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

[In2You]

2 hours ago, Irlandesa said:

Believe it or not, I think it's starting later this year.  According to the Hallmark website, the first new movie is on Nov. 5th.  Last year, the first new movie was on Nov. 1st, although I think there may have been a fallish-themed movie on 10/31.

I thought they said it was starting on the 31st this year?

[Mountainair]

I thought they always started on 10/31. In fact I remember one year (maybe last) setting th DVR to record a Hallmark Christmas movie that was airing while I was taking my kids trick or treating. 

I'll take Christmas movies all year though so it's never too early in my book :) Most of Hallmarks other movies are misses for me. I liked the fall themed ones last year but for the most part I find myself getting bored with the other ones and only half pay attention to them.

I actually like Hallmark Movies and Mystery movies better during the "off season". They don't tend to be as sappy and predictable. Plus, I love when there is some sort of mystery involved.

[Irlandesa]

1 hour ago, In2You said:

I thought they said it was starting on the 31st this year?

Quite possibly. In an earlier version of my post I mentioned Halloween for the 24/7 stuff because I remember that being the start time for it last year but then I couldn't find it for this year.  So I just went based on the dates of the first new Christmas movies. 

I do remember being annoyed that the movie airing on Halloween last year, which was a Saturday, wasn't a Halloween movie.  It wasn't Christmas either, though.  (Maybe it was a Good Wife movie?)

ETA:  Nope, found it.  It was just 24 hours of holiday movies with nothing new on the first day.  Waste of a Saturday Halloween, IMO.

Edited September 12, 2016 by Irlandesa

[twoods]

Are there many Halloween themed movies? I recall the Ashley Williams one (her inappropriate grinning really gets annoying), but there could be a lot of potential for that holiday. Of course Hallmark has zero creativity and instead goes for the billionth Good Witch movie.

Edited September 12, 2016 by twoods

[In2You]

2 hours ago, twoods said:

Are there many Halloween themed movies? I recall the Ashley Williams one (her inappropriate grinning really gets annoying), but there could be a lot of potential for that holiday. Of course Hallmark has zero creativity and instead goes for the billionth Good Witch movie.

They're wasting potential for both Halloween and Thanksgiving.  Send some of those harvest themes to November and amp up the Halloween decor.  Especially on HMM since all their mystery movies seem to be based off popular cozy mysteries.  There's plenty of Halloween and Thanksgiving cozies. 

I do remember the one year they had that partnership with Walden and we're trying some different types of movies instead of these generic romantic coms.  I remember watching The Hunters around Halloween. That was something interesting and different and they actually filed part of it in Thailand. I think that was when they were trying for the family demographic. 

I don't think they started airing Christmas on Halloween until last year or the year before.

[EyewatchTV211]

Entertainment Weekly's website has posted some information about the Christmas movies for this year: http://www.ew.com/article/2016/09/13/holiday-christmas-movies-hallmark-channel

[twoods]

Some of these movies are literally carbon copies of the same crap from the last few years. High power executive trying to close down a family run ornament business? Check. Christmas parade? Check. Someone receiving 12 anonymous gifts? Check. Someone making a Christmas wish to tell what is on her mind? Big fat sigh. Come on Hallmark! At least there is a Rose Parade one, and one centered around ballet.

[In2You]

8 hours ago, twoods said:

Some of these movies are literally carbon copies of the same crap from the last few years. High power executive trying to close down a family run ornament business? Check. Christmas parade? Check. Someone receiving 12 anonymous gifts? Check. Someone making a Christmas wish to tell what is on her mind? Big fat sigh. Come on Hallmark! At least there is a Rose Parade one, and one centered around ballet.

Quantity over quality.  Trying to entice people to watch by boasting about having the most movies even if they're generic copies.  Would it kill them to ditch some of the rom coms about finding a man to put at least one movie about the true meaning of Christmas?  

[Jaded]

Home & Family has it's own forum now.

http://forums.previously.tv/forum/2730-home-family/

[Irlandesa]

8 hours ago, In2You said:

Would it kill them to ditch some of the rom coms about finding a man to put at least one movie about the true meaning of Christmas?  

Presents?

[editorgrrl]

Hallmark Movies & Mysteries is having a "Hall of Fame" marathon this Saturday at 9 a.m. The schedule: Sarah, Plain and Tall; Skylark; Sarah, Plain and Tall: Winter's End; The Magic of Ordinary Days; Loving Leah; The Lost Valentine; In My Dreams; and Candles on Bay Street.

[Irlandesa]

Damn.  It has two of my favorite romantic HoF movies but I wish they were showing Follow The Stars Home.  I need that on my DVR.

[Court]

1 minute ago, Irlandesa said:

Damn.  It has two of my favorite romantic HoF movies but I wish they were showing Follow The Stars Home.  I need that on my DVR.

They aired it Monday night. I know that doesn't help but maybe they'll air it again soon?

[Irlandesa]

3 minutes ago, Court said:

They aired it Monday night. I know that doesn't help but maybe they'll air it again soon?

It's nice to know they're still airing it.  Bummed I missed it but at least I know I'll just have to keep a watch out for it. For a while it seemed like they would run it at least once a month or two.

[kirinan]

I just watched The Magic of Ordinary Days for the first time. I recorded it during the marathon a couple of weeks ago, but haven't had time to watch it until now. What a lovely, lovely movie--such a wonderful story, so atmospheric and beautifully filmed, so heart-tugging, so much chemistry between Keri Russell and Skeet Ulrich. It's shot right up to the #2 spot on my HOF list (right below The Love Letter, which will always be #1). It made me tear up, too, so my Hall of Fame crying-during-the-movie streak is unbroken. A perfect way to start off a nice Sunday at home.  

[Irlandesa]

Since there has been no discussion yet of Love On A Limb, I have to think that everyone found it as boring as I did?  First, I can't decide whether or not I love or hate that title.  It's certainly not generic and it's pretty descriptive of what the movie is about.  Considering there haven't been many other "save the tree" movies, I'm unlikely to not know what it's referencing.  But nothing in the plot was "on a limb" in the way we mean when we usually say that expression.

Not that identifying the movie will matter since I don't plan on watching it again.   I like Ashley Williams but the love interest was boring.  I think her relationship with the mayor and her mom were more interesting.  And honestly, the movie lost me when she said the tree was smart and could pass the Bechdel Test.  I get Hallmark was trying to be modern but if they want to reference the Bechdel Test, they should darn well learn what it is.  It's not applied to a single person (or tree). It's not about being smart either.  It's about having two named female characters (not trees) have a discussion that isn't about a man.

I am vaguely intrigued by Pumpkin Pie Wars, though.  I liked Julie Gonzalo in Dallas.

[StaceyNotStacie]

I didn't mind Love on a Limb. I have mixed feelings on Ashley Williams. She comes off as too perky and cheerful at times, smiling like a Cheshire Cat. She seemed somewhat obnoxious during the first 45 minutes of the movie. I liked the rest of the cast and the story wasn't too bad. Having seen Trevor Donovan on 90210, I didn't realize he and Ashley Williams were the same age.  I had assumed he was more early 30s. 

[In2You]

I don't like Ashley Williams and the save the tree plot feels so outdated to me. Too many shows I watched as a kid has that save the tree episode. I've never actually encountered protests to save a tree in real life though. Not a recent movie on Hallmark could pass the Bechdel test so it's funny they even mentioned it.

[EyewatchTV211]

I found the movie boring and to me, the leads had zero chemistry. Not even friendship chemistry. There's a movie on tonight on HM&M, The Irresistible Blueberry Farm, that looks promising. 

[kathyk24]

I finally watched the latest Signed Sealed and Delivered movie.  I was underwhelmed by the lost letter plot. I loved the story with Oliver and hid Dad. I loved Oliver and Shane but I wish they would move their romance a little faster. the actors have great chemistry but you can move so slow that by the time they get together no one will care.

[Irlandesa]

3 hours ago, In2You said:

Not a recent movie on Hallmark could pass the Bechdel test so it's funny they even mentioned it.

I wanted to go back to see if this one did because it did have a lot of scenes with just the lead and her mother or the lead and her friend.  Since a lot of the discussion surrounded a tree, I would bet that this one did pass the test.  But I don't care enough to actually go through it to find out.

 

41 minutes ago, kathyk24 said:

I wish they would move their romance a little faster. the actors have great chemistry but you can move so slow that by the time they get together no one will care.

I'll care.  Yes, it's slow.  I think this movie should have had a kiss.  But at least it's slow progress.  Where I start to lose interest is when a relationship makes significant progress but then shifts into reverse because they went too far.  I'd rather a continuous move forward than the one step forward/two steps back dance.

[Fostersmom]

I absolutely hated Ashley's character in Love on a Limb. She was a self righteous twit who decided her opinion was the opinion of an entire town. Let's be honest, there's no way the town wouldn't absolutely hate her, no matter how much they tried to make her into Loralie Gilmore, she was really Taylor Doose. She was just annoying. By 45 minutes in I was hoping they would just chop the tree down with her in it. I'm not even going to talk about the reality of an above ground water line, or whatever the hell it was, I got bored and faded in and out of the movie, being paid for by random donations. Sure, those $100 donations were sooo gonna pay for what would have been at least hundreds of thousands, if not million+. 

[EyewatchTV211]

Oh no! Did I miss the new Signed, Sealed, Delivered? 

[kathyk24]

55 minutes ago, VMepicgrl said:

Oh no! Did I miss the new Signed, Sealed, Delivered? 

Don't worry it's on again Wednesday at 7:00 eastern

[Misslindsey]

Quote

I absolutely hated Ashley's character in Love on a Limb. She was a self righteous twit who decided her opinion was the opinion of an entire town. Let's be honest, there's no way the town wouldn't absolutely hate her, no matter how much they tried to make her into Loralie Gilmore, she was really Taylor Doose. She was just annoying. By 45 minutes in I was hoping they would just chop the tree down with her in it. I'm not even going to talk about the reality of an above ground water line, or whatever the hell it was, I got bored and faded in and out of the movie, being paid for by random donations. Sure, those $100 donations were sooo gonna pay for what would have been at least hundreds of thousands, if not million+. 

This. I feel like this movie and the one from last year (October Kiss??) kept trying to make Ashley Williams into a Lorelai Gilmore type. I disliked her character here as well. She seemed to railroad everyone into what she thought was right. I never got the impression in the movie that the other townies cared about saving the tree. They had good memories at the tree, but they never seemed to care as much whether the tree stayed or went. I kept thinking that we were suppose to somewhat dislike the mayor, but I thought that he was the most rational of the bunch, well except the end where he went with the stupid above ground pipes and the town funding it idea. I was also, hoping they would chop the damn tree down early on in the movie too.

I generally like Ashley Williams, but not in this movie. I did like Trevor Donovan even though his character was pretty bland. I liked that his character did try to provide alternative solutions for the tree like the bench idea, but of course that was not good enough for Ashley's character. I did like that Trevor's character pointed out that he was just doing his job. 

I cannot stress how much I really wanted the tree to be cut down. 

[In2You]

I'm sure your takes on the movie are better than the movie itself.

[twoods]

Thank goodness I skipped out on the movie- the commercials looked terrible. Pumpkin Pie Wars looks promising- the leads seem to have a potential for having good chemistry. The Rachel Leigh Cook movie, not so much. I lasted 10 minutes with her first one and hope the second one is a little longer.

[EyewatchTV211]

16 hours ago, kathyk24 said:

Don't worry it's on again Wednesday at 7:00 eastern

Thank you!

[Suzysite]

Quote

I cannot stress how much I really wanted the tree to be cut down. 

Oh me too!  I thought I was just in a grumpy, heartless mood, but I wanted to chop it down myself with her self-righteous behind still in it.   She was obnoxious.  And after finding out that Ashley produced this movie, hired the cast, etc, makes me kind of dislike her personally now.

[sacrebleu]

W/R/T Love on a Limb, if the tree was such a beloved symbol to the town, why wasn't it named something? They kept referring to it as "the big old tree" they didn't even specify if it was oak or maple or elm. Did they not even know? 

Also, as a PR person, don't even get me started on the idea that it took them the whole movie to come up with that ridiculous town slogan. 

I also wondered what kind of water are those pipes carrying? If it's waste water-- do you really want them above ground? 

[twoods]

Autumn in the Vineyard was decent. I think they wasted pretty decent chemistry with the leads on a bunch of adults acting like children. Nate seemed to be the nice one, while Frankie kept being so hot and cold. Why was he still nice to her? That part annoyed me, but I liked the family aspect of it, chemistry with the leads, and some of the humor. I probably will watch it again and FF all the pettiness.

[BrainyBlonde]

Anyone watch The Irresistible Blueberry Farm? I read the book this movie was based on last year, and overall I thought that Hallmark/HMM and Alison Sweeney, who brought the source material to the network and was a producer, did a pretty good job with it. There were only a few things I had issues with (and these were problems I have with most Hallmark/HMM movies), and in a lot of ways the movie improved upon the book, which had a heroine who was sometimes quite unlikable and in her head too much. Movie Ellen was much nicer and more relatable thanks to the script and Alison's portrayal of the character. And Ellen was only thinking about becoming engaged to Hayden in the movie whereas the characters were in the midst of planning a wedding in the book. Also, Hayden was horrible in the book. A snobby, uptight jerk who made me want to skip every page he was on. I appreciate that HMM didn't make the character such a villain, and the casting of Kavan Smith was a smart move because even though his Hayden wasn't Ellen's Mr. Right, he wasn't a bad guy.

My main concern going into the movie was Marc Blucas playing Roy, the character I liked most from the book. That character was supposed to be a scruffy, salt-of-the-earth type (I pictured Jeffrey Dean Morgan while reading the book), and I worried that MB was going to be too vanilla. I'm glad to have been proven wrong, though. I thought he did very well in the role, and he and Alison had great chemistry. I'm actually starting to wonder if there's anyone Alison doesn't have chemistry with. She seems to bring out the best in all of her Hallmark co-stars.

BTW, did I hallucinate or was the actress in Blueberry Farm who played the owner of Ellen's grandmother's childhood home (she was only in two scenes, I think, and she was carrying around a baby) the same actress who plays Alison's sister in the Murder, She Baked series?

Oh, and there was no karaoke scene in the book, but I understand why they put it in the movie so that Ellen could let her hair down (literally) and realize she wanted to stay in Maine with Roy. I do wish the movie had just ended with a kiss/embrace between Ellen and Roy rather than them professing their love for each other. That was a bit of an eye-roller since they'd only known each other a few days, but it's Hallmark, so what are you going to do? ;)

I would love to see Hallmark/HMM continue to take best-selling books like Blueberry and turn them into movies. I think the quality of these Hallmark films is much higher when they start out with solid source material.

[Marsupial]

Does anyone else watch the "Chesapeake Shore" series? I started watching because it takes place in my home state of Maryland and I really enjoy it. ("Chesapeake Shores' is also the name of a nursing care facility here!).

Like many others here, I watch all kind of programming but I love me some happy, cozy Hallmark movies. They seem to really fit the bill in the fall as the weather's getting colder and the holidays start. Of course I usually have to DVR them because Mr. Marsupial would rather have his eyes gouged out with teaspoons than sit through one.

Quote

Autumn in the Vineyard was decent

I have the rerun queued up for watching later today so I'm happy to hear that! The preview looked nice and I'm always a sucker for vineyard/farm stories.

[Irlandesa]

I watched Autumn in the Vineyard and The Irresistible Blueberry Farm and felt disappointed in both.

I liked Autumn in the Vineyard better of the two.  The chemistry was good. The story worked both with the love interests and the family.  The stupid misunderstanding took place only five minutes into the movie.  The scenery was good.  I just kind of lost interest in the middle of it.  I also wasn't feelin well last night so I do wonder if that has something to do with it.

The Irresistible Blueberry Farm just irritated me.  I don't know why.  I like Alison Sweeney. I like Marc Blucas.  They did have chemistry.  She even had it with her "practical" fiance.  I guess I felt the adventure was thin.  I didn't feel it.

I am excited that The Gourmet Detective is back tonight. I liked the last two. 

[EyewatchTV211]

I preferred Irresistible Blueberry Farm to Autumn in the Vineyard. Both were pretty thin storywise, and the vineyard one has been done by them a million times in different variations. It seemed like they took a lot of storylines from their other movies and put them together into one, so nothing could truly be focused on. The competition/shared ownership of land and house, the parent who cannot afford their business/land whatever, family feud. I saw occasional pops of chemistry with the leads but it did not have time to really come out fully. Also, I think I'm finding that I don't like the Hallmark movies where the leads have the hate/love thing going on. With commercials (compared to theater movies with similar themes) and so many stories, I don't think they have found a way to successfully build up believable "hate" chemistry along with time to bond and switch over to "love." If that makes sense. I'm trying to think if I have actually liked any movies with this storyline or if I felt chemistry with any leads from these movies but none come to mind. 

With Blueberry, the story had less going on than I expected from the previews. The "mystery" and grandmother's secrets were thin. But I was able to feel the chemistry between the leads and that kept me much more interested. 

[editorgrrl]

4 hours ago, Marsupial said:

Does anyone else watch the "Chesapeake Shore" series? I started watching because it takes place in my home state of Maryland and I really enjoy it.

It has its own forum: http://forums.previously.tv/forum/2716-chesapeake-shores/

[Marsupial]

Thank you, editorgirrl! I figured it was so obscure, I'm surprised but happy that it has a forum.

I did like "Autumn in the Vineyard" because, well, it had pretty scenery and GOATS! I liked the two leads and the story, while predictable of course, was cute.

Quote

Also, I think I'm finding that I don't like the Hallmark movies where the leads have the hate/love thing going on. With commercials (compared to theater movies with similar themes) and so many stories, I don't think they have found a way to successfully build up believable "hate" chemistry along with time to bond and switch over to "love." If that makes sense.

I completely get what you're saying; to be honest, I think the hate/love thing is overused in full-length movie  romcoms anyway, it's time for writers to come up with a different twist! Yes, I know there are only so many different plots you can use, especially in  romance where we all know what the ending is going to be anyway, but I prefer the kind of story where people meet when they are, say, both working toward a goal or for some shared cause. That rings more true to life and feels more natural to me.

Is anyone else looking forward to the new "Good Witch," premiering Oct. 22?

[Aliconehead]

Having read Autumn in the Vinyard and all the connected books, I was a little disappointed but I generally am if I have read the book. It wasn't bad but just not great.  Plus it was the third book in the series and that threw me off a bit.  I thought IBF was good simply because I love the three main leads but it was lacking storyline content it was just missing something. 

[kirinan]

OMG, I'm sitting here watching The Irresistible Blueberry Farm on DVR--only about four minutes into it--and what should be the first thing I see in (supposed) Beacon, Maine? Molly's Reach, center of Gibsons, BC! Don't know if there are any Beachcombers fans on this forum, but this fan of Canadian TV (I'm not Canadian, but I live in the Detroit, MI area, just across the river from Windsor, ON so we get Canadian stations) squealed loud enough to scare my husband in the kitchen! Will comment more on the move after I've seen it, but I had to share my excitement!

[Karen885]

I really liked pumpkin pie wars. The male lead was kind of wooden but I liked the story. The family feud was silly but believable. I was glad the misunderstanding between the couple  standing was solved by a simple conversation and she didn't jump to the worst conclusion possible like often happens in these movies. The winning pie also looked really good. 

[kirinan]

Okay, just finished watching The Irresistible Blueberry Farm. I LOVED it! I've never read the book, so maybe that's a good thing; I had nothing for it to suffer in comparison to. But standing on its own, IMO, I really enjoyed it. 

I loved that Kavan Smith's character wasn't a jerk, I loved the chemistry between Alison Sweeney and Marc Blucas (does she have chemistry with everyone?), I loved that there wasn't a lot of dumb manufactured angst--everything that happened was pretty believable (okay, maybe the buying up all the newspapers in a town you're going to leave anyway was a little dippy, but I kind of got her character doing it).

Plus, on a more personal note, I've always adored Shirley Jones because she reminds me of my late mom.

Now on to Pumpkin Pie Wars.

ETA: I enjoyed Pumpkin Pie Wars. I liked the leads; they had an easy way with each other that was very appealing. Julie Gonzalo reminds me of a young Erica Durance, who I've always liked; I hope she's in more Hallmark movies. And to me, the actress who played Casey's sister looked SO much like Teryl Rothery. I couldn't find the actress's name, but I looked Teryl R. up to see if she had a daughter who acted. But it looks like her daughter's only about eight. Anyway, I liked the movie a lot!

Edited October 16, 2016 by kirinan

[StaceyNotStacie]

I enjoyed Pumpkin Pie Wars. I liked the story and I liked that the two leads had very little conflict with each other. 

I also watched Autumn in the Vineyard yesterday. It was okay, but a bit predictable. The leads were okay, but not very charismatic. 

Ive noticed that the supporting actors are used over and over by Hallmark. I'm recognizing the same actors over and over again. 

[againstthewind]

I also liked Pumpkin Pie Wars and how the leafs talked about their misunderstanding like adults and didn't let it drive the plot.

[JenMD]

Count me in as also really enjoying Pumpkin Pie Wars last night.  Sure the main couple didn't have a ton of romantic chemistry, but they still worked for me.  I like that both of them were very competent in their chosen fields and they used that expertise to help each other out.  They were comically obvious about working together, as people on tv often are, but I got a kick out of their dads finding them out (and us finding out dads had been secretly keeping up their friendship).  The subplot of the feuding moms worked surprisingly well for me.  

I have to give the movie points for surprising me with Betty being the villain of the piece - I didn't see her coming until her squirrel-y behavior about using the restroom and figured she was peeking at Casey's recipe,  but I didn't see her also stealing Sam's recipe (that was one over-flavored pumpkin pie, imo).  Having been friends with both moms all those years, I can't believe she didn't think at least one kid wouldn't go to their mom for help upon discovering the recipes had been stolen (she had to know the interview would get out).  Of course, with everybody working together, she never stood a chance.

I also have to give points for the revelation that the big misunderstanding that happens in every Hallmark movie at the 1:35 minute mark was solved in the next 5 minutes after a short confrontation.  Don't these writers know there's supposed to wait until 1:57 at least? Heh. By the 1:45 minute mark they were dancing in the kitchen and I almost fell off my seat.  A nice switch from the norm.

But one of my very favorite thing (and bonus points for this), was Casey (talking to her sister, I think?), "It can't be love, we've only known each other two weeks."  Hee!  Paraphrased, but I chuckled because that's pretty much the basis for every other movie.

I will deduct a point though, for the pie contest only giving contestants a hour to make a pumpkin pie from scratch.   Small, but silly mistake from the writers.

I'll also throw some love to the Blueberry movie, for all the reasons already stated, but also, I've always liked Marc Blucas so was predisposed.  So glad he's doing a Christmas movie, too.

[EyewatchTV211]

I enjoyed Pumpkin Wars for the reasons everyone has stated. I did think the leads had chemistry, which helped my viewing as well.

[Jaded]

The house being used tonight in The Julius House: An Aurora Teagarden Mystery looks like the same house that was used in All of My Heart from 2015 with Lacey Chabert and Brennan Elliott. That's the one where they both inherit the same house.

I haven't watched any Hallmark movies in a couple months and see from the Christmas commercials that all that stuff starts on Oct. 29th. I wish they'd wait at least until a day or two after Halloween.

[Irlandesa]

I agree with all that was said about Pumpkin Pie Wars.  If the leads had romantic chemistry, I think it'd be a movie I'd want to watch a few times.  Unfortunately, it was lacking in that department.  I love Julie and would hope she'll be in more movies.  The lead was very handsome in a way I like but I do think he was a little wooden which is likely the reason why the chemistry didn't quite sparkle.  Still, it wasn't terrible.   And the overall story held my attention both with the kids and the mothers.  The misunderstanding was blessedly short and handled like adults.  There was humor that worked.

All in all, a solid entry. 

[twoods]

I also really enjoyed Pumpkin Pie Wars. The lead actor was a little wooden, but I liked his chemistry with Julie's character and their timeline of falling for eachother was realistic. Plus it was nice to see two people talk about the misunderstanding pretty quickly instead of be catty towards one another like other Hallmark movies. 

[kirinan]

10 hours ago, forumfish said:

Just watched the Blueberry Farm movie, and enjoyed it. One nitpick, though -- didn't Ellen lose her camera in the water? No mention of it, so maybe I hallucinated it. It looked to be a pretty good one, too.

You're right, forumfish, she did lose her camera in the water. I think that's part of why she got disoriented--she seemed (to me) to be going after the camera. And then bought another one at the camera store in town later on, when she wanted to take good photos of the mural in her grandmother's old house.

[EyewatchTV211]

3 hours ago, kirinan said:

You're right, forumfish, she did lose her camera in the water. I think that's part of why she got disoriented--she seemed (to me) to be going after the camera. And then bought another one at the camera store in town later on, when she wanted to take good photos of the mural in her grandmother's old house.

Yes. Before she got the new camera, her boyfriend mentioned wanting to see the pictures she had taken when they spoke on the phone, and she said she hadn't taken any.