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

[bankerchick]

16 hours ago, Ms Blue Jay said:

For me, this movie (Timeless Christmas) had sooooooooooooo much potential.  I thought the first half hour was hysterical.  Then it just got boring!  That's just me, though..... 

Not just you.  I didn't finish it last year and made no effort to watch it this year, even though I love Ryan Paevey.  Erin Cahill, on the other hand......................

 

15 hours ago, Clawdette said:

I sometimes enjoy her movies (Mingle all the Way) is a favorite of mine because I like Brant Daugherty but Good Night Irene -

So, here I am on IMDB trying to find a movie called Good Night Irene and thinking, 'this is not Hallmark??'  😄

[ctlady]

On 1/1/2022 at 9:32 PM, Cetacean said:

Took me right out of the story which was shaping up to be totally lame anyway as evidenced by the fact that the lead actress was waving her phone around in the air trying to get a signal like it was 1990

The fact that she couldn't seem to put her dang phone down for 2 minutes annoyed me.  She came across as an entitled, self absorbed millenial.  Not to mention this movie had all the appropriate diversity boxes checked - from the interracial couple to the gay Asian assistant.  It's not the diversity I mind - but the fact that it comes across so blatantly obvious that Hallmark's attempt to be inclusive appears to be disingenuous

[Ms Blue Jay]

2 hours ago, bankerchick said:

Not just you.  I didn't finish it last year and made no effort to watch it this year, even though I love Ryan Paevey.  Erin Cahill, on the other hand......................

 

So, here I am on IMDB trying to find a movie called Good Night Irene and thinking, 'this is not Hallmark??'  😄

I did the same!!!!

[norcalgal]

18 hours ago, Clawdette said:

The first time I saw Jen Lilly was in The Spirit of Christmas with Thomas Beaudoin.  I didn’t have any negative vibes about her but I admittedly paid more attention to TB, who I was also seeing for the first time. I sometimes enjoy her movies (Mingle all the Way) is a favorite of mine because I like Brant Daugherty but Good Night Irene - this latest movie leaves me speechless. It was impossible for me to remember Jen was playing a role and was not the character herself. 

I guess that’s the mark of a good actress but not a good career move if it makes one not care to see anything else by her. 

I can take or leave Jen Lilly, but I rewatch The Spirit of Christmas for Thomas Beaudoin.

3 hours ago, GussieK said:

IIRC, The Lost Valentine was a Hallmark Hall of Fame.  It was really good. 

Ah yes, a sweet, lovely Betty White movie. RIP Betty. 

[Cetacean]

4 hours ago, ShelleySue said:

Our buckets were different than in the movie because they had lids on them. That keeps out rain, flys/bees/wasps/hornets (mostly, but not failproof), pine needles, etc. Also, a real maple producer would have tubes from the trees, not just buckets.

Yes to all of this. I used to work Maple Syrup Days at our local nature center.  Boiling up the sap is a huge operation when doing it commercially and requires constant attention as the sap turns to syrup every quickly at the final stage.  When the sap wasn't running or we didn't get enough for a full boil we made "tap sap" - commercial maple syrup diluted with gallons of water that we'd then boil back down for the demonstrations.  The public never knew.

I used to come home with maple sugar crystals in my hair and eyelashes. But I smelled delicious!

Dumb story made dumber by the inattention to the minimum details.

[KLovestoShop]

Now that the Hallmark Christmas movies are done, for now, here are a few of my personal observations.  Hallmark needs to focus more on quality vs quantity.  Make less new movies, but make them better with interesting and engaging stories, higher production values and better actors.  To be honest, I spent far less time watching the network this season than ever before for two reasons:  I didn’t find many of the new movies to be very good, and they kept repeating the same movies over and over and over again.  Hallmark has a treasure trove of excellent holiday movies, but they refuse to show them.  I just can’t figure out why this is the case?  Hey Hallmark, open your vault and show your older movies.

Now I know this might be silly, but here are some things I noticed.  Lacey loves red dresses and seems to always wear strapless.  Why do the actresses lug huge handbags throughout many of the movies?  They go out on a date and there’s the huge purse.  They’re at their job, and there’s the feed bag.  It doesn’t matter what’s going on, the big bag is there. 

[Cetacean]

44 minutes ago, KLovestoShop said:

Hallmark needs to focus more on quality vs quantity.

This times a thousand.  I would rewatch some of the older Hallmark Hall of Fame Christmas movies 5 days in a row;  I never rewatched a single one of the new ones.  Not worth my time.

[Irlandesa]

Even when I thought the slate was bad, I always leaned more towards quantity over quality because I don't think they automatically did better movies when they did fewer movies.  we remember the best of years past; we forget the worst or forgettable.

And the slate this past season was pretty darn good, IMO.  It was far better than Lifetime, UP or ION.

[memememe76]

I thought Hallmark did a pretty good job. I was very disappointed in Lifetime. I wonder why Lifetime didn’t do a sequel to The Christmas Setup like Hallmark did to The Christmas House. Christmas House 2, Unexpected Christmas and A Kiss Before Christmas were excellent additions. 

[Rootbeer]

13 hours ago, Cetacean said:

This times a thousand.  I would rewatch some of the older Hallmark Hall of Fame Christmas movies 5 days in a row;  I never rewatched a single one of the new ones.  Not worth my time.

Even if they continue to showcase the newer movies, I'd be on board with showing old Hallmark Hall of Fame Christmas specials on a designated night each week.  I think it would draw in some viewers who might not ordinarily watch and also remind all of us just how great those old shows were.  I suppose Hallmark Channel is afraid that its modern offerings will pale in comparison to the older stuff and so they don't want to remind people.

[SusanM]

I'm trying to watch A New Year's Resolution right now and I just can't get into it.  I like the two leads, the story is interesting but I dunno it's just not clicking for me.  Not sure what's missing.  Horrors - maybe I want the over decorated houses and "hot" cococa in my Hallmark movies??

Speaking of which moved on to Time for Them to Come Home for Christmas.  It was ok - a little too focused on death and sadness for my taste in a Christmas movie but the thing that really bothered me was the way the two sisters had a falling out based entirely on how downright nasty the Annie character was about a choice our heroine made. Yet in the Big Reconciliation scene they act like both were at fault.  No.  Just not true and I hate when TV shows and movies pull this crap.

Edited January 4, 2022 by SusannahM

[Ms Blue Jay]

10 hours ago, SusannahM said:

Speaking of which moved on to Time for Them to Come Home for Christmas.  It was ok - a little too focused on death and sadness for my taste in a Christmas movie but the thing that really bothered me was the way the two sisters had a falling out based entirely on how downright nasty the Annie character was about a choice our heroine made. Yet in the Big Reconciliation scene they act like both were at fault.  No.  Just not true and I hate when TV shows and movies pull this crap.

This movie annoyed me as well because they kept sprinkling in things about the mystery that got me invested, but the resolution was sooooooo disappointing!

[Cetacean]

Huh.  Until the Wedding Veil commercial I thought Chabert and Reeser were the same person.

[bankerchick]

4 hours ago, Cetacean said:

Huh.  Until the Wedding Veil commercial I thought Chabert and Reeser were the same person.

I used to think Autumn Reeser and Nikki DeLoach were the same person.  Same with Tricia Helfer/Jill Wagner and Rachel Boston/Erin Cahill/Ellen Krakow.  There are a couple of blondes that are identical as well but I can't think of their names.  I guess they have very specific types.

[Kemper]

Yes! I get Ashley Williams and Erin Cahill confused; except for the sometimes maniacal grin on Ashley Williams’ face.  

I never watched Hallmark Christmas movies until last year; even so, one year later, I had already seen most of the ones shown this yesr. Every once in awhile one would pop up that was older - but not often. Seeing the same actors/actresses over and over again, playing the same characters, is tiring.

[EyewatchTV211]

I used to confuse Ashley Williams and Rachel Boston. On the men's side, I used to confuse Steve Lund and Luke Macfarlane. I think I'm okay with the rest.

[Cetacean]

OMG, I just saw a commerical for The Perfect Pairing.  Hallmark has recycled another amnesia plot.  There aren't that many amnesiacs in the whole country as there are on Hallmark.  They have hit rock bottom.

[luvthepros]

On 1/6/2022 at 6:22 PM, Cetacean said:

Huh.  Until the Wedding Veil commercial I thought Chabert and Reeser were the same person.

Reeser is rail thin and Chabert has curves. Totally different body types.

[bankerchick]

4 hours ago, Cetacean said:

OMG, I just saw a commerical for The Perfect Pairing.  Hallmark has recycled another amnesia plot. 

Maybe this time the woman Lucy (Kimberly Sustad) is visiting the big city and falls and hits her head.  She tells the man who stops to help her that she can't remember anything, but rather than go to the ER, Nate (Paul Campbell of course 😉) takes her back to his office to recover and while there she makes a helpful suggestion to Nate's team as they brainstorm a new project.  Lucy doesn't think she has any knowledge of this field but appears to be a natural.  Lucy is vaguely curious about her forgotten life, but not enough to actually do anything about it like calling the police.  She lives at Nate's sister's place and spends her time organizing a gala fundraiser for 3 days from now, which everyone who is anyone will be able to attend even on this short notice.  While sharing a romantic dance at the hugely successful fundraiser, Lucy and Nate are interrupted by Luke (Tyler Hynes) her boyfriend from the country who has tracked her down when she didn't return from her interview in the city (for a job she didn't want but felt she needed to see if she could get.)  It turns out the job was Project Leader for Nate's team!  Lucy is really torn.  She has started to have feelings for Nate, but once she sees Luke, she starts to remember some of her old life and that Luke is a wonderful, kind man that she loves.  Despite his pleas, Lucy says goodbye to Nate and returns to the pumpkin ranch with Luke.  She spends some time being wistful, and laughs when she finds a picture on her phone of her and Nate doing goofy things while preparing for the gala.  Luke sees this from afar and though he loves her, he knows he has lost her to the city.  He tells her to go follow her dream.  Cut to Nate in his office toying with the thingamajig that Lucy used to demonstrate her point back in the halcyon days of her amnesia.  From behind him, we hear a pithy comment and turn to see Lucy run into Nate's arms and they kiss for the very first time.  'I'm back.  I've decided I would much rather work long days and only use my city pad as a place to change clothes on my way back to the office. I can't live in a world of hot cocoa, horse-drawn carriage rides and festivals,' Lucy says as the cheerful music comes up and we fade to black.

 

[luvthepros]

On 1/3/2022 at 10:30 AM, EtheltoTillie said:

IIRC, The Lost Valentine was a Hallmark Hall of Fame.  It was really good. 

I was gob smacked to see the acting chops Betty White had in that film!

 

[MerBearHou]

21 hours ago, bankerchick said:

Maybe this time the woman Lucy (Kimberly Sustad) is visiting the big city and falls and hits her head.  She tells the man who stops to help her that she can't remember anything, but rather than go to the ER, Nate (Paul Campbell of course 😉) takes her back to his office to recover and while there she makes a helpful suggestion to Nate's team as they brainstorm a new project.  Lucy doesn't think she has any knowledge of this field but appears to be a natural.  Lucy is vaguely curious about her forgotten life, but not enough to actually do anything about it like calling the police.  She lives at Nate's sister's place and spends her time organizing a gala fundraiser for 3 days from now, which everyone who is anyone will be able to attend even on this short notice.  While sharing a romantic dance at the hugely successful fundraiser, Lucy and Nate are interrupted by Luke (Tyler Hynes) her boyfriend from the country who has tracked her down when she didn't return from her interview in the city (for a job she didn't want but felt she needed to see if she could get.)  It turns out the job was Project Leader for Nate's team!  Lucy is really torn.  She has started to have feelings for Nate, but once she sees Luke, she starts to remember some of her old life and that Luke is a wonderful, kind man that she loves.  Despite his pleas, Lucy says goodbye to Nate and returns to the pumpkin ranch with Luke.  She spends some time being wistful, and laughs when she finds a picture on her phone of her and Nate doing goofy things while preparing for the gala.  Luke sees this from afar and though he loves her, he knows he has lost her to the city.  He tells her to go follow her dream.  Cut to Nate in his office toying with the thingamajig that Lucy used to demonstrate her point back in the halcyon days of her amnesia.  From behind him, we hear a pithy comment and turn to see Lucy run into Nate's arms and they kiss for the very first time.  'I'm back.  I've decided I would much rather work long days and only use my city pad as a place to change clothes on my way back to the office. I can't live in a world of hot cocoa, horse-drawn carriage rides and festivals,' Lucy says as the cheerful music comes up and we fade to black.

 

I could not love this more.  Bravo!  …not a farm…a pumpkin ranch… HA!

Edited January 8, 2022 by MerBearHou

[Cetacean]

7 hours ago, MerBearHou said:

I could not love this more.  Bravo!  …pumpkin ranch… HA!

And just in time for the annual pumpkin harvest festival where they tap cedar trees for maple syrup, drink hot cocoa, and sell Christmas cookies made from a beloved granny's recipe.

[shapeshifter]

5 minutes ago, Cetacean said:

And just in time for the annual pumpkin harvest festival where they tap cedar trees for maple syrup, drink hot cocoa, and sell Christmas cookies made from a beloved granny's recipe.

Doesn't the cocoa flow directly out of the cedar trees?
Or do they just put spigots on the pumpkins?
Oh! Wait! The whipped cream comes out of the pumpkins, right? LOL

I actually have FB friends I lived near in the 80s and 90s who just retired from running "Papa's Pumpkin Patch" pumpkin farm/ranch.
It is in a mountainous area with mostly evergreens and junipers, so...gin?

Autumn Reeser is a H!ITG! to me from various network shows (I'm new to cable) whereas I don't recognize Nikki DeLoach, so, although there are other lookalike actors I confuse, not those 2.

 

[luvthepros]

4 hours ago, shapeshifter said:

Autumn Reeser is a H!ITG! to me from various network shows (I'm new to cable) whereas I don't recognize Nikki DeLoach, so, although there are other lookalike actors I confuse, not those 2.

 

You lost me on that one. ??????

[shapeshifter]

31 minutes ago, luvthepros said:

You lost me on that one. ??????

H!ITG! = Hey! It's That Guy! 
(or That Girl or That Gal)
—referring to an actor who pops up in a lot of shows as a secondary character.

Edited January 8, 2022 by shapeshifter

[Chippings]

22 hours ago, luvthepros said:

Reeser is rail thin and Chabert has curves. Totally different body types.

Also, in my mind, Autumn Reeser is still living happily with Jesse Metcalfe from 'Country Wedding', and Lacey Chabert is with Will Kemp making chocolate in Brussels ('Love, Romance and Chocolate') -- Some pairings just work and stick in my mind, and those really did.  

Do y'all remember other pairings that seemed particularly legit?  

[twoods]

Danica McKellar and Rupert Penry Jones in Crown for Christmas. I’m still bummed they didn’t make a sequel. And of course Kimberly Sustad and Brandon Routh from Nine Lives. 

[Chippings]

18 minutes ago, twoods said:

Danica McKellar and Rupert Penry Jones in Crown for Christmas. I’m still bummed they didn’t make a sequel. And of course Kimberly Sustad and Brandon Routh from Nine Lives. 

I so totally agree with this one, too.  :-)  

[MerBearHou]

In my list of Hallmark favorites, happily still together:  Alison Sweeney and Marc Blucas from the Irresistible Blueberry Farm; Marc Blucas and Melissa Claire Egan from Holiday for Heroes; Autumn and Jesse and Lacey and Will as mentioned above (total thumbs up to those + Will/Lacey in the Waltz movie); Nikki DeLoach and Benjamin Ayers from Cranberry Christmas; Tyler Hynes and Mallory Jansen from On the Twelfth Date of Christmas; Kristoffer Polaha and Brooke D’Orsay from Dickens of a Holiday; Paul Campbell and Kimberly Sustad from Wedding Every Weekend; Kristoffer and Jill Wagner from Pearl of Paradise and Mystery 101; Lacey and Brennan Elliott from the Inn movies; Eric Mabius + Kristin Booth, Crystal Lowe + Geoff Gustafson from the Signed Sealed Delivered movies.  I find these pairs are believable with chemistry and connection that could last.  

Now, the list of who’s NOT still together in Hallmark-land — that would be long! 

Edited January 8, 2022 by MerBearHou

[SusanwatchingTV]

2 hours ago, Chippings said:

Also, in my mind, Autumn Reeser is still living happily with Jesse Metcalfe from 'Country Wedding', and Lacey Chabert is with Will Kemp making chocolate in Brussels ('Love, Romance and Chocolate') -- Some pairings just work and stick in my mind, and those really did.  

Do y'all remember other pairings that seemed particularly legit?  

Lacy and Will did another one together where they danced... I can't remember the name and am not going to go look it up, but it was good.  I also love Lacey with Tyler Hines... though I pretty much like him with anybody.

[Cetacean]

On 1/7/2022 at 6:48 PM, luvthepros said:

Reeser is rail thin and Chabert has curves. Totally different body types.

I only know that they both have dark hair and big teeth.  Guess why that's they look alike to me.

[bankerchick]

1 hour ago, SusanwatchingTV said:

Lacy and Will did another one together where they danced...

Wasn't it from last year's Christmas lineup?  She signed up for dancing lessons then when her fiance dumped her she took the lessons anyway.  Also won't look it up.

I'm currently watching The Wedding Veil (jury is still out but mostly meh) and I thought to myself that I'd never realized Kevin McGarry had a weird speech impediment before realizing he is attempting a Boston accent, which is terrible.  Why bother?

[Clawdette]

I was late to recognize what Kevin was attempting, too, bankerchick. 

[EyewatchTV211]

The accent is distracting and this movie has returned to so many of the old tropes. Disappointing. 

[Cetacean]

13 minutes ago, EyewatchTV211 said:

The accent is distracting and this movie has returned to so many of the old tropes. Disappointing. 

Lawdy, yes.  And zero chemistry between the "lovers".  Ugh. 

Beautiful veil though.

[MerBearHou]

Kevin’s mother had no Boston accent and then Kevin’s was SO Boston — not necessary.

The Wedding Veil was just OK (maybe a C grade), and Kevin and Lacey are not a match.  The misunderstanding was infuriating and went on too long.  It defies logic that Kevin (or whatever he was name was) wouldn’t find out quickly that it was the co-worker getting married in two weeks, not Lacey.

First time I’ve ever heard “Colour My World” in a movie — did enjoy that.  Sentimental favorite of mine.

Speaking of favorites — Autumn Reeser is a fave.  Love her in just about everything she does (esp loved the BBQ one with Marc Blucas, but not the wound up planner one she did recently).  

 

Edited January 9, 2022 by MerBearHou

[luvthepros]

12 hours ago, Chippings said:

Also, in my mind, Autumn Reeser is still living happily with Jesse Metcalfe from 'Country Wedding', and Lacey Chabert is with Will Kemp making chocolate in Brussels ('Love, Romance and Chocolate') -- Some pairings just work and stick in my mind, and those really did.  

Do y'all remember other pairings that seemed particularly legit?  

Andrew Walker and Nickki Deloach in A Dream of Christmas. I watched that movie so many times during the holidays, if I see either one of them with another leading man/woman, I feel as though they are cheating. Silly, huh?

[luvthepros]

16 hours ago, shapeshifter said:

H!ITG! = Hey! It's That Guy! 
(or That Girl or That Gal)
—referring to an actor who pops up in a lot of shows as a secondary character.

Thanks. That happens a lot in Hallmark movies for sure.

[ctlady]

10 hours ago, MerBearHou said:

The Wedding Veil was just OK (maybe a C grade), and Kevin and Lacey are not a match.  The misunderstanding was infuriating and went on too long.  It defies logic that Kevin (or whatever he was name was) wouldn’t find out quickly that it was the co-worker getting married in two weeks, not Lacey.

It was a chore to watch. Their chemistry was as dull as an empty blackboard and misunderstanding plot as cringe as Kevin’s awful Boston accent

i don’t like Lacy in any romantic Hallmark movie because she just doesn’t give off a vibe of romance. She’s much better in Crossword Mysteries. I guess I still see her as a ‘Party of Fiver’ or Gretchen Weiners that I can’t receive her in a romantic role. Her lisp/ impediment makes her come across very little girlish so that adds to it 

not sure if I think Autumn or Allison will be even more believable romance wise. Autumn has an underlying condescension  about the way she delivers her lines and Allison - unless she’s baking something, doesn’t rank high in the romance meter. The problem is that all these actors/actresses have stigmas of previous roles that ruins potential pairings. I much prefer no name/new faces with no expectations or role baggage. Same with the leading men. When they’re constantly paired with a new love interest for 10-20 movies it’s difficult to feel chemistry with a new partner because I keep seeing them with the last 2-3 partners they’ve started opposite from

[bankerchick]

13 hours ago, MerBearHou said:

First time I’ve ever heard “Colour My World” in a movie — did enjoy that.  Sentimental favorite of mine.

Speaking of favorites — Autumn Reeser is a fave.  Love her in just about everything she does (esp loved the BBQ one with Marc Blucas, but not the wound up planner one she did recently).

First point:  I thought the same thing.  There was a time in the late '70s/early '80s where it was the first song at almost every wedding (not only is it appropriate, it's also pretty short which appealed to a lot of non-dancers 😉)  They should have stuck with the Chicago version though.

Second point:  Not a big fan of hers though I did enjoy the one about the Christmas tree lot, and I think there was one where she was a doctor visiting a small town that was good.  I like Marc Blucas though, so I will check out that movie if I ever see it listed.

I agree with all the comments about lack of chemistry between Kevin and Lacey, but opted not to comment on it originally as I don't like her in any movies and felt like I would just be flogging a dead horse.  I also couldn't help but notice that she is bare-shouldered in almost every dress.  I just finished watching Winter Love Story which has it's own issues, namely Jenn Lilley, but I have to say, as least she and Kevin had chemistry in that one.

 

Edited January 9, 2022 by bankerchick

[Rootbeer]

23 hours ago, shapeshifter said:

H!ITG! = Hey! It's That Guy! 
(or That Girl or That Gal)
—referring to an actor who pops up in a lot of shows as a secondary character.

There used to be a website, run by some of the folks involved in this site, called 'Hey It's That Guy!' where you could look up familiar faces and also read articles about famous character actors.  Many of the recaps on TWoP would use the phrase HITG  when famliar actors guested on TWoP  shows.

It even turned into a book:

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/423569.Hey_It_s_That_Guy_

[WhyAmIHere]

I didn't notice Kevin's strange attempt at a Boston accent until over halfway through the movie because I was so annoyed by how long the misunderstanding was lasting.   Then once the misunderstanding was solved, I noticed the accent and was distracted by that the rest of the movie.   The accent came and went.  Some sentences he used no accent, and then he overdid it the next sentence.  Very odd. 

Their wedding was comically short.  At least cut away a couple times to make it look like you're just skipping over parts.  

I appreciate Hallmark trying something new with a trilogy of movies and featuring (albeit briefly) more than one of their stars in the same movie.  But at the end of the day, this was another party planning movie with a more frustrating than usual misunderstanding. 
 

Bankerchick, I would watch your Paul Campbell/Kimberely Sustad amnesia movie.  I hope we get a new movie from them this year.  

 

[norcalgal]

23 hours ago, Chippings said:

Do y'all remember other pairings that seemed particularly legit?  

 

23 hours ago, twoods said:

Danica McKellar and Rupert Penry Jones in Crown for Christmas. I’m still bummed they didn’t make a sequel. 

THIS!  On both counts.

As for my Hallmark couples that are still together:  I've got the A-Team:

Autumn and Antonio from Love at the Thanksgiving Day Parade

Arielle & Andrew from Bridal Wave

8 hours ago, ctlady said:

It was a chore to watch. Their chemistry was as dull as an empty blackboard and misunderstanding plot as cringe as Kevin’s awful Boston accent

i don’t like Lacy in any romantic Hallmark movie because she just doesn’t give off a vibe of romance. She’s much better in Crossword Mysteries. I guess I still see her as a ‘Party of Fiver’ or Gretchen Weiners that I can’t receive her in a romantic role. Her lisp/ impediment makes her come across very little girlish so that adds to it 

not sure if I think Autumn or Allison will be even more believable romance wise. Autumn has an underlying condescension  about the way she delivers her lines and Allison - unless she’s baking something, doesn’t rank high in the romance meter. The problem is that all these actors/actresses have stigmas of previous roles that ruins potential pairings. I much prefer no name/new faces with no expectations or role baggage. Same with the leading men. When they’re constantly paired with a new love interest for 10-20 movies it’s difficult to feel chemistry with a new partner because I keep seeing them with the last 2-3 partners they’ve started opposite from

I too still see Lacey as Claudia from Pof5, even though I've her Hallmark movies are way more recent than her Claudia days...

As for Allison Sweeney, as a decades long Day of Our Lives viewer (who still watches the show), I can't think of her as anyone besides Samantha Brady.  That Allison originated the role and it has never been recast further cements her as "Sami Brady" for me.

 

[voiceover]

Ahhhhhh...Rupert + Danica as Max + Allie.  Together4Evr.  Could’ve titled the sequel:  She Calls Him Max: Crown for Christmas 2 (esp since she never did in the original and that was a giant missed opportunity).

I squee’d a bit at “Colour My World” as a wedding dance song. Don’t know from the 80s, but when I was a wee 70s tween, they played that at every school dance (along with “Smoke on the Water”...yes children: mama was a metalhead), and the 9th grade girls would burst into tears.

[MerBearHou]

2 minutes ago, voiceover said:

I squee’d a bit at “Colour My World” as a wedding dance song. Don’t know from the 80s, but when I was a wee 70s tween, they played that at every school dance

When I heard those first distinctive piano notes last night, I thought “it can’t be” and then it was!  Oh, you are right, every dance! 

[maggiegil]

Just finished The Wedding Veil and it was fine. Lacey usually has better chemistry than that with her leading men but still it wasn't terrible but what was terrible was the actual veil. It didn't look bad when it was hanging up in the shop but when she was wearing it at the wedding it didn't look good at all, the lace was way too chunky and fussy and scalloped oddly, it overpowered her completely. I hope when its worn in the next 2 films that they style it somehow differently or do something else with it

[EyewatchTV211]

A little late to the party about Jen Lilley. I liked her a lot in The Spirit of Christmas as the slightly cynical, serious character who gradually believes. I think my liking has coincidentally decreased as her hair has gotten lighter and longer in movies over time. 

[Artsda]

I liked the idea of the magic one veil and 3 hallmark actresses tying together 3 movies.

Hallmark making a trilogy.

Autumn is my favorite. So looking forward to that one more.

 

[Maelstrom]

On 1/3/2022 at 8:19 AM, ShelleySue said:

So I feel that I'm fully qualified in this area.

Clearly you’re more qualified than the geniuses behind Where the Heart Belongs 🙄

Cedar syrup has officially joined my Hallmark Hall of Shame, alongside Christmas Day blue moons and perpetual full moons. 

[Cetacean]

North to Home was fairly decent, at least it didn't have anyone with amnesia and skirted the "misunderstanding resolved in the last 4 minutes" somewhat by spreading secrets liberally within the family. 

I was somewhat taken out of the story when Luke was onscreen - that greasy looking stringy hair was dreadful.

My hopes of seeing some indigenous actors (after all, this was supposed to be in Alaska) were dashed - a lily white cast as usual.  Would I rewatch?  No.