Best of the series, which clearly isn't over
This is my favorite of the first five in this series (with a sixth sure to come based on how the movie ended). There were very few Hallmark Hook anecdotes (no 30-min-to-go-crisis, etc.). The characters unfolded naturally. The main couple, and marital couple, had chemistry. There was an important message in a speech near the end. Well done, HC!
A Shoe Addict's Christmas (2018)
A beauty
Candace Cameron Bure produced this Hallmark Channel movie, and was as good a vehicle for her as the "twins switching lives" a few years ago. Candace never looked prettier than she does in "Shoes". The thing most lacking was genuine chemistry with the male lead.
A Christmas in Tennessee (2018)
Tennessee?
Not a single Tennessee accent to be found. The only things that connected this movie to Tennessee were the standard weather alert blizzard's-closing-the-airport scene and a snippet of "Another Tennessee Christmas" (o.p.b. Amy Grant).