haa4 Reviews

Love & Jane (2024 TV Movie)

Jane Can't Save This One

[5/10 · 14 February 2024]

I really wanted to like this one but the magical realism stuff isn't for me. The script was very weak and lots of stuff required suspending belief. Ali Sweeney is 47 years old but this script felt like it was written for a 27 year old. Can we please match actors to more age appropriate stories? I know Hallmark wants more younger and new viewers but they also have a loyal and aging fanbase and need to find that balance that appeals to both groups. Ali Sweeney and Ben Ayres do have chemistry but I don't think they're good screen partners because they're too similar. The Chronicle Mysteries were an absolute snoozefest too. This may have worked better with different actors but still a weak script overall.

Also, the set design was horrible. The bookstore looked more like a university library and wasn't welcoming at all. I did like the message about the importance of bookstores and the community aspect but the policy change at the end was ridiculous.

Little House: Bless All the Dear Children (1984 TV Movie)

Too many plot holes

[6/10 · 25 December 2023]

Little House is my all time favorite show but it was also full of plot holes through the years. This movie was no exception. Originally airing after the official series ended, this is supposed to be a Christmas movie. They got Michael Landon to narrate but couldn't get him to make an appearance? The lack of familiar characters in this one is noticeable.

But so many plot holes:

A disturbed woman kidnaps toddler Rose but she goes willingly and never throws a fit? You'd think a child who is with her stay at home mom all the time would have a different reaction instead of just smiles all the time.

Mr. Edwards never apologizes nor do Laura and Almanzo blame him for anything. Also, why is he at the saloon if he no longer drinks?

Laura should have gotten angry sooner and shouldn't have let Almanzo off so easy.

1896? Wasn't Baby Boy Wilder born in 1889? Rose should be closer to 10.

Was that adoption even legal? And why didn't Laura and Almanzo consider adopting?

Anyway, it's a Christmas movie so of course there is a happy ending. But long time fans need to suspend some belief.

A Heidelberg Holiday (2023 TV Movie)

A German Christmas

[7/10 · 16 November 2023]

This was really good. I've loved Ginna Claire Mason since seeing her as Glinda in Wicked so it's great to see her in Hallmark Christmas movies. She's still a little green but worked really well with Frederic and the other actors. I like that Hallmark is investing in location shoots for these movies, especially for lesser known actors. The German backdrop was stunning and I love that this was cast locally and incorporated German traditions. Also appreciated the bilingual dialogue with subtitles.

I wasn't crazy about how they resolved the missing ornament issue and I wanted a bit more from the ending. What's next for Heidi? But other than that, this is a winner that I'll rewatch again.

Also note to Hallmark: There are lots of talented Broadway actors out there. Please spread the casting love because this is a trend I'd like to see continue.

Heartland: Vigil (2022) Season 16, Episode 7

Not The Same Show

[7/10 · 7 September 2023]

This show just hasn't been the same since Season 14. It's just not as uplifting as it used to be. Amy is still grieving and now Finn is too. We know Robert Cormier died unexpectedly so now what happens to Amy just when she's starting to open up again? Maybe try her with Sam from Big River. They seem to have good chemistry.

Lou and Peter just do not work any longer. This episode proves that. They no longer have romantic chemistry and he's just so out of place at Heartland. She had a great thing going with Mitch for 6 seasons and he's now all but forgotten. Seriously, did Kevin piss off Heather Conkie? I've never seen a long term character on this show get erased like this. Even Ashley still gets an occasional mention. They could have written Michelle Morgan's pregnancy into the show had Lou still been with Mitch. The cast needs more younger characters and that would have been a welcome addition to the family.

It was great to see Mallory and Jake again. I'd much rather see them as series regulars over Tim's wife who adds no value to the show. The ice cream scene with Mallory, Lou, and Amy reminded me of how great this show used to be.

The Dancing Detective: A Deadly Tango (2023 TV Movie)

Malta Mediocrity

[6/10 · 18 June 2023]

Hallmark seems insistent on inexplicably killing all of its successful mystery series and replacing them with mediocre replacements. This latest iteration features Lacey Chabert playing a police detective and Will Kemp playing a dance teacher/actor. They fake being married to solve a murder case in Malta.

First off, the production value of this movie was terrific. It's also nice to see new faces both in front of and behind the camera. I love that both Lacey and Will were EPs on this because it felt like a true partnership in solving the mystery and both characters were equally important. Oftentimes these mysteries only have the female lead as the EP and the story tends to be focused on her with the male lead as supporting. That was not the case here. Lacey and Will also have great chemistry and I liked all the Easter eggs of mentioning other tv detectives. And Will finally gets to use his own accent.

The mystery itself was not very interesting or well developed and I figured out who the murderer was in the first 10 minutes. Also, nobody in 2023 has a paper copy of a boarding pass just lying around before going to the airport. I'd watch more of these jetsetting dancing mysteries but preferably with a different writer. Probably the best of these new mystery series.

Eight Is Enough: David's Rib (1981) Season 5, Episode 12

Marital woes

[7/10 · 30 April 2023]

This episode focuses on the marriages of the 2 married Bradford kids: David and Susan. Both are having very different types of disagreements with their spouses and working through them. I always liked Merle but episodes like this highlight just how rushed the marriage between him and Susan was since the actress was pregnant in real life. It seems like producers either had to marry her off quickly or write her out temporarily. Rewatching this episode, it seems like they weren't that compatible after all. Susan was just never the same after marriage.

I enjoyed the David/Janet arc and wanted more of this couple. But their air time seemed to decrease once the show decided to marry off 2 of the kids at once. Writers got lazy and couldn't seem to write for married couples with the exception of rare episodes like this one. I truly wonder if David and Janet would have been the couple to have a baby had Susan Richardson not been pregnant. I think that would have been a much better direction for the show overall.

Eight Is Enough: And Baby Makes Nine: Part 2 (1980) Season 5, Episode 2

Budget cuts?

[8/10 · 23 April 2023]

This was one of my favorite episodes as a kid. I truly think it's the great Betty Buckley's best work on the series and you truly felt like Abby was the mom at the center of it all as opposed to other episodes where she's just supporting Tom. But rewatching as an adult, it's bizarre how much of these 2 episodes is flashbacks and even spliced in scenes from other recent episodes such as Janet cooking David breakfast which is from Season 4 Bradford vs Bradford and the coming home scene where Susan has blonde hair all of a sudden. That's lifted from an episode that hasn't aired yet. Very bizarre. Either the writers got lazy or they were dealing with some type of budget cuts.

Eight Is Enough: Marriage and Other Flights of Fancy: Part 2 (1979) Season 3, Episode 27

Backdoor pilot?

[3/10 · 5 April 2023]

This episode felt very out of place. David and Janet break up and he immediately decides to take a road trip with a female friend. Then they encounter a group of competitive hang gliders we've never seen before and the entire episode is centered around these characters.

No mention of the rest of the Bradford family nor do we see any of them. And David doesn't seem to grow or change much from this trip because he doesn't return to Sacramento until the following season. I don't know what the intention was with this two-parter but it felt like some type of backdoor pilot for a David centered spinoff. This one can easily be skipped.

Love in Glacier National: A National Park Romance (2023 TV Movie)

Hallmark avalanche

[5/10 · 31 January 2023]

Great cinematography, actors, and an actual location shoot. Was this even filmed at Glacier National Park?? Unfortunately, the script wasn't the greatest. It was completely predictable which is fine but the ending was a abrupt and underwhelming. These movies typically are dependent on a disagreement to get the couple together but in this case, that disagreement basically went on for the entire movie. Chris was disrespectful of Heather's career until he suddenly wasn't. So while Heather tries to come off as a knowledgeable professional, her sticking with Chris for so long while he puts down her work kind of negates that.

And what was the deal with Riley and IVF treatments? No real resolution there either. Not all endings have to be super happy but this is Hallmark Channel. We watch the network to escape from reality, not to see it thrown in our faces. Where was Riley's happy ending? Or in her case, her Plan B? It was also odd that Riley was going through all this without her husband present. Why wasn't he cast? I kept thinking he'd show up at the lodge and surprise her. It was just such an unnecessary addition to the script.

This movie was also oddly sexual for a Hallmark movie. Some of the skimpiest bathing suits I've ever seen on the network--compare this with last year's Groundswell where Lacey Chabert wouldn't even expose her legs on the beach. And we get a shirtless Stephen Huszar which is fine but the close-ups of Ashley Newbrough with her hands on his chest are not what you usually see on this network. And we get 2 characters openly talking to and about sperm, in a public restaurant no less. I don't have a problem with this stuff but at the same time I'm not really sure what they're going for here. Who are scenes like this targeting? None of these scenes were in the trailer so you've got existing network viewers suddenly watching a movie with a more sexual tone than usual. It just makes no sense.

The Wedding Veil Inspiration (2023 TV Movie)

That's Amore?

[7/10 · 17 January 2023]

Another solid entry in the 2nd Wedding Veil trilogy. This time we revisit Emma and Paolo who now live in Chicago. I'm not sure what the passage of time has been since The Wedding Veil Unveiled but it's at least 2 years given that Avery's son is now standing in his crib. So Paolo is just now opening his high end lace shop. Is that even a thing?

This was the first Wedding Veil movie not written by the Berg sisters and it kind of showed. There was a lot more focus on the B couple, more so than on the 3 friends. And it also has much more serious undertones. I thought the issues Emma and Paolo dealt with were very realistic and they were handled well too. Good character growth for both of them.

However, I am not crazy about the fact that Paolo's dream was to expand the business to the US and he finally does that only to decide to move back to Italy, leaving said business in the hands of an inexperienced relative. Also, Emma leaving her job that she worked so hard for is a pretty sharp turn. I get giving up the promotion but also giving up the teaching job that she loved in favor of Paolo is an old school Hallmark move. And her new career choice doesn't seem like it would be satisfying in the long term. Once again, executives at this network don't seem to understand the audience. Viewers have seen that repeatedly since new leadership took over.

My other main issues with this one were that Paolo Bernardini was billed AFTER Carlo Marks. Come on Paolo is the lead character. And also that this one was so serious. It's Hallmark Channel and this trilogy is supposed to be a RomCom overall. This movie was definitely more of a drama.

The Wedding Veil Expectations (2023 TV Movie)

After Happily Ever After

[9/10 · 11 January 2023]

Love that the trilogy is continuing and The Wedding Veil Expectations was a solid continuation of Peter and Avery's love story. What happens after happily ever after? This is it! I appreciated the Hallmark-style bedroom scenes as well. Not something we usually see!

This honestly felt more like a pilot for a series to me but it was jammed into a 2 hour movie instead. Lots of good stories but it felt like some were given more focus than others. In particular, Grace and Clark's story didn't really have much depth.

I'd love to see this series ongoing, perhaps with a mystery surrounding a different antique each time. But I also wonder if maybe this universe is better served as a 10 episode series than 3 movies a year. There are just so many characters now with lots of different stories to tell. It's clear that the actors and creatives enjoy working together and it's a great mix of talent.

I would also love to see Kevin McGarry back on a series with creatives who love and appreciate his immense talent. I've seen all of Kevin and Lacey's prior movies and this is easily the best pairing I've seen for both of them. More of this please.

Sister Swap: Christmas in the City (2021 TV Movie)

Sister Swap 2

[4/10 · 31 December 2022]

Part 2. This was on my Watchlist last year but never got to it. I liked the idea of this but the execution of parallel stories across 2 movies didn't quite work. I'm not sure if it was the focus on telling parallel stories or the fact that there were 4 scriptwriters but this was an uneven mess.

So in this movie we see a lot of the same scenes from the prior movie except some of these are shown from different camera angles. There are also continuation issues. In this movie, we see Simon driving away from the city but in the first movie his mother is the one who pulls up to the Madison.

Also, it's finally made clear why the gift for the mother is so important and who Ashley's character is grieving. Based on the first movie alone, I honestly thought she was a widow like her sister. In this movie, we find out she's having a hard time because she's grieving her uncle. Once again, it's not well explained why he had such an impact on the family. And her character does not come off as someone heavily grieving in either movie.

Ashley Williams and Keith Robinson have zero chemistry and honestly I lost interest about one third of the way through. This one focused more on the love story than the first movie did but the movie was incredibly boring. I did like the food bank story though. There also were too many stories going on here so the party story didn't really get the focus it should have. Again, 4 scriptwriters? The imbalance shows.

Where was Mark Deklin in this one???

I love the idea of the Williams sisters working together but give them a mystery series instead where they both have love interests or families. This concept didn't work very well and if Hallmark really wanted to be innovative, they should have just combined these 2 movies into 1 longer movie.

Sister Swap: A Hometown Holiday (2021 TV Movie)

Sister Swap 1

[5/10 · 31 December 2022]

This was on my Watchlist last year but never got to it. I liked the idea of this but the execution of parallel stories across 2 movies didn't quite work. I'm not sure if it was the focus on telling parallel stories or the fact that there were 4 scriptwriters but this was an uneven mess.

This movie focuses on Kimberly Williams' side of the story. She's a widow with a teenage son who leaves her busy restaurant to go home for the holidays for 2 weeks. There she decides to throw one more movie night at the family theater which is about to get sold to a chain. She also reconnects with an old friend played by Mark Deklin. He also seems to be widowed and has a young daughter. He ends up helping restore the theater for movie night and of course he and daughter bond with Kimberly Williams and son.

The chemistry between Kimberly and Mark was fine. The issue is the writers are trying to do so much that they don't develop the love story well. Not a single bonding moment between the parent and the SO's child. We see the kids bonding several times but never with the SO. That's important in stories like this in order for them to be believable. It should be noted that this aired in the same year that Hallmark inexplicably destroyed a potential blended family on one of their series. So this did not sit well with me.

The save the theater story was fine and I liked seeing the sisters bond. But there was a really strong dependence on the uncle's death driving story and we never quite understand why he's so important to this family. Lots of plot holes.

Given that Kimberly and Ashley are both great at comedy, I'm surprised that this series was more of a drama. And not a very well done one at that.

Hanukkah on Rye (2022 TV Movie)

Chag Hanukkah Sameach

[9/10 · 25 December 2022]

This is easily the best of the 3 Hanukkah-centric movies Hallmark has aired to date. Please let Julie Sherman Wolfe write all of them going forward. Two rival deli owners meet as neighbors and get to know each other. Little do they know they are also being set up via a matchmaker employed by their grandmothers and said matchmaker requires them to write incognito letters to each other.

Eventually, Jake finds out about the matchmaking but keeps it from Molly. You can guess where this is going. Anyway, I adored Jeremy Jordan in this. He got to use his comedic chops but unfortunately didn't get to sing aside from a quick prayer. Come on Hallmark, if you're casting Broadway talent let them sing! He and Yael had great chemistry and the supporting cast was wonderful. The old school matchmaker was an interesting angle but it seemed to work!

Also, I loved the attention to detail in this movie including making sure that the candles on the menorah wouldn't tip over. I hope Hallmark and even Lifetime get to a point where there is Hanukkah representation in more than one movie per season.

The Holiday Sitter (2022 TV Movie)

RomCom full of love

[8/10 · 12 December 2022]

This is the most relaxed I've ever seen Jonathan Bennett in one of these movies and I've watched a lot of his movies. He's also really great at slapstick comedy. Why isn't he on a sitcom? And George Krissa-where has he been?

Super cute and also fun movie. Sam showed the most character development as the story is told from his point of view but it was well written with a believable ending. I'm not sure that these 2 would stay together long term but the writing got me to the ending. I also liked the side stories with Kathleen, Nate and the baby as well as Sam's relationships with Kathleen and her kids. Lots of development there as well.

Loved the nods to Mean Girls and Legally Blonde. Though I'm not sure what the connection is to Legally Blonde.

Jonathan and George have great chemistry. This was a great movie that was the literal definition of RomCom.

We Wish You a Married Christmas (2022 TV Movie)

Nice to see an already married couple

[8/10 · 2 November 2022]

This was really good. Combining a troubled married couple with existing Christmas movie tropes is exactly how you change up your movies while leaving the audience satisfied at the end. This was totally predictable but the journey was a lot of fun. Kris and Marisol had great chemistry and the supporting cast was awesome. It starts off a bit slow but if you stick with it past the first 15 min, it's a great movie.

There were some weird directing choices though. We don't need to see constant close-ups of one person when two people are having a conversation. It got to the point where it was a bit distracting but I still enjoyed the movie.

A Cozy Christmas Inn (2022 TV Movie)

That's Hallmark For Ya

[6/10 · 1 November 2022]

As a stand alone movie, this was really good. Jodie Sweetin was great in this, the supporting characters were fun, and it was well written too.

As a sequel to Hallmark's top rated movie of all time (Christmas Under Wraps), this was insulting to network viewers. The movie was filmed in a different location. They should have just brought in a new love interest or not had it be a sequel at all. Instead, Hallmark new leadership chose to destroy the integrity of the first movie by negating the happy ending and destroying the love story that we all watched in that film. I don't think I can ever watch Christmas Under Wraps again. What is it with this new leadership not knowing how to tell uplifting love stories? This has been an ongoing pattern for well over a year now. They don't understand their audience.

Christmas Bedtime Stories (2022 TV Movie)

Extremely Disappointed

[4/10 · 31 October 2022]

This was good for 1 hour 45 min. Then it morphed into the strangest ending I've ever seen in a Christmas movie. Steve Lund was wasted in this. Love Erin Cahill but this wasn't for me. For a better moving on story, watch Christmas Homecoming instead.

Seriously, the character played by Erin Cahill just wasn't rootable at all and exhibited no character growth whatsoever throughout the movie. She started and ended the movie in the exact same place emotionally. This seems to be an ongoing pattern at Hallmark since new leadership came in. They seem to think viewers want shock value instead of predictability and usual tropes. The reason the network is successful is because people watch for predictability and tropes.

Younger (2015–2021)

Fun show with a disappointing finale

[7/10 · 20 August 2022]

Just finished binging all 7 seasons. The show had a unique concept that requires a lot of suspending belief. Liza is penniless at first yet never repeats a couture outfit throughout the series. It's like she shopped Carrie Bradshaw's closet. Also, co-workers don't always spend all their free time together too. I get it was to advance the narrative here but once the truth started coming out, it just seemed a bit weird. I did like the friend group that formed throughout the series though.

The stories centered around the publishing house were the most interesting to me. Watching the characters interact in and out of work was what made the show so good. The instructions often focused around an author or a book and that led to some interesting stories and guest stars.

Watching Charles and Liza develop a slow burn love story while also trying to work together was one of the best parts of the series. It also showed growth in Liza as she learned she no longer needed to lie in order to find personal and professional fulfillment. For some inexplicable reason, they chose to destroy all of that in the last 15 min of the series basically flipping the script.

It was disappointing not to have Diana in Season 7. Lauren is not a replacement for her. Worth a watch for the great cast both regular, recurring, and guest stars. Lots of Broadway faces in this and actors you wouldn't see in shows filmed in Hollywood. Phoebe Dynevor is a wonderful recurring character as is Michael Urie. Tons of NYC locations too. Just know that the writing doesn't lead to the ending that was provided. I think skip any future Darren Star projects as he doesn't seem to like giving the audience a satisfying ending. SATC another example.

Younger: Older (2021) Season 7, Episode 12

Flipped Script

[4/10 · 20 August 2022]

I read all the warnings about this finale but just had to watch for myself. Nothing in the series writing led to the outcome for Liza. She and Charles had a super slow burn love story for most of the series and in the last 15 min of the finale, they suddenly decide it won't work due to a fabricated issue that they dealt with several seasons earlier. That just makes no sense. Either Darren Star really hates happy endings which is entirely possible or they were expecting a Season 8 when this was filmed. That's the only thing that makes sense because the writing didn't.

Liza and Josh had been friends for several seasons now with no inkling of wanting to get back together romantically. Liza was in love with Charles and vice versa. That's what made the most sense for her journey in this series: her character realizing she doesn't need to lie about her age to be successful personally or professionally. Josh would have been better off with Clare or even Kelsey. But the ending was very vague anyhow. Again, it felt like a cliffhanger should they get renewed again.

As for the other characters, I could care less about Lauren but Kelsey and Maggie's arcs made total sense. Just a disappointing ending overall to a unique series.

Two Tickets to Paradise (2022 TV Movie)

Just OK

[7/10 · 27 June 2022]

This was decent and it was nice to see Ryan Paevey actually surfing. Ashley and Ryan didn't have the best chemistry but also not the worst I've seen either. Loved the male couple that Hannah and Josh met at the resort.

However, with so many grand resorts to choose from, I don't understand why Hallmark continues to film these movies at smaller, lower budget properties. Also, not everything has to have a supernatural element to it. Since Wonya Lucas came onboard, the network seems obsessed with catering to an audience they want rather than one they already have. I could have done without the haunted tour and the details of it.

Dirty Little Secret (2022 TV Movie)

The ending ruins it

[2/10 · 13 June 2022]

This was really decent up until the last 20 min when it went completely off the rails. Missed opportunity for redemption and a better ending. Two stars for great acting by Melissa Joan Hart and Lizzie Boys but this was truly awful. No idea what the writers or producers were thinking here but it doesn't add up.

Always Amore (2022 TV Movie)

Good but not great

[6/10 · 11 June 2022]

This was ok. Not great but not terrible either. Autumn and Tyler have decent chemistry-neither is a favorite of mine but they work well together here. The story isn't very innovative and there are plot holes that you just learn to ignore such as the daughter's age. This type of movie seems typical for Wonya's Hallmark-take the existing RomCom formula that works really well for the network and add more unnecessary drama and angst.

Giada DeLaurentiis is an Executive Producer on this and aside from a cookbook cameo and her clear involvement in the food being served, she is nowhere to be seen. You'd think she would have showed up as one of the competition judges at least. Missed opportunity for Hallmark.

Buried in Barstow (2022 TV Movie)

Misleading title

[8/10 · 6 June 2022]

I've already watched this twice because there was so much going on to keep track of. By far the best movie Lifetime has aired so far this year. Angie Harmon and Kris Polaha have great chemistry and play really well off one another. All of these characters are heavily flawed and need redemption yet you still can't help but root for them to do the right thing. The movie left us with multiple cliffhangers too so I look forward to seeing what comes next. My main issue with this was the title "Buried in Barstow". The person actually buried had less than 5 min of screen time and that story didn't really drive the rest of what happened. If it was supposed to, then that's a huge flaw in the writing. It should have just been called "Barstow".

Heartland: Leaving a Legacy (2021) Season 15, Episode 10

Not an uplifting season

[6/10 · 4 June 2022]

This was probably the only episode this season that really felt like old-school Heartland. There were multiple stories again and in between we have the various family members interacting. This did feel like a wrap up but we now know it has been renewed again so that will be interesting. I truly hope that Amy is ready to move on romantically now-she seemed to have several prospects this season but all disappeared quickly. I liked the "closure" she had with the Center but I wish there had been more encouragement in Ty's card in helping her move forward with her personal life. As for Lou, I'm just so disappointed that the writers of this show have basically ignored the fact that she had a 6 year relationship and an engagement with Mitch. Shouldn't that have been part of her thought process? It's not a good look for fickle Lou at all and I'm very disappointed in this story arc and how suddenly it was always about Peter. That's not what played out on screen before this season. She's also basically sweeping under the rug all the problems she and Peter had while married. Feels like very lazy writing. I enjoyed this show very much up until Season 15. The lack of long time characters this season really put a damper on things. I'll have some time to decide whether I want to attempt Season 16.