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

MerBearHou · January 27

8 minutes ago, Ele said:

This could be good, but I’ll probably skip since I don’t like Jessica Lowndes.

Ditto. She’s on my “cannot watch” list.

Irlandesa · January 27

12 hours ago, Ele said:

https://www.hallmarkchannel.com/mix-up-in-the-mediterranean

This could be good, but I’ll probably skip since I don’t like Jessica Lowndes.

That movie is old. It came out in 2021.

You can see a discussion about it starting on this page.

Edited January 27 by Irlandesa

One4Sorrow2TooBad · January 28

On 1/26/2025 at 7:16 PM, Badsamaritan said:

He looks in his 30s to me, but he does have kind of a boyish air about him so I can understand. I know I've seen the actress in something else but I can't think what at this moment. And agreed, they had nice chemistry. I'm glad there wasn't a huge misunderstanding between them, a trope I'd like to see taken out back and dealt with.

The new movies do appear to be different story wise, I hope they're good. I love Lacey and really liked the preview they showed, it looks like it might be fun and have some good humor. I'm also a Rachel Leigh Cook fan so I hope hers is good as well. I like seeing actors I recognize and actually like. The holiday movies were very short on that.

They should look at actors who were in prior tv series that are no longer on the air, or who maybe had some buzz but didn't quite break through. I'm thinking of women like Candice Patton or Britt Robertson or any of the other canceled scifi shows that had some decent actors. There's talent out there, they've just gotta quit being lazy and choosing from the low hanging fruit.

Would be nice to see Candice or Britt get some roles on Hallmark movies. I'll add another,Cora Matheson who has had a few funny side roles on Hallmark.

Ele · January 28

On 1/27/2025 at 9:15 AM, Irlandesa said:

That movie is old. It came out in 2021.

You can see a discussion about it starting on this page.

You’re right; I misread the airing date. I thought it said “new.” It looked familiar and I thought it was strange they would promote it as new.

One4Sorrow2TooBad · January 29

Checked out that page listed, so much talk about Jessica Lowndes using a lot of make up . The other night while watching Jessie Schram on Amazing Winter Romance (2020), the one about the snow and ice maze, how very little make up Jessie Schram was wearing and she looked great.

Notabug · January 29

12 hours ago, One4Sorrow2TooBad said:

Checked out that page listed, so much talk about Jessica Lowndes using a lot of make up . The other night while watching Jessie Schram on Amazing Winter Romance (2020), the one about the snow and ice maze, how very little make up Jessie Schram was wearing and she looked great.

Lowndes always seems to wear more makeup than most. She has beautiful eyes and it seems like the makeup people feel that she needs gobs of eyeliner, shadow, mascara and false eyelashes at all times. When they add a bright red lip color to that, it really distracts. I think she'd look even prettier with a lot less. Still won't make me love her acting though.

Edited January 29 by Notabug

Badsamaritan · January 30

9 hours ago, Notabug said:

Lowndes always seems to wear more makeup than most. She has beautiful eyes and it seems like the makeup people feel that she needs gobs of eyeliner, shadow, mascara and false eyelashes at all times. When they add a bright red lip color to that, it really distracts. I think she'd look even prettier with a lot less. Still won't make me love her acting though.

In some pics I've seen of Lowndes, the lighting sometimes makes me think she may have some skin issues. Like it appears she may have some scars or pockmarks from bad acne. That may be why they slather on the eye makeup, to help distract. I could also be completely wrong, just my eyes playing tricks. If she's not trying to cover up issues, she definitely needs to put the spackle down. Less is more.

njbchlover · January 31

Hi, all - I've been reading here a long time, but have never posted on this forum. It's interesting to read all the thoughts and opinions from long time Hallmark movie fans, along with newer fans, like myself.

I turned on Hallmark today, and watched a pretty bad (imo) movie with Paul Campbell - Sun, Sand and Romance (2020). I've really enjoyed Paul Campbell in other movies, but this one was just not enjoyable for me, with the exception of the location in the Riviera Maya, Mexico, which is one of my favorite vacation destinations. I've stayed at the resort where they filmed and I recognized it immediately.

But...after that movie, there was an older Hallmark movie, "The Lost Valentine" (2011), starring Betty White and Jennifer Love Hewitt. Well - that was a great movie!!! I cannot believe how well done it was, production-wise, and how much Hallmark movies have changed in the past 14 years. The Lost Valentine was such a beautiful story, and the sets and costuming for the scenes from the WWII era were gorgeous.

Betty White was phenomonal, as she always was (RIP, Betty), and JLH was excellent, with the exception of her over-sized eyelashes and beauty pageant hairstyles.

The supporting cast was also great.

I was not a big Hallmark movie watcher until recently, so this movie and the story were a welcome departure from the more recent Hallmark script formula.

I laughed and cried, sometimes at the same time, but the ending had me sobbing. I don't think I've had this kind of emotional reaction to any other Hallmark movie.

If you haven't seen it, I highly recommend it.

Edited January 31 by njbchlover

Orcinus orca · January 31

The Lost Valentine is a Hallmark treasure and the quality of the writing and acting is what makes the current batch of formulaic crap so hard to watch. At one time, Hallmark Hall of Fame was renowned for their wonderful offerings. Sadly, they are now in it only for quantity vs quality.

I don't are how many times I have seen this movie, I am a blubbering mess just thinking about the ending.

Unfortunately, Hallmark doesn't seem to want to open its vaults for the really wonderful stuff - maybe because they know we will recognize how far they have fallen.

If you want some really great stuff, seek out things like Sarah, Plain and Tall, November Christmas, To Dance with the White Dog, A Season for Miracles, Beyond the Blackboard, Loving Leah, The Russell Girl, The Magic of Ordinary Days (which actually showed up fairly recently) - well, pretty much anything done before 2020.

njbchlover · January 31

2 hours ago, Orcinus orca said:

The Lost Valentine is a Hallmark treasure and the quality of the writing and acting is what makes the current batch of formulaic crap so hard to watch. At one time, Hallmark Hall of Fame was renowned for their wonderful offerings. Sadly, they are now in it only for quantity vs quality.

I don't are how many times I have seen this movie, I am a blubbering mess just thinking about the ending.

Unfortunately, Hallmark doesn't seem to want to open its vaults for the really wonderful stuff - maybe because they know we will recognize how far they have fallen.

If you want some really great stuff, seek out things like Sarah, Plain and Tall, November Christmas, To Dance with the White Dog, A Season for Miracles, Beyond the Blackboard, Loving Leah, The Russell Girl, The Magic of Ordinary Days (which actually showed up fairly recently) - well, pretty much anything done before 2020.

Thank you for the recommendations - I do remember watching Sarah, Plain and Tall years ago and thought it was great.

I will definitely be looking for your other recommendations, as well!

Badsamaritan · February 1

3 hours ago, Orcinus orca said:

Unfortunately, Hallmark doesn't seem to want to open its vaults for the really wonderful stuff - maybe because they know we will recognize how far they have fallen.

I think it's a combination of that plus not wanting to pay residuals. Even if it's peanuts, the execs are notoriously greedy.

Sometimes Hallmark Family channel shows the older movies. They should actually just play them all the time instead of the endless Waltons episodes.

Speaking of programming, I noticed this week that my guide was showing the Heartland series from 3-6pm, but the channel has been showing movies instead. I'm glad, I think the viewership probably dropped off a cliff. I know I wasn't watching, I tried it's so damn boring.

Chippings · February 1

Question about where to post about movies that aren't on the Hallmark Channel specifically: My cable offers Hallmark and Hallmark Mystery, of course, and also UP, Ovation, and GAF. I'm seeing interesting and new movies on GAF that I'd like to comment on, but am not sure if this is the venue. I can't find a place for GAF specifically.

So, is this the right place? or if not, where ?? Thanks !

chitowngirl · February 1

40 minutes ago, Chippings said:

Question about where to post about movies that aren't on the Hallmark Channel specifically: My cable offers Hallmark and Hallmark Mystery, of course, and also UP, Ovation, and GAF. I'm seeing interesting and new movies on GAF that I'd like to comment on, but am not sure if this is the venue. I can't find a place for GAF specifically.

So, is this the right place? or if not, where ?? Thanks !

It’s under TV Movies here

Chippings · February 1

Thank you, Chitowngirl! If I'm reading correctly, nobody has posted there since November 2023 -- 14 months ago.

Can I just mention here an actor I've noticed the last several weeks, and he may have done Hallmark movies as well as GAF. This is Jonathan Stoddard, whom I first saw doing the Prince thing, two different princes, and in one of them he was a prince who had an identical double -- a mischievous thief. In a couple more films he really showed unusual range in the characters he played, and I'm really impressed. Anybody notice him recently?

bankerchick · February 1

On 1/31/2025 at 3:33 PM, njbchlover said:

I turned on Hallmark today, and watched a pretty bad (imo) movie with Paul Campbell - Sun, Sand and Romance (2020). I've really enjoyed Paul Campbell in other movies, but this one was just not enjoyable for me,

This is the worst! I'm convinced the lead actress is the wife/girlfriend of a high-ranking network exec because she is the absolutely one of the worst actresses I've ever seen. She has a giant mouth too, which is really distracting.

4 hours ago, Chippings said:

So, is this the right place? or if not, where ?? Thanks !

If it were up to me (which it obviously isn't) I would say this is a good place for Hallmark-ish movies. Here in Canada we don't get Hallmark channel but watch them on one of several networks, (mostly W which has the same 'Countdown to Christmas,' 'Christmas in July,' 'Loveuary' etc,) so I don't usually know if it's an actual Hallmark or some other similar movie I'm watching anyway.

MerBearHou · February 2

3 hours ago, bankerchick said:

This is the worst! I'm convinced the lead actress is the wife/girlfriend of a high-ranking network exec because she is the absolutely one of the worst actresses I've ever seen. She has a giant mouth too, which is really distracting.

100% agree — Tricia Helfer is awful and can even ruin a Paul Campbell movie!

norcalgal · February 2

17 hours ago, bankerchick said:

This is the worst! I'm convinced the lead actress is the wife/girlfriend of a high-ranking network exec because she is the absolutely one of the worst actresses I've ever seen. She has a giant mouth too, which is really distracting.

13 hours ago, MerBearHou said:

100% agree — Tricia Helfer is awful and can even ruin a Paul Campbell movie!

Although I didn’t watch the movie in question, I have to disagree about Tricia Helfer’s acting overall. I thought she brought nuance and pathos (at times) when she was on Battlestar Galactica and Lucifer. It’s in the sober, emotional scenes (Helfer as Caprica or Helfer as Charlotte) that really connected with me. But YMMV…

And yes, I agree she does have a wide mouth, but that doesn’t seem to inhibit Julia Roberts, Emma Roberts or Liv Tyler.

Edited February 2 by norcalgal

Ele · February 2

Anyone have thoughts on Chabert’s movie that aired last night? Is it worth watching?

kirinan · February 2

3 hours ago, Ele said:

Anyone have thoughts on Chabert’s movie that aired last night? Is it worth watching?

It was okay; a cute little plot about finding the owner of a left-behind engagement ring on Valentine's Day. Not as good as his Christmas movie was this year, though. Robert Buckley and Lacey Chabert played well off each other, I thought, and there were no stupid misunderstandings. However, I have to warn you that I'm a Robert Buckley fangirl and will watch him in anything, no matter how bad it is. So I may not be your best measure of whetheter it was actually good., LOL Still, I'd watch it again.

Edited February 2 by kirinan

Notabug · February 3

5 hours ago, Ele said:

Anyone have thoughts on Chabert’s movie that aired last night? Is it worth watching?

It wasn't bad, not top notch, but worth watching if you like the actors. The story was different enough for Hallmark.

bankerchick · February 3

13 hours ago, kirinan said:

However, I have to warn you that I'm a Robert Buckley fangirl and will watch him in anything, no matter how bad it is.

Starting to feel that way myself. He's an extremely good looking everyman. I watched his Book Club movie the night before. He had some serious chemistry with Erin Krakow, more than with Lacey I thought.

Plus, I have to comment on the lack of seriousness about having found a ring worth many thousands of dollars. Just casually approaching former riders and asking them if they lost something, then showing them the ring?? Maybe in Hallmark-land people would be honest, but in real life, every single person would have claimed to have lost it. And at one point the lead actor says, 'maybe he left it behind on purpose.' Yeah, I'm sure that's it. He decided against the proposal and figured he'd throw the ring away rather than return it. Anyone with that kind of money is not ride-sharing to dinner.

Kemper · February 3

I don't remember seeing Robert Buckley in many Hallmark movies. But the Christmas one this year where he agreed to pose as the boyfriend of the actress whose fiancee had died was one of the best movies I have seen. He can "hold" the screen with most any actress and has a "light touch" when needed. The movie with Lacey on Saturday was the standard Hallmark plot, actually a little dull. But he (and Lacey; but she was almost secondary) was the only reason I stuck with it.

Edited February 3 by Kemper

njbchlover · February 3

I thought An Unexpected Valentine was cute. I really like Lacey Chabert, and Robert Buckley was great in his role.

I liked that it was a departure from the usual script formula, and I also liked that the timeframe of the movie was all in one day/night, and that the characters stayed in the same wardrobe the entire time.

What was beyond belief was the usual Hallmark tropes - practically zero traffic in many scenes of driving in Manhattan - and that never happens unless it's about 3:00 am. Also, how they managed to almost always find an easy parking space, even though they made a joke about parking in loading zones and the collection of parking tickets that had been just tossed aside in the car. Not just a parking space, but it appeared to be two or three available spaces in front the delivery stops, so it made for an easy pull-in - no parallel parking required.

The premise of the story was just a tad farfetched, but that is also expected of Hallmark movies these days, but that's okay.

I liked that most of the film really just involved two strangers meeting and getting to know one another through a course of unexpected events. I really doubt that something like that would ever happen in New York, but it was a cute premise.

One4Sorrow2TooBad · February 4

I watched An Unespected Valentine also, honestly, I expected it to be much better. I really like the two leads ,but the thing that I couldn't understand was , companies that offer a service such as ride sharing,delivering gifts etc... are these not ordered through texts,phone numbers or emails paid through a credit card etc... ? Seems like making a few phone calls or texts,emails could have found the people who had used the service. It's 2025, most people have a cell phone, call and ask,lol. The guy who happened to accidently get into the wrong ride share vehicle was very lucky that he mentioned where he was going so the leads had a slight idea where to find him. I'll most likely pass on watching it again.

Orcinus orca · February 4

2 minutes ago, One4Sorrow2TooBad said:

I really like the two leads ,but the thing that I couldn't understand was , companies that offer a service such as ride sharing,delivering gifts etc... are these not ordered through texts,phone numbers or emails paid through a credit card etc... ?

The whole premise was absurd.

GeorgiaRai · February 4

You've heard of secondhand embarrassment? Well, An Unexpected Valentine gave me secondhand time anxiety! I could not get over them putzing around the store, making pizza, baking cookies, etc. all while they (a) were double-parked, and (b) had big events starting at a specific time. I assume this is a "me" problem and the movie is not at fault, but it bothered me nonetheless.

I appreciated the relatively fresh storyline, and I liked Lacey and Robert together but not as much as Lacey with Kristoffer (The Christmas Quest) and Robert with Amy (Twas the Date Before Christmas).

Irlandesa · February 4

1 hour ago, One4Sorrow2TooBad said:

I watched An Unespected Valentine also, honestly, I expected it to be much better. I really like the two leads ,but the thing that I couldn't understand was , companies that offer a service such as ride sharing,delivering gifts etc... are these not ordered through texts,phone numbers or emails paid through a credit card etc... ? Seems like making a few phone calls or texts,emails could have found the people who had used the service.

The commercials made it look more fun than it ended up being. I liked it well enough but would have preferred it to be a touch better.

Relying on the company to get contact information probably would have meant a delay which is what they didn't want. I am surprised there isn't a way to contact previous riders. I know a lot of these have a way for drivers and clients to communicate.

EtheltoTillie · February 4

10 hours ago, GeorgiaRai said:

You've heard of secondhand embarrassment? Well, An Unexpected Valentine gave me secondhand time anxiety! I could not get over them putzing around the store, making pizza, baking cookies, etc. all while they (a) were double-parked, and (b) had big events starting at a specific time. I assume this is a "me" problem and the movie is not at fault, but it bothered me nonetheless.

I appreciated the relatively fresh storyline, and I liked Lacey and Robert together but not as much as Lacey with Kristoffer (The Christmas Quest) and Robert with Amy (Twas the Date Before Christmas).

I was afraid of that, so I’ve been afraid to watch it!

kirinan · February 4

15 hours ago, GeorgiaRai said:

You've heard of secondhand embarrassment? Well, An Unexpected Valentine gave me secondhand time anxiety! I could not get over them putzing around the store, making pizza, baking cookies, etc. all while they (a) were double-parked, and (b) had big events starting at a specific time. I assume this is a "me" problem and the movie is not at fault, but it bothered me nonetheless.

It's not just a "you" problem. That even bothered me, but I guess I'm so used to rolling my eyes at plot issues in Hallmark movies that I did a ton of that. My eyes felt exercised afterward, believe me!

Ele · February 9

I thought the leads in The Wish Swap had good chemistry at least in the beginning as that is all I watched.

Tomorrow night is Royal Matchmaker which is always good to rewatch. I remember there were posts about how likable the butler was. I don’t we ever saw that actor again.

norcalgal · February 9

1 hour ago, Ele said:

I thought the leads in The Wish Swap had good chemistry at least in the beginning as that is all I watched.

ITA about the chemistry of the leads, and the Henry actor was quite charming. Henry was also super nice and understanding, especially when Casey kept things from him and sandbagged him (birthday wish turns into multiple wishes) and how he was nice enough to go along with her. Yeah, Henry gets something too (manage/co-own a farm), but it was still nice of him keep acceding to a relative stranger.

while watching, I guessed as to Casey’s third birthday wish, and guessed wrong. I thought her last wish was to have a family. But speaking of her last wish, shame on Henry snooping like he did. Such a violation of Case’s privacy!

Edited February 9 by norcalgal

Bliss · February 10

Just rewatched "Love of the Irish" (wanted to escape our world's reality for a bit) and enjoyed it. Moira Kelly is usually good... and I thoroughly enjoyed her moment with her newly-found biological mother.

Cute writing at times!

Loved the nod to Canada (PEI) with Anne of Green Gables being the male lead's fave book :-)

norcalgal · February 10

45 minutes ago, Bliss said:

Loved the nod to Canada (PEI) with Anne of Green Gables being the male lead's fave book :-)

I heard a loooong time ago there was a cottage industry in PEI giving “Anne of Green Gables” tours (especially popular with Japanese tourists). Wonder if it still exists.

Orcinus orca · February 10

2 hours ago, norcalgal said:

I heard a loooong time ago there was a cottage industry in PEI giving “Anne of Green Gables” tours (especially popular with Japanese tourists). Wonder if it still exists.

Oh, heck yes.

Nacos for Rufus · February 10

On 2/3/2025 at 4:49 PM, One4Sorrow2TooBad said:

I watched An Unespected Valentine also, honestly, I expected it to be much better. I really like the two leads ,but the thing that I couldn't understand was , companies that offer a service such as ride sharing,delivering gifts etc... are these not ordered through texts,phone numbers or emails paid through a credit card etc... ? Seems like making a few phone calls or texts,emails could have found the people who had used the service. It's 2025, most people have a cell phone, call and ask,lol. The guy who happened to accidently get into the wrong ride share vehicle was very lucky that he mentioned where he was going so the leads had a slight idea where to find him. I'll most likely pass on watching it again.

This was the thing that bothered me as well! I feel like this whole thing could have been resolved quite quickly!

Also, maybe it’s just my stage of life, but credit card declined +parking tickets?! That does not say hot catch to me. That says “will drag you down with poor credit history and debt,” lol.

One4Sorrow2TooBad · February 12

On 2/25/2024 at 12:32 AM, Trini said:

An American in Austen -- Funny! Had some cute twists.

Saw this today for the second time and liked it more than the first time last year. Not like most Hallmark movies plot twist, this one is so well done with settings,costumes,storyline , it even has a lot of comedy. If you haven't seen this one yet, give it a go, especially if you're a fan of Jane Austen.

voiceover · February 12

Tyler Hynes: Ride or Die

”After that game on Sunday — you know the one — Tyler Hynes was as devastated as any other member of Chiefs Kingdom. Since starring in Hallmark’s hit movie, “Holiday Touchdown: A Chiefs Love Story,” last year, the Canadian actor has embraced all things Chiefs, and fans have returned the admiration. Hynes, in fact, was at the Super Bowl in New Orleans cheering for the Chiefs. After the game he checked on fans with a message on his Instagram Stories. “Thinkin about giving out free hugs to any @chiefs fans ... I know I could use one ... tomorrow? ... here ...? Crown center hallmark store ...? Movie theater in Independence square? ... What do we think ...”

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