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Hallmark Movies: Small Town Royalty Magically Celebrating Rekindled Love! - General Discussion


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Thanks for the new thread! No matter how many times they recycle the same clichéd storyline, I will give any movie a chance. Tonight is Bridal Wave, the usual girl is engaged to a seemingly perfect guy until the more laid back stranger comes by and is her true soulmate. Have seen this storyline way too many times, but will give it a chance since the leads are likable.

For some reason, the storyline that include the lead engaged but having feelings for another guy/girl, I don't seem to enjoy them as much. I feel bad for the third party that is cast away so casually. That is why some of my favorite rom coms don't include that storyline (except for the Wedding Singer because her fiancé was an ass).

  • Love 5
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For me as well it says something about the person who gets engaged to someone the movie makes clear aren't really into the person asking.  And to mitigate tossing the engaged person aside so blithely they most often make the tossed a complete ass.  Which opens it all even deeper as to why is that person with someone so shallow or greedy or creepy.  Yes they often "hide" some attributes but it is still pretty clear.

 

Dylan Bruce is worthless with his shirt on.  Take note of that producers/directors.  A very handsome man who manages to make himself unattractive with his clumsy poor acting.  I do like him on Orphan Black though so I think a big part of his novel love movie performance was due to the director.  The female lead was downright unlikeable a lot of the time, the writing was plain silly (someone quits that very day and everyone is all warm hugs and kisses?  Don't think so, editor would have been pissed) and the acting of the male and female lead and the older woman who was his agent family friend was so over the top and cloying.  It was the watching equivalent of being body wrapped in fly paper.  And if I was faced by the rejection reason the female lead gave our simpering sap, I'd have heaved a huge sigh of relief to have dodged such an emotionally self absorbed asshole.

 

In a way its good they did not have some conniving female villain trying to get the man because I would have been rooting for her.  If this had been a re-telling of Samson and Delilah, I would have been chomping at the bit for the appearance of a pair of shears.  A Hallmark reboot of Superman?  Where's the big chunk of kryptonite.

 

But as bad as that was, I found the movie that aired last night and watched this morning, even worse and could not even pay attention half way through.  That was a real dump fiance piece of garbage.  The lead male is all kinds of hot but he looked a bit scrawny here.  They were in another movie that is older and part of the days of Christmas package.  Not sure why you would reuse the same leads in different but similar roles.  Especially so close together in viewing time since the flavor was very different.  it was so weakly written that there was nothing to work with and the whole thing (that I paid any attention to) seemed incredibly flat.  I get that these movies are froth and fluff.  The movie last week was a bit bland but it had a more defined storyline for me. 

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For some reason, the storyline that include the lead engaged but having feelings for another guy/girl, I don't seem to enjoy them as much. I feel bad for the third party that is cast away so casually. That is why some of my favorite rom coms don't include that storyline (except for the Wedding Singer because her fiancé was an ass).

I wish Hallmark wouldn't make that a part of its formula as much as it is.   One of the leads (usually the female) is usually engaged or dating someone who they talk about as marriage material.  It makes them seem so desperate that they'll settle for something less. The other love interests rarely present true conflict for the story and are often disgarded too easily. 

At least last night's show had them both agreeing that they didn't want to get married but at the beginning I was hoping the wedding would go forward.  It's not that I felt much chemistry between the engaged couple but I didn't feel much between the couple supposedly meant-to-be either.  After introducing such a nasty potential mother-in-law, it's weird that Hallmark would essentially let her "win" in the end. 

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I actually don't tend to ever watch made for TV movies unless it is Christmas themed. I realized that was mostly ridiculous so I decided to try the Hallmark movies last night. Lame! The same exact plot as Christmas movies however without the decor and music, I can't help but feel embarrassed to watch some of these. Of course, I'm still all in now, even after the crappy movie they played last night (as mentioned above) Bride War? I can't remember the name and it has been deleted from my dvr :) husband #1 was never an ideal candidate. If I felt sorry for him at all instead of repulsed the plot might have fared better.

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The same exact plot as Christmas movies however without the decor and music, I can't help but feel embarrassed to watch some of these. Of course, I'm still all in now, even after the crappy movie they played last night (as mentioned above) Bride War?

The title of the movie was Bridal Wave.  Like Tidal Wave...but Bridal Wave.  Get it?  Ha!

 

And yes, they are like the Christmas movies.  Or the Christmas movies are just like their regular movies.  Hallmark Movies are essentially like a slot machine.  The first window is one of their established storylines, the second window is one of their Hallmark regular actresses and the third window is one of their Hallmark regular actors.  You can get numerous permutations that are all different yet feel the same.  But every once in a while, those three windows work beautifully together and you hit jackpot--a movie that may not be great but is interesting enough to watch when you catch it rerunning.

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Just wrap some tinsel around the telly, spray fake snow on the top and top it with a tiny tree and you have the exact same thing.  The ratings for the Christmas theme'd marathon are telling.  With the upcoming Valentine's Day min marathon I'm betting if it goes well, every day that can have a bunch of cheap fluffy romances built around will get their own three weeks in the sun.  Fourth of July already has the fireworks meme to tie in.  Labor Day could be movies that all end in a baby being born to Twu Romance. 

 

This is 2015  though, if you are going serve mancakes as the male lead, tap into the former Soap opera stables more please and take some shirts off.  It is getting bad when the men seem to be recycling to the point I feel I am stuck watching ABC's The Bachelor.  This week's villain is next week's romantic male lead.  Also it is 2015.  These people can have sex can't they?  It seems like the movies get newer and the physical contact becomes more Amish.  Of course if Candace Cameron is involved I'm betting this year's Christmas romances starring her will be lucky to have a handshake as the climax of love realized.   Or maybe just a wave across the room.  Anyhow it is not like you have to show it.   You don't even have to show them in bed.  But even the movies with married couples make them appear to have all the chemistry of a three-way.  He she and the sheet with a hole they employ.

 

The advantage to it being a non Christmas movie is not being distracted by the extras trying not to trip over the fabric piles or walk on the white carpet that pretends to be snow.

Edited by heebiejeebie
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These people can have sex can't they?

The books they've adapted for movies have often come from Christian romance authors so no--no sex.   I don't know if it's because Hallmark itself is Christian or just dedicated to being "family friendly" that they will sometimes develop relationships without mentioning an important aspect of them but the most sex you'll get on a Hallmark Channel is on Hart to Hart found on Hallmark Movies & Mysteries.

 

Speaking of the upcoming Valentine's Day movie-athon, here's the schedule.    I was really excited to see that one of the new movies was going to star Autumn Reeser and Antonio Cupo because I thought they had great chemistry in Love At The Thanksgiving Day parade, even though it suffered from one of the worst abuses of tossed aside fiance. (It wasn't so much that he was tossed aside--I think what led to their breakup was well done--it was that she accepted the proposal he made under duress even though she realized by this time that she was in love with someone else.)  But based on the description, it looks like Antonio Cupo is going to be the tossed aside love interest. 

 

Boo.  I get not wanting to repeat the same love interests too often but it's so rare when a duo actually has chemistry that I wouldn't mind if they did it more often.

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Hmmmm...a Groundhog's Day type movie about someone's wedding day- at least it hasn't been done before. I also liked Love at the Thanksgiving Parade but couldn't handle tthe sudden proposal at the end. Ridiculous.

Another one that seems to have been done recently is A Wish Come True, when someone's wishes seem to be coming true but her perfect guy isn't the right one. I remember one similar about a year ago with the lead making an April's fools joke about what she wanted, and all her wishes coming true.

I couldn't last through 20 minutes of Bridal Wave. The leads were better in the other movie they were in, and the MIL was ridiculous.

Edited by twoods
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Eh if you're not going use Antonio Cupo as the lead why bother to hire him.  He is definitely one of the better actors they use.  Autumn can be wonderful in even the worst so it really seems weird to cast two that I think have a nice following in this odd little niche thanks to the Thanksgiving Parade film, I know a lot of disparate folks mention it as one of the few Hallmark marathon entries they will sit through.  And put them at what looks like odds for the end.  Odd enough as I already said, to match two again as leads when they already have a smll bit perhaps identifiable assocation elsewhere on the same channel.

 

 

And then it looks like Crumple Face McGhee is the eventual romantic interest.  The guy has a smoking bod but he is so weird in his inflections and the slight movement of his face is either Did Not Want To Know orgasm face or he looks like he is passing  a kidney stone,  and yet another instance of having hiring someone who should have at least one shirtless scene.  Hire pretty bland soft guys who look good in something Rick santorum would wear and be done with it already.  Hire from the neck up.  Not from the neck down.

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Would Hallmark Hall of Fame movies, like Sarah Plain and Tall and the Secret Garden belong here? Or should those have their own thread?

 

Also, this is off topic, but I really wanted to start a thread on the old miniseries The Thorn Birds. 

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@UYI, while the movies you list aren't specific to the Hallmark Movie Channel, they are Hallmark brands, so yeah, they may be discussed here, too since it falls under the same name with Hallmark involved.

 

As for The Thorn Birds, since - like this thread - it is in the TV Movies thread, making a thread for it is fine.

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I'll say this again...why does Hallmark think that white, cisgender, opposite-sex romance stories are the only ones worth telling. Where in the hell are POC, LGBT and disabled characters??? It's 2015 dammit. Rant over.

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I'll say this again...why does Hallmark think that white, cisgender, opposite-sex romance stories are the only ones worth telling. Where in the hell are POC, LGBT and disabled characters??? It's 2015 dammit. Rant over.

 

It's Hallmark, as "safe" as it gets. Not trying to dampen your spirits, @maraleia, but no way would Hallmark ever think outside the box. I always thought Hallmark was very "white bread". Not just the characters, but very Leave It To Beaver in tone.

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Other than the Christmas season Lifetime likes salacious.  Maybe WE or Oxygen will get back into the romantic made for tv movie  Matt Cedeno and Laura Pepon were in one and Matt was shritless more than once proving there is a god.  And he is either gay or a healthy hetero woman. 

 

Is there even the offensive safe "pet" gay who helps the heroine with her clothes does at least one finger snap and a "girlfriend" in a single Hallmark movie?  Or don't we exist outside of buying their overpriced cards?

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Maybe Lifetime will come up with one?

 I think Lifetime would be more likely to come up with one than Hallmark. I wish ABC Family would get back into the romcom game. 

 

As much as I'd like a LBGTQ story, at least I know why Hallmark may avoid them since they don't fit into the narrow stereotypical definition of what a "Christian" would want to see.  I also get why we're not going to see a LBGTQ story on Up either.  But Lifetime and I don't believe ION have that religious framework when deciding which films to show.  Heck, so many others don't as well.  I wish someone outside of LOGO would take the plunge.  C'mon Bravo, I see an untapped market.

 

Is there even the offensive safe "pet" gay who helps the heroine with her clothes does at least one finger snap and a "girlfriend" in a single Hallmark movie?  Or don't we exist outside of buying their overpriced cards?

I do think there has been the "pet" gay without ever being overtly identified as such.  (In other words, I don't remember any of them talking about a boyfriend.) 

 

Would Hallmark Hall of Fame movies, like Sarah Plain and Tall and the Secret Garden belong here? Or should those have their own thread?

Since Hallmark has taken over the franchise and they now air new HHoF movies as well as new HHoF movies, I think this thread makes sense.

 

In fact, Hallmark is showing one of my favorite HHoF movies tonight--Follow The Stars Home.  It has a great cast, a variety of different stories highlighting the love between mothers and daughters, a sweet friendship and a subtle romance between the self-sacrificing mother and the long suffering stoic hero.  It even has one of the rare instances where a woman considers marrying someone she probably knows isn't right for her and dumps him with in the span of a few days where both choices make sense to me. 

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But Lifetime and I don't believe ION

 

I'm not sure how much it still qualifies since NBCU bought out the network, but Ion was born from the ashes of Pax (whose founder just died and also had his roots in Christianity - from what I read, NBCU bought a "minority" stake but later, after protracted negotations, Lowell Paxson stepped down which helped the evolution to the predominant crime fare on Ion now; in other words, I think Ion has come out of the "wholesome" shadow, but I don't know if his family/estate still has a say...).

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As much as I'd like a LBGTQ story, at least I know why Hallmark may avoid them since they don't fit into the narrow stereotypical definition of what a "Christian" would want to see.  I also get why we're not going to see a LBGTQ story on Up either.  But Lifetime and I don't believe ION have that religious framework when deciding which films to show.  Heck, so many others don't as well.  I wish someone outside of LOGO would take the plunge.  C'mon Bravo, I see an untapped market.

 

I don't need or even care if Hallmark ever does a same sex romance.  I would like to know they know we exist.  It seems downright pathetic in this day and age.  they can sell us cards celebrating us but they get their panties in a bunch?  Seems they are trying to have it both ways.  And endless reruns of the Golden Girls is not going to work as some kind of sop.  And not just because I loathe the Golde Girls.  Give me the original Designing Women and I might calm down a little.  But I am really letting myself get annoyed at how provincial and disgustly outdated they are in their judgement by omission.

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Sometimes the ones I like don't match what everyone else likes, so I don't know, twoods. But I actually did enjoy it for the most part. I thought it avoided some of the annoying things from some of the other movies, and I thought the leads had chemistry. I especially have liked the actor in other things. 

Edited by VMepicgrl
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You were right, it was pretty good. I had low expectations going in but it exceeded them, and it's probably my favorite one that hallmark has come out in some time (non Christmas). The lead was really likable, and I warmed up to the female lead after a while. Plus, I liked the side story with her sister. Definitely did not delete it from the DVR.

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Discussion of Love by the Book. Go!

 

Definitely a case of a generic promo hiding a pretty decent movie--or at least a decent Hallmark entry.  I liked both the leads and they had good chemistry.  Plus, she wasn't engaged to the "other" guy so her choosing the investor's son didn't mean the other guy got too terribly screwed.

 

No. I couldn't do it. Minka seems like a nice person in real life, but she's a terrible actress. That and the previews didn't interest me enough to watch. I was already watching and DVRing a ton of things Sunday, anyway.

I eventually got around to watching it off of my DVR (from another day).  I don't know whether or not it was good because it focused a lot on birds and kids.  Neither birds nor kids interests me.  People who enjoy either of those things may like it more than I did.  It wasn't bad but I was bored.

 

A Wish Come True, was okay.  It wasn't as bad as some of these movies but I didn't find it as charming as By The Book.  The angst was better than it usually is but I had some issues with the logic of all her wishes coming true if one can have that problem in what is essentially a fairy tale.  For instance, on her list was meeting the love of her life yet, the guy they introduced clearly wasn't supposed to be that even though I liked him.  The love of her life wouldn't be so opposed to what she wants in life. 

 

I still don't know if I can watch this Friday's movie if I want a different ending than the one we're going to get.

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I watched The Shunning and The Confession on the Hallmark Movie Channel this evening.  They were based on books by Beverly Lewis.  They were good, but I would have preferred the same actress in both movies.  It took a while to get used to the actress in the second movie (while she was good in the movie, it was difficult not to see her as Daphne from Switched at Birth).  With two different actresses, I didn't even realize that they were part of a book series until I looked online to see if there were any other books in the series.  Since they were based on a trilogy of books, I'm looking forward to if/when the third movie airs, concluding the story.

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Watched the new Kellie Martin movie and this is the second movie in a row that they make her look so homely. At least her boyfriend's mother sort of called out that haircut, but the movie was ok. Decent premise and chemistry with the leads, but the nuptials and all the dramatic stuff seemed to be too rushed. Hoping the movie that aired tonight (Cloudy chance of Love) is better because I adored the lead on Greek.

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I agree about Kellie Martin.  I felt mean thinking it but I did think it.  Overall, I enjoyed the movie.  Both of the leads could act and, this may sound silly, but her quirkiness felt more real than most of the "quirky" female leads.  I will say it felt like it was two movies.  In fact, with Hallmark advertising "Wedding June," I think they could have had the falling in love part be this movie with their wedding being a sequel.  However, that likely would have changed a few things I appreciated about the movie like the ex-girlfriend being an ally rather than a rival.

 

I caved and watched "I do, I do, I do" because I tend to watch all Hallmark movies.  Not only did Antonio Cupo and Amber Reeser team up again, but her sister was played by the actress who played her friend in Love At The Thanksgiving Day Parade.  I liked the concept but the lack of chemistry between the love interests did me in.

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Cloudy with a Chance of Love had great chemistry and was a good movie until the last few minutes. Everything felt so rushed including the romantic ending. Totally ruined what was a pretty good movie. I can write a better ending than some of these movies!

Will try I Do I Do I Do, though it seems to waste the chemistry with Autumn and Antonio with him being the "other guy."

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I watched both the Kellie Martin and the previous movie.  I liked both, but enjoyed the I Do, I Do, I Do movie a bit more.  I didn't care about Autumn's character ending up with the other guy; I liked him in the cooking movie that he was in a few months ago.

 

Didn't get a chance to see Cloudy With a Chance of Love yet.  It's on the DVR to watch later this week (I watched the Grammys and then a not so good movie that premiered on the Up channel).

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I watched both the Kellie Martin and the previous movie.  I liked both, but enjoyed the I Do, I Do, I Do movie a bit more.  I didn't care about Autumn's character ending up with the other guy; I liked him in the cooking movie that he was in a few months ago.

 

Didn't get a chance to see Cloudy With a Chance of Love yet.  It's on the DVR to watch later this week (I watched the Grammys and then a not so good movie that premiered on the Up channel).

Oh, good. I thought I was going to have the opposite opinion from everyone else again. I also enjoyed I Do, I Do, I Do. I somehow missed the Thanksgiving Parade movie, so I wasn't predisposed to preferring her with the other guy. I thought this couple had chemistry. And I liked the combination of Groundhog Day and 50 First Dates, with her trying to prove to him each time that they had learned so much about each other and spent so much time together even though he couldn't remember since it was always a new day for him. 

 

I also thought the Kellie Martin movie was cute, though her character aggravated me a bit in the beginning and at times later. She was always talking over him, which maybe he liked because his mother was the same way. Like those men looking for someone like their mother - personalities were similar although tastes were clearly different.

 

I didn't care for Cloudy With a Chance of Love, which was disappointing because I also liked the actor from Greek and other shows. I felt like they had too many storylines going on, so there wasn't enough to draw me in to the couple. 

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That's one of my favorites. If "The Magic of Ordinary Days," "Follow The Stars Home" or "Loving Leah" is on...I usually end up watching.

Great! Just taped Ordinary Days and Loving Leah is taping soon. Lots of good movies lately since it's V day. I want to Marry Ryan Banks was also on last night, and I love that movie. It's nice to see Bradley Cooper before he became famous.

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I love "Follow the Stars Home!"  The book is good as well.  I fell in love with Campbell Scott watching this movie, and I thought they did a wonderful job showing all the bonds between mothers and daughters.  Campbell and Kimberly had great chemistry, and their relationship made sense and grew nicely.  The girl who played Kimberly's daughter was very good, and I thought their portrayal of raising a child with special needs was excellent.  I wish they could somehow have filmed the last chapter of the book, when you finally get the daughter's perspective.  But that is the only complaint I have.

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"Loving Leah" was the perfect movie to watch on V day. What a great story, and loved the chemistry between Jake and Leah. It doesn't hurt that Adam Kaufman is ridiculously hot in it. What girl wouldn't have fallen in love with him?

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"Loving Leah" was the perfect movie to watch on V day. What a great story, and loved the chemistry between Jake and Leah. It doesn't hurt that Adam Kaufman is ridiculously hot in it. What girl wouldn't have fallen in love with him?

I'm so pissed. SOMEONE deleted my recording and won't fess up! I didn't get to see. I am determined now.

Because I'm impatient, did anyone who watched All of my Heart find out why the two protagonists were left the house? Thanks.

Edited by Scarlett45
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I'm so pissed. SOMEONE deleted my recording and won't fess up! I didn't get to see. I am determined now.

Because I'm impatient, did anyone who watched All of my Heart find out why they two protagonists were left the house? Thanks.

 

You can always purchase the DVD so you'll always have it!  :-)

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That movie is coming on Saturday, March 21st at 6pm again if you want to set the DVR. Sorry it got erased from your DVR- I would be mad too!

While I was trying to find the movie schedule I was so excited to see that the next Hallmark movie "Portrait of Love" has Jason Dohring in it. I've always wanted to see him in one of those movies- hope it's good.

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That movie is coming on Saturday, March 21st at 6pm again if you want to set the DVR. Sorry it got erased from your DVR- I would be mad too!

While I was trying to find the movie schedule I was so excited to see that the next Hallmark movie "Portrait of Love" has Jason Dohring in it. I've always wanted to see him in one of those movies- hope it's good.

Thank you!

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I'm so pissed. SOMEONE deleted my recording and won't fess up! I didn't get to see. I am determined now.

Because I'm impatient, did anyone who watched All of my Heart find out why they two protagonists were left the house? Thanks.

Yeah, the three movies I mentioned (Loving Leah, Follow The Stars Home and Magic) are repeated quite often, especially on Mondays when they do their Hallmark Hall of Fame focus. 

 

As for All of My Heart (which was disappointingly just 'okay' for a V-Day movie), the reason the two leads inherited the house is because the original owner died and left it to some relative (aunt or cousin or something) and her caretaker.  Lacy Chabert was a distant relative of the relative named in the will because that relative didn't have a child either.  The male lead is a descendant of the gatekeeper.  The lawyer explaining how each got half was very very careful to say they were NOT related lest the audience get squicked out by the potential of very very very distant relatives getting romantically involved.

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Did anyone watch "Meet My Valentine" on Ion network? I love Scott Wolf but wasn't in the mood to watch a sad story about a terminally ill guy trying to find his wife a new husband.

Same.  I like my happy endings so I didn't watch even though I think Scott Wolf would be a good lead.

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Did anyone watch "Meet My Valentine" on Ion network? I love Scott Wolf but wasn't in the mood to watch a sad story about a terminally ill guy trying to find his wife a new husband.

I watched. For some reason, even knowing the subject matter, I thought the commercials made it seem like a lighter movie. It was depressing. Nothing says Valentine's Day than watching a terminally ill man find a new spouse for his wife. After I watched it, I needed to watch some light, fluffy Hallmark fare.

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Caught Portrait of Love and I don't know if it was my love for Jason Dohring but the movie was cute. The leads had fantastic chemistry and I got teary eyed. Definitely didn't delete it from my DVR.

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