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

[Lugal]

OK, I tried A Whitewater Romance and that was rough.  The scenery was amazing and I'd swear William DeVry wandered in from a better movie.  But there was so much wrong in the script department and the leads were not interesting enough to rise above it.

Pretty formulaic Hallmark.  Cindy Busby (I can't remember her character's name and don't care enough to look it up) gets called to a corporate wilderness retreat (with 1 day's notice!) along with all the other regional offices. Me: Is this a Hunger Games situation?  Then she engages in a series of challenges that should require a lot of releases to be signed.  Me: Seriously, this has to be a Hunger Games situation!  But William DeVry's lodge is shutting down!  And what will he do?  Me: Chuck it all, grow a long beard and wander off into the mountains never to be seen again.  Or is that just me?  And then our intrepid crew go whitewater rafting even though Cindy Busby is horribly out of her depth (legal liability?). Me: Is Cindy Busby the human sacrifice?  They're going to offer her to the River God, aren't they?  Or the Bear God?  Wow, this is veering into Lifetime territory. Anyway, after a few mishaps, Cindy Busby and Male Lead get lost in the woods together and bond while collecting mushrooms.  Which unfortunately for the audience, are not psychedelic.  But after the prerequisite Hallmark Misunderstanding® Cindy Busby saves the day and the lodge with some kind of thing, I wasn't really paying attention by this point.

[Mittengirl]

Didn’t we already see this movie, except Cindy’s character was staying in a yurt?  I swear I remember her and some guy that worked at a glamping yurty place doing a ropes course.

 

[Orcinus orca]

3 hours ago, Maelstrom said:

And in that vein, heads up on the Big Sky Bridal Path movie they're advertising to "premiere" at the end of the month, I'm 99% certain it aired last year (and wasn't very good IMO).

It was shown in August 2023 to very lukewarm reviews.

[Miss Anne Thrope]

Where can we buy that delicious-sounding dog food Pup-Chuck featured on Everything Puppies?   (Their writers have fun, that's nice.)

[Nacos for Rufus]

Somehow, despite the unappealing dialogue and actors, and the cartoon villain, I didn’t hate Everything Puppies. You can get a lot of goodwill with a bunch of cute puppies and a dog mascot costume.

[Ele]

I haven't watched a new Hallmark film in months. There are four new movies coming up set in Europe and they look kind of promising. I like Joy Lenz so I'll try to at least watch her movie. 

 

I had Cooking with Love on as background noise earlier while I worked. Alie LIebert and Brett Dalton had good chemistry. Dalton makes a good leading man.

[Orcinus orca]

For Love and Honey

"Bees chose mates they can love and respect".

Me scaring the dog as I run screaming from the room. Even grade school kids know about queen bees. 

WORST. WRITING. EVER.

[DanaMB]

For Love & Honey

I’m so bored… these archeologist movies never interest me, despite the location. 

[Daff]

12 hours ago, Orcinus orca said:

For Love and Honey

"Bees chose mates they can love and respect".

Me scaring the dog as I run screaming from the room. Even grade school kids know about queen bees. 

WORST. WRITING. EVER.

Right? That simple information is easily found on the internet (assuming these idiots are thoroughly bereft of any education). To add insult to injury, the female lead goes around digging the queen out of the hives to transplant her somewhere else? I think not! That’s blatant hive destruction, not preservation (assuming she could even get away with it unscathed).

[Chippings]

I can see why they wanted  to film another one in Malta, after seeing the 'dancing detective' one with Will Kemp filmed there a few months ago.  And I will usually enjoy an Andrew Walker one.  But nothing here drew me in, and I only lasted 25 minutes tops.  You all were very brave to last as long as you did -- and it was very pretty, for sure.   But generally, story-wise and chemistry-wise, I wasn't impressed.

[Orcinus orca]

1 hour ago, Chippings said:

You all were very brave to last as long as you did -

I was done in 14 minutes.

[Notabug]

19 hours ago, Orcinus orca said:

For Love and Honey

"Bees chose mates they can love and respect".

Me scaring the dog as I run screaming from the room. Even grade school kids know about queen bees. 

WORST. WRITING. EVER.

So, the melittologist believes that bees not only feel emotions like love and respect. they also use those feelings to select a mate?  How can the actors even say such ridiculous dialog with a straight face?  Did none of them ever take a Zoology course in school?

I like Andrew Walker, but this whole movie, aside from him and the scenery, was a joke.  The archeological 'research' he was doing was another silly plot.

I had the movie on while I was doing a bunch of other things, trying to forget how awful it was.

[DanaMB]

2 hours ago, Orcinus orca said:

I was done in 14 minutes.

I watched until the end. Of course,  had it on as mainly background noise. But even then I was bored. 😂

[Kemper]

Remember when we (well, me) were frustrated  with the ridiculous plots like Candy Cane factories; pumpkin farms, chocolatiers, bakers, royalty hiding in plain sight, number of coats the heroines were able to pack, predictable scripts, etc.  

However, lot of the recent movies just have not clicked.  Andrew Walker doesn't seem to have chemistry with any of the newer actresses; and there have been next-to-no-couples one could watch if the movie was not good.  Maybe things will pick up for the summer. 

Edited June 3 by Kemper

[coffeebean]

On 6/2/2024 at 1:53 PM, Orcinus orca said:

I was done in 14 minutes.

But.......you missed the kiss at the end. That was the best kiss I have ever seen from Andrew Walker in a Hallmark movie. How did he get away with that?

Having said that, I was so bored with For Love and Honey, I fell asleep at the beginning and didn't even rewind to see what I missed. Walker looked REALLY good in that quick scene with the muscle shirt. NICE!!!!

[DanaMB]

Watching Savoring Paris.  So far, it’s not bad, but the American heroine’s outfits in Paris are so cliche I’m cringing and rolling my eyes. 

I also think they were going for Emily in Paris vibes. (And failed.)

ETA…

After finishing it, I have to admit that despite the criticisms I had with it, I did enjoy it. Definitely better than last week’s movie. 

Edited June 9 by DanaMB

[Orcinus orca]

4 minutes ago, DanaMB said:

Watching Savoring Paris.  So far, it’s not bad, but the American heroine’s outfits in Paris are so cliche I’m cringing and rolling my eyes. 

They sure did pull out every single American vs French cliche.  Scenery was nice but Hallmark has descended to substituting new venues for new plotlines.  Not working for me.

[WhyAmIHere]

I liked Savoring Paris much more than recent movies.  I liked that she was there longer than 2 weeks, so it actually made sense that these relationships developed.   I also appreciated the acknowledgement that she couldn't just stay there indefinitely without a work visa.   

I agree the outfits were a bit much.

But in general, the movies lately have been so boring that I can't make it more than 20 minutes without falling asleep.  I do understand that Hallmark wants to establish some newer actors.  But they have a core group of actors that they trot out every time they have an event like that Christmas Experience they're doing later this year.   They rarely pair up those established actors anymore.  I miss that.  If there are cost issues with pairing up their more experienced leads, then make fewer movies.  

[Ele]

1 hour ago, DanaMB said:

Watching Savoring Paris.  So far, it’s not bad, but the American heroine’s outfits in Paris are so cliche I’m cringing and rolling my eyes. 

I also think they were going for Emily in Paris vibes. (And failed.)

ETA…

After finishing it, I have to admit that despite the criticisms I had with it, I did enjoy it. Definitely better than last week’s movie. 

This is the first new Hallmark movie I’ve watched in several months. I decided to give it a watch because I usually like Hallmark’s movies filmed in Europe and I like Bethany Joy Lenz. I found the movie average, but she had food chemistry with the male lead. The Kemp/Chabert chocolate movie in Paris was better, but this wasn’t too bad. 

[coffeebean]

1 hour ago, Ele said:

This is the first new Hallmark movie I’ve watched in several months. I decided to give it a watch because I usually like Hallmark’s movies filmed in Europe and I like Bethany Joy Lenz. I found the movie average, but she had food chemistry with the male lead. The Kemp/Chabert chocolate movie in Paris was better, but this wasn’t too bad. 

Starring Lacey Chabert, Will Kemp, and Brittany Bristow. Love, Romance and Chocolate was filmed entirely in the breathtaking locations of Brugge, Ghent and Brussels in Belgium!

[Ele]

49 minutes ago, coffeebean said:

Starring Lacey Chabert, Will Kemp, and Brittany Bristow. Love, Romance and Chocolate was filmed entirely in the breathtaking locations of Brugge, Ghent and Brussels in Belgium!

I forgot that it was a different setting. I still liked that movie better! I got it confused with Paris, Wine, and Romance. I read Savoring Paris was filmed in Paris and Bulgaria.

[bankerchick]

When she was dressed in her French mime outfit (black and white striped top) and her friend said, 'here you're missing something,' I can't be the only person who thought she was going to whip out a beret (and possibly a baguette.)

What a terrible movie.

[Orcinus orca]

14 minutes ago, bankerchick said:

I can't be the only person who thought she was going to whip out a beret (and possibly a baguette.)

A red beret.  Thought the same thing.

[ECM1231]

* Shrug... I enjoyed Savoring Paris, but then again, I'm easily pleased. And I always enjoy Bethany Joy Lenz! 

[Ele]

8 minutes ago, ECM1231 said:

* Shrug... I enjoyed Savoring Paris, but then again, I'm easily pleased. And I always enjoy Bethany Joy Lenz! 

I always enjoy her too. I think the movie had potential to be better, but she was the reason I watched the whole thing.

[norcalgal]

8 hours ago, Ele said:

I usually like Hallmark’s movies filmed in Europe

This is not a knock on you @Ele, but why does Hallmark almost exclusively set their foreign movies in Europe?!  I recall one set in South Africa with Lacey Chabert, and I think there was one in Australia, but otherwise, I can’t think of ANY movie set outside of Europe, especially Western/Southern Europe.

Not one single Asian or South American setting AFAIK.  In fact, has there even been one movie where the local love interest was Asian/South American?!  I emphasize local because sooooo many of these “set in Europe” movies have the love interest being from the country the main character travels to…latest example being the Bethany Joy Lenz movie currently being discussed.

 

[Irlandesa]

11 hours ago, DanaMB said:

Watching Savoring Paris.  So far, it’s not bad, but the American heroine’s outfits in Paris are so cliche I’m cringing and rolling my eyes. 

I also think they were going for Emily in Paris vibes. (And failed.)

I guess it depends on one's perspective of Emily In Paris.  I find the heroine in that show to be super annoying and hateable, and unfortunately, despite my love of Bethan Joy Lenz, I think her character in this movie came pretty close to being as annoying. 

Although one thing I did love about the movie was how frustrated she got that no one would speak French to her. That felt real.  Then again, her French was so basic, I don't know what she should have expected.  These people are busy.  They don't have time to wait for people to try and string two or three words together if they can expedite the communication.

The thing I enjoyed the most about the movie was to listen to the actual French and read the loose translations that popped up on screen via her translator app.

9 hours ago, Ele said:

I found the movie average, but she had food chemistry with the male lead.

Food chemistry?  Is that a typo for good or just a clever turn of phrase? 

7 hours ago, Ele said:

I forgot that it was a different setting. I still liked that movie better! I got it confused with Paris, Wine, and Romance. I read Savoring Paris was filmed in Paris and Bulgaria.

The best Paris-set Hallmark movie, IMO, was A Paris Proposal.

23 minutes ago, norcalgal said:

This is not a knock on you @Ele, but why does Hallmark almost exclusively set their foreign movies in Europe?!  I recall one set in South Africa with Lacey Chabert, and I think there was one in Australia, but otherwise, I can’t think of ANY movie set outside of Europe, especially Western/Southern Europe.

Not one single Asian or South American setting AFAIK.  In fact, has there even been one movie where the local love interest was Asian/South American?!  I emphasize local because sooooo many of these “set in Europe” movies have the love interest being from the country the main character travels to…latest example being the Bethany Joy Lenz movie currently being discussed.

Hallmark probably goes where they get the best production budget. I did get a laugh when the advertisement for this June Passport series said "movies set around the world" when all four are set in Europe. 

Below are a few other locations they've been to:

Maldives (I believe technically affiliated with Asia): Love In The Maldives
Fiji (A Pearl In Paradise)
Iceland (Love On Iceland--and I think another one is coming up)
Portugal--Western Europe:  A Pinch of Portugal

I don't believe they've been to South America but I did some googling and discovered that they're filming (or have filmed) a movie set in Costa Rica so we'll crack Central America soon.

 

 

[DanaMB]

3 minutes ago, Irlandesa said:

I guess it depends on one's perspective of Emily In Paris.  I find the heroine in that show to be super annoying and hateable, and unfortunately, despite my love of Bethan Joy Lenz, I think her character in this movie came pretty close to being as annoying

Hah! Good point, and I agree. 

[norcalgal]

3 hours ago, Irlandesa said:

Maldives (I believe technically affiliated with Asia): Love In The Maldives
Fiji (A Pearl In Paradise)
Iceland (Love On Iceland--and I think another one is coming up)
Portugal--Western Europe:  A Pinch of Portugal

I don't believe they've been to South America but I did some googling and discovered that they're filming (or have filmed) a movie set in Costa Rica so we'll crack Central America soon.

Oh right, I forgot about the one set in the Maldives. It was on this forum I learned the two leads are married IRL, but you couldn’t tell that from their acting (aka I thought they had no chemistry). 
Ok, so Hallmark’s track record is either Western Europe, or tropical paradise locations. I guess Africa and Asia are too, too “exotic” or feel their audience don’t want movies set in those continents.

[Orcinus orca]

7 hours ago, norcalgal said:

I guess Africa and Asia are too, too “exotic” or feel their audience don’t want movies set in those continents.

Let's face it, locales where the cast should be BIPOC, Hallmark is not interested. 

The largest number of non-Caucasian actors in any Hallmark offerings were the two Africa tales and, in both cases ,the leads were White and they were both in isolated areas where you wouldn't see a large number of locals.  Same with the Maldives movie.

I firmly believe that Hallmark is clinging to the belief that their normal audience would be uncomfortable with anything "exotic".

[Notabug]

8 hours ago, Orcinus orca said:

Let's face it, locales where the cast should be BIPOC, Hallmark is not interested. 

The largest number of non-Caucasian actors in any Hallmark offerings were the two Africa tales and, in both cases ,the leads were White and they were both in isolated areas where you wouldn't see a large number of locals.  Same with the Maldives movie.

I firmly believe that Hallmark is clinging to the belief that their normal audience would be uncomfortable with anything "exotic".

I do think Hallmark aims for middle of the road, non controversial options when setting and casting its films; but I also think there is a big economic reason why we don't see more films set in Asia or Africa.  I don't think the governments there provide the financial incentives for filming that can be had in Europe.  Also, distance traveled as well as existing infrastruture and availability of skilled workers with industry experience probably figure into the equation and make it less likely that Asia and Africa are going to be widely featured in Hallmark movies.

There's also Hallmark's patented lack of imagination in writing these things.  In Africa, they think that the audience wont accept anything but a story set in a game preserve as though that is the only occupation found there. In the tropics, everyone is a tour guide or otherwise involve in touristry. Heck, even amongst the Europeans, the only possibilities are winemaking, chocolate, restaurants, hotels/B&B's or royalty 99% of the time.  Everyone in Europe lives and works in the same tiny byubble, too.

Edited June 10 by Notabug

[Lugal]

On 6/9/2024 at 4:48 PM, norcalgal said:

This is not a knock on you @Ele, but why does Hallmark almost exclusively set their foreign movies in Europe?!  I recall one set in South Africa with Lacey Chabert, and I think there was one in Australia, but otherwise, I can’t think of ANY movie set outside of Europe, especially Western/Southern Europe.

Not one single Asian or South American setting AFAIK.  In fact, has there even been one movie where the local love interest was Asian/South American?!  I emphasize local because sooooo many of these “set in Europe” movies have the love interest being from the country the main character travels to…latest example being the Bethany Joy Lenz movie currently being discussed.

I saw this and thought: What about the one with Rachael Leigh Cook set in Vietnam (and her love interest was actually Vietnamese)?  Then I looked it up and discovered that it was actually on Netflix. (A Tourist's Guide to Love is the title and the scenery alone makes it worth watching)

[voiceover]

Enjoyed my rewatch of Biltmore Christmas; it was as entertaining as I remembered, which is a happy thing.

Still completely put off by Bethany’s 40s wardrobe.  Absolutely none of those outfits suited her — though the other women didn’t have that issue, and her modern-day clothes were flattering.  WTH, man.

And I still ground my teeth over her name-dropping my favorite movie (His Girl Friday), yet not making a single correct reference to that script.  Let’s start with: No one ever said “Buster”, though that seems to have been the writers’ big takeaway.

Harrumph!

[Lugal]

I caught up on my Hallmark movies

For Love and Honey - I stuck this one out for the scenery, and it did improve toward the end.  I think it actually showed off the Maltese scenery better than the other ones, and I would watch Andrew Walker as Hallmark Indiana Jones for a few movies.  Female Lead was very abrasive at first but it improved when they sanded off her rough edges.  As long as you don't look too closely at it and realize it doesn't make much sense, you can enjoy the scenery and the brief (very brief) sketches of Maltese history.

Savoring Paris - Bethany Joy Lenz carried this one, and in any other actress, the character could have been irritating.  Bethany's one of my favorite Hallmark girls and I loved her reaction at the beginning where she couldn't even swallow the plastic cheese.  I saw Stanley Weber in No More Happy Endings with Karen Gillan where he played a grumpy French/Scottish publisher so that's all I could see him as here.  Despite her outfits that practically screamed "I'm going for the French Girl aesthetic" Bethany looked best in the T-shirt and jeans she showed up in.  And she even used my favorite Buckaroo Banzai quote, which I didn't expect to see in a Hallmark movie.

[DanaMB]

A Greek Recipe for Romance

I’m bored again. Maybe I’ve hit a wall with Hallmark movies, I don’t know. 
 

Edited June 16 by DanaMB

[Irlandesa]

4 hours ago, DanaMB said:

A Greek Recipe for Romance

I’m bored again. Maybe I’ve hit a wall with Hallmark movies, I don’t know. 
 

No this one was really boring and I have a higher tolerance than most. I even took the dog out for a walk before the end.  Such a waste of location. 

[Orcinus orca]

Let's be real, Hallmark is on a decline and is unlikely to recover.  The acting is one note, the stories are all the same, there isn't even a stab at being correct (tapping spruce trees for maple syrup in autumn) - they just don't seem to care anymore.

The glory days of a class act are long gone.

[NotChristine]

https://people.com/hallmark-vet-ryan-paevey-taking-a-step-back-from-acting-8667678

[giovannif7]

According to Heavy.com, filming of a sequel to 2023's Christmas on Cherry Lane is about to begin, kicking off a film franchise which include two more subsequent films.

[KLovestoShop]

The writing on Hallmark has really gone downhill.  These four movies each had a food focus, which I found really silly.  You had one where honey was the focus, and then the others were about a woman going to France to eat cheese and still another about a woman going to Italy to eat gelato.  I mean, get real.  Their writers can’t come up with good, romantic storylines?  And these new actors are pretty bad and have no chemistry with each other.  I miss so many of my favorites.  I’m guessing that Hallmark is trying to save money, so they hire cheaper talent.

Why oh why does Hallmark run the same movies over and over again.  It’s not like they don’t have a huge treasure trove of older films.  Dating the Delaneys, the Wedding Veil trilogy, Romance in Style.  And now I’m seeing they’re playing the hell out of these 4 food centered movies. 
 

FYI, adding to the Paevey story, his mom was recently diagnosed with lung cancer, so that’s another reason he’s taking time away from movies.

[DanaMB]

Two Scoops of Italy

*sigh*

Another food-centered movie. 

The actor has the same look as our lead last week.  

And of course she’s working on a new menu..

The Italian father and son speak to each other in English when no one else is around  (Subtitles won’t kill us, Hallmark.) 

A room full of Italians playing a game, and the lady calling out the numbers switches to English for ONE person, our heroine. Not even saying it in Italian then English, she switches completely to English. 🙄

I’m so bored. They’re in a field and the heroine is being asked what she smells with her eyes closed. 

I’m so tired of hearing about flavors and recipes. 

30 minutes in and I’m out. 
 

 

Edited June 23 by DanaMB

[Kemper]

There was a movie with Kevin Kline and Meg Ryan years ago, set in France. He was a thief/rogue and she still had her short pixie cut. The scenery was authentic and gorgeous.  His family owned a vineyard; he had her close her eyes and sniff a sample of wine, tell him what flavors she detected.  It was sexy and romantic.  My point....it can be done. Just not with the couple last night. Or Hallmark.

[Chippings]

What struck me, for as long as I lasted, was that in the opening scene the heroine, fresh off the plane, was wandering through town pulling her rolling suitcase, and seeking the first fromagerie / gelato store / that she could find -- the absolute image of what Bethany Joy Lenz did (after a quick office scene) last week!  

I 'get' a series of overseas, food-oriented stories, but Jeepers.  

And yes, really tired of recipes and flavors .. and Indeed I remember that Kevin Kline movie too !!  

Edited June 23 by Chippings

[Orcinus orca]

I'm beginning to think this is all AI generated.  Throw three or four tropes into a machine and out pops a movie with multiple identical scenes in each one.  Just change the country and the food.

I wonder when AI will run out of "Time for X to Come Home for Christmas" options.

I can't be bothered anymore, even for background noise.  They need to admit they are done and let it all go.

[Mittengirl]

5 hours ago, DanaMB said:

 (Subtitles won’t kill us, Hallmark.) 

My hunch is that Hallmark knows many of the people watching their movies are not sitting on the couch with their eyes glued to the tv, so subtitles wouldn’t be seen/read.  I know I am usually also reading, scrolling, playing a game, etc., while half watching the movie.

[norcalgal]

1 hour ago, Mittengirl said:

My hunch is that Hallmark knows many of the people watching their movies are not sitting on the couch with their eyes glued to the tv, so subtitles wouldn’t be seen/read.  I know I am usually also reading, scrolling, playing a game, etc., while half watching the movie.

This is a reasonable explanation why Hallmark often has non English characters speaking to each other in English…but:

1) it’s an insult to how non English speaking people speak to each other IRL (I have concrete examples among my own family);

2) having non English speaking characters speaking to each other in their native language would force viewers to actively pay attention for a period of time instead of allowing viewers to split their attention 

[Lisa418722]

5 hours ago, Orcinus orca said:

I'm beginning to think this is all AI generated.  Throw three or four tropes into a machine and out pops a movie with multiple identical scenes in each one.  Just change the country and the food.

I wonder when AI will run out of "Time for X to Come Home for Christmas" options.

I can't be bothered anymore, even for background noise.  They need to admit they are done and let it all go.

My mom and I were talking about this at lunch today.  She watches just about all Hallmark movies (because there's nothing else on TV), but lately, she's not even watching or will turn off after 30 minutes or so.  I said it has to be AI: the man does this, the woman does that, the small town, vineyard, bakery, restaurant, etc.  Then they plug it into AI and there is a full movie written in ten minutes.  I used to occasionally watch the movies, but I don't remember the last time I watched one where I thought, "I'll watch that again."  

You would think with these European movies, they would make more of an effort with some sort of real storyline, but I don't think she watched the entire movie out of any of them, well maybe the Paris movie.  

Hallmark needs to stop with the new movie every week and start trying to write better movies and maybe just have one new movie a month instead.  

 

[Nacos for Rufus]

On 6/23/2024 at 3:13 PM, Lisa418722 said:

 

Hallmark needs to stop with the new movie every week and start trying to write better movies and maybe just have one new movie a month instead.  

 

This to me is the real issue. They can make good movies-My Norwegian Holiday, Catch Me If You Claus, and Three Wise Men and a baby are recent standouts. The problem is there’s so many crappy movies made just so they can say they’ve made x number of movies per year. I’d rather they make fewer movies and make them quality so I’d actually want to watch.

[Kemper]

It has gotten to the point that I don't watch many of their movies made after 2022.  There were some in 2023 that were fun. Maybe.

It isn't the writing and production that are so much worse than before. The newer actors are okay; it is just that for the most part they cannot sell the writing and plots like many of the ones that left the network. I don't know why (maybe this is just a "me" issue). 😍

[Clawdette]

Two of my favorite things - Christmas and football - are coming our way. 
 

Hallmark pairs again with Kansas City Chiefs