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

[ShelleySue]

I Saw Portrait of Love.  I liked it but that that the little girl was just a too over the top.  I also wish that there had been some sort of resolution between the friend and her mayor husband.  It was obvious she was unhappy about him working so much, but that wasn't really addressed.  I guess that I expect everything to be wrapped up and tied with a neat bow at the end of every Hallmark movie.

[twoods]

I agree. I think she was just the doting mayor's wife and that's how it's going to be until someone else takes his place. I did like the two of them.

[Irlandesa]

I liked the move too, although I think I would have been more satisfied if the three of them had gone to Paris but that's because I love Paris.  It'd be a good experience. 

 

I do think they went a little over-the-top with the wife complaining about how little she sees her husband.  It was clearly only meant as character color, which would have been fine had they left it at one mention or two at the most.  But once they had her bring it up every time she was on screen, it started to feel like there should be some resolution to the arc.

 

But hey, that's a minor complain. I can't remember the last Hallmark movie with two POC in roles with a significant amount of lines.

[joanne3482]

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

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

I'm going to have to search out that one. I adore Jason Dohring. 

 

Last night apparently I watched a rerun - The Makeover. It broke my heart because Julia Stiles was in it. I ADORE Julia Stiles. It made me sad to see her on a Hallmark movie with David Watson (of About a Boy).  It was My Fair Lady (or Pygmalion) but "with a twist" in that David Watson was Mr. Dolittle and Julia was Hannah Higgens. 

 

I also watched the other one last night about two people who meet each other in dreams that stars Catherine McPhee. It was cute, but every time she said "with a twist" regarding her food I cringed. By the end I was thinking that word didn't mean what she thought it did. 

[twoods]

Plenty mainstream actors do Hallmark movies- the Makeover was one of the CBS Hall of Fame movies so got a pretty high rating when it aired. I couldn't get into it- the leads didn't have much chemistry and his accent and behavior was grating.

[Irlandesa]

Same here. I like Julia Stiles just fine but I don't like her in love stories.  For whatever reason, I don't think she usually has chemistry with her love interests.  Perhaps the only time I may have liked her in a love story was in "10 Things I Hate About You" but I don't know if it was the couple or just the movie, which was really clever.    The Makeover was a good concept but the lack of chemistry did hurt it.

 

I didn't even try with the Katharine McPhee vehicle. 

 

Has anyone been watching the Hallmark Movies and Mysteries movies?  I found myself surprised that I kind of enjoyed the Aurora Teargarden movie.  I keep wanting to like the Garage Sale Mystery movies but the acting feels so deliberate. 

[EyewatchTV211]

Same here. I like Julia Stiles just fine but I don't like her in love stories.  For whatever reason, I don't think she usually has chemistry with her love interests.  Perhaps the only time I may have liked her in a love story was in "10 Things I Hate About You" but I don't know if it was the couple or just the movie, which was really clever.    The Makeover was a good concept but the lack of chemistry did hurt it.

 

I didn't even try with the Katharine McPhee vehicle. 

 

Has anyone been watching the Hallmark Movies and Mysteries movies?  I found myself surprised that I kind of enjoyed the Aurora Teargarden movie.  I keep wanting to like the Garage Sale Mystery movies but the acting feels so deliberate. 

I tried the Katharine McPhee movie, but I just didn't enjoy it. I enjoy watching characters falling in love, having fun, and actually interacting with each other. It was just way too many near miss meetings and the dream "meetings" weren't enough to do it for me.

 

I've enjoyed all of the Hallmark Movies and Mysteries movies so far. I was pleasantly surprised to like the Garage Sale Mystery movies initially, and I enjoyed Aurora Teagarden one as well. And the scenery for that one was beautiful!

Edited April 25, 2015 by VMepicgrl

[GaT]

Anybody watch Murder, She Baked? Hannah Swensen was just obnoxious, I realize she's supposed to ask questions to solve the mystery, but I just wanted to smack her. Is anyone familiar with the books? Is she the same in them?

[chitowngirl]

The movie is pretty much like the cozy mystery books. She is finds a lot of dead bodies, lives in a small town (so she knows everyone better than the new detective), and questions everyone. The only difference I see is that she lives in a house in the movie and in the books she lives in a condo building; and her delivery vehicle is much nicer than her delivery truck. I wonder if future movies will ever be set in a Minnesota winter as the books are! All in all, a good adaptation.  And the triangle between her, Norman, and Mike is a thread through 18 books!

[GaT]

Hmm, I don't know if I'll watch the next one, I just don't like the character, & 18 books is waay to long for a triangle to last.

[Irlandesa]

Anybody watch Murder, She Baked? Hannah Swensen was just obnoxious, I realize she's supposed to ask questions to solve the mystery, but I just wanted to smack her. Is anyone familiar with the books? Is she the same in them?

I didn't think her nosy character was any better or worse than any of the other  nosy characters that appear in these things. 

 

As for the books, I was shocked to realize I had read one of the books once she referred to her cat.  I don't remember which one.  The best thing about it was the fact that the chapters began (or ended?) with recipes for the cookies, bars or other assorted treats she mentioned.  I didn't make any of them but it was nice to know that I could try. 

 

Otherwise, I did find the book annoying.  I think it's because cozy mysteries aren't really my thing in book form. Often, the goal in a series like this is to make each book the same so the reader knows what they're getting. I could tell immediately that was their goal with the triangle. I can manage them only in two hour movies. 

[chitowngirl]

Hmm, I don't know if I'll watch the next one, I just don't like the character, & 18 books is waay to long for a triangle to last.

 

You must not read the Stephanie Plum mysteries by Janet Evanovich. She's had a triangle with Stephanie, Ranger, and Joe going on for 22 novels with no signs of stopping!

 

These cozy mystery movies are exactly like my cozy mystery novels. You know what you're getting with each one, except who did it. And I'm fine with that! Usually with the first in the series, the plucky female finds the body and/or is accused of the murder. More often than not, she is single and will start dating the detective. That was she can "help" with the investigations in future novels.  HMM was promoting a new movie series Gourmet Detective which seems to follow that pattern, but with the roles reversed. She's the detective and he's a suspect in the murder. And I'll be watching!

Edited May 4, 2015 by chitowngirl

[GaT]

I usually like these types of mysteries, I watched the Aurora Teagarden one & the Garage Sale movies, & I've seen all the Mystery Woman movies (and boy, does she just jump in & ask people what is none of her business & expects answers) but this character just gets on my nerves. It's not just the questioning that bugs me, it's her complete lack of common sense. After she found the 2nd body & got yelled at & in the next scene she was sobbing to her cat about what a terrible person she was, I was screaming at my TV "YES! yes, you're a terrible person, you could have gotten your sister killed, only a moron does what you do!"  She just annoys me.

 

[EyewatchTV211]

You must not read the Stephanie Plum mysteries by Janet Evanovich. She's had a triangle with Stephanie, Ranger, and Joe going on for 22 novels with no signs of stopping!

 

These cozy mystery movies are exactly like my cozy mystery novels. You know what you're getting with each one, except who did it. And I'm fine with that! Usually with the first in the series, the plucky female finds the body and/or is accused of the murder. More often than not, she is single and will start dating the detective. That was she can "help" with the investigations in future novels.  HMM was promoting a new movie series Gourmet Detective which seems to follow that pattern, but with the roles reversed. She's the detective and he's a suspect in the murder. And I'll be watching!

I read the early Stephanie Plum books and finally gave up, partially due to the dragging on of the triangle. I hate triangles with a passion.

 

I believe that is why I stopped quickly with the series this movie is based on. I actually did read a few. Can't remember much about them or the character, so I can't say if she was more annoying in the movie. I just remember being made aware that the triangle would go on and on, so I just chose to stop.

 

I've also read some where the love interest is a private investigator, so they can get involved that way; I think occasionally they manage to find a way for the main character to be involved without the love interest being directly tied to investigative work, but that is rare. If I remember correctly, Wine Lover's Mysteries is an example. 

[imjagain]

The movie is pretty much like the cozy mystery books. She is finds a lot of dead bodies, lives in a small town (so she knows everyone better than the new detective), and questions everyone. The only difference I see is that she lives in a house in the movie and in the books she lives in a condo building; and her delivery vehicle is much nicer than her delivery truck. I wonder if future movies will ever be set in a Minnesota winter as the books are! All in all, a good adaptation. And the triangle between her, Norman, and Mike is a thread through 18 books!

I have it set to record. I love a good murder mystery, with food thrown in, I'm all over it.

I don't have time to read as much as I used to, but I used to love the Diane Mott Davidson books. I always wished they had made a TV movie out of one of those books.

The early ones had a lots of good recipes.

Edited May 6, 2015 by imjagain

[Mountainair]

Interesting. I like easy murder mystery books. I read one by Mary Kay Andrews a while back that sounds like this Halmark series, the book was called Deep Dish but I couldn't get into it mostly because of the food aspect. The heroine is a chef with a cooking show competing for air time with a fellow male chef who has is own series. No murder so maybe that's why it was lacking for me. Anyhow, I may have to give this a shot. If only for background noise.

I mentioned jut the other day in another thread that I just started the Stephanie Plum series. I was looking for a series that was easy to read and the library had a pen abundance so I picked it up. I'm now on book six but now that I know the triangle continues for most of the series I don't know if I want to keep reading it.

[Rick Kitchen]

Alison Sweeney's Chocolate Chip Cookie movie was the highest rated Hallmark network movie of all time.

[imjagain]

Interesting. I like easy murder mystery books. I read one by Mary Kay Andrews a while back that sounds like this Halmark series, the book was called Deep Dish but I couldn't get into it mostly because of the food aspect. The heroine is a chef with a cooking show competing for air time with a fellow male chef who has is own series. No murder so maybe that's why it was lacking for me. Anyhow, I may have to give this a shot. If only for background noise.

I mentioned jut the other day in another thread that I just started the Stephanie Plum series. I was looking for a series that was easy to read and the library had a pen abundance so I picked it up. I'm now on book six but now that I know the triangle continues for most of the series I don't know if I want to keep reading it.

OH, you have to have the murder. :)

The movie was good, at least what I expect from these types of movies. It reminded me of things like, murder she wrote or matlock. I love that.

I have never watched Alison Sweeney in anything but she was ok. She has the most amazing blue eyes I was distracted by them lol, very pretty.

I'm looking forward to Gourmet Detective.

[joanne3482]

Interesting. I like easy murder mystery books. I read one by Mary Kay Andrews a while back that sounds like this Halmark series, the book was called Deep Dish but I couldn't get into it mostly because of the food aspect. The heroine is a chef with a cooking show competing for air time with a fellow male chef who has is own series. No murder so maybe that's why it was lacking for me.

 

Mary Kay Andrews is straight up chick lit... no mysteries to my knowledge. Although Wikipedia tells me that under her true name, Kathy Hogan Trocheck she did 10 mysteries.  

 

Alison Sweeney's Chocolate Chip Cookie movie was the highest rated Hallmark network movie of all time.

 

I like Allison Sweeney a lot. I just didn't like the sound of the Cookie movie. 

[JAYJAY1979]

I have to say Allison sweeney didn't over act like she did as Sami on Days of our lives. Helps to have a director in a different medium help her ease out of the soap acting techniques :)

I actually liked Aurora tea garden.movie...Candace was adorable..and her best friend in the movie was funny...and very little romance in it which I prefer in mystery movies.

[Irlandesa]

Alison Sweeney's Chocolate Chip Cookie movie was the highest rated Hallmark network movie of all time.

Just a slight correction--it was the highest rated Hallmark and Movies channel movie of all time. Not Hallmark.

 

It's a good showing, for sure, but the network isn't all that old either.

[Rick Kitchen]

Just a slight correction--it was the highest rated Hallmark and Movies channel movie of all time. Not Hallmark.

 

It's a good showing, for sure, but the network isn't all that old either.

 

Are there two Hallmark channels?

[Irlandesa]

Yep. 
 
There's Hallmark:
http://www.hallmarkchannel.com/
 
They have series such as "When Calls The Heart," "The Good Witch," and that one with Andie McDowell. [Looked it up--Cedar Cove]  They're also the channel that does most of the love story movies and romantic movie marathons such as the Valentine's Day buildup and this June's wedding-movie-palooza.

 

And then there's Hallmark Movies & Mysteries (nee Hallmark Movie Channel; name changed in Oct. 2014)

http://www.hallmarkmoviesandmysteries.com/schedule

 

Movies shown on this channel can be romantic as well but pretty much all of them have an element of mystery to them.  This channel shows reruns of Murder She Wrote, Diagnosis Murder and Hart to Hart.  They don't have TV series but they do appear to be doing movie series such as Aurora Teargarden, Murder She Baked, Gourmet Detective, Garage Sale Mystery and Signed, Sealed & Delivered (which moved over from Hallmark.) I think all of them will have at least two movies come out this year.

Edited May 9, 2015 by Irlandesa

[Mountainair]

Yea, I switched cable providers and no longer get the Hallmark movie channel. Bummer.

I did watch Just the Way You Are last night with Candace Cameron Bure and it was lame. So lame that I watched part of it again today.

I liked the supporting actress the most, Angela, was it? It was just dumb. If my husband acted like that I'd be a lot less willing to keep giving him second chances. Candace sure had to do a lot of sacrificing over the years for this jerk. Screw that asshole.

Anyhow. The story moved at a decent pace and the supporting characters'story line kept me interested enough.

Edited May 11, 2015 by Mountainair

[Irlandesa]

It was lame but saved by some gorgeous scenery

 

I didn't think the husband was that bad.  A little clueless and preoccupied with work but not someone I'd tell anyone to leave.

Edited May 11, 2015 by Irlandesa

[CrazyDog]

I didn't think he was that bad either. Just a workaholic. I liked the movie...for whatever reason, I've always liked Candace Cameron. It was a sweet little movie, and I loved the scenery, clothes, and the secondary characters.

[Mountainair]

The husband got better as the movie progressed but to start out he was a bit of an asshole. Just walking away to answer work calls always, no matter who is talking, making empty promises to his daughter, showing up like three hours late to his anniversary party without calling. I thought he was rude and disrespectful to his wife and kids. You don't just turn that way overnight and you don't change back that quickly either.

My husband is a small business owner and has his cell on him at all times but he knows there's a time and place, in the middle of an argument about said cell phone usage is not it.

I thought the party at the end was sweet though and would probably forgive all transgressions if my spouse took dancing lessons for me :)

I also like Candace Cameron Bure and will watch pretty much any made for TV movie she makes.

[imjagain]

The gourmet detective was pretty good. I enjoyed the mystery and the food scenes.

The actress was ok, I would have loved to see someone else. I hate when shows/movies have model types eating crap, messy cars and the I don't care about healthy anything. It's such a cool girl played out cliché.

The actor was pretty good. He reminded me of Ray Liota, in looks.

He had just enough foodie smugness without going over board. I'll watch again, When they make a new one.

[Irlandesa]

I enjoyed the movie too for the same reasons you did.  I liked the mystery and the food.  I also liked the dialogue a bit more than I usually do.

 

The actor was pretty good. He reminded me of Ray Liota, in looks.

  He's co-writing it too.

 

The actress was ok, I would have loved to see someone else. I hate when shows/movies have model types eating crap, messy cars and the I don't care about healthy anything. It's such a cool girl played out cliché.

The cool girl cliche is a woman having a messy car and eating quick crap because she's too busy and needs to feed her daughter? 

 

I think that's the TV cop cliche. 

[imjagain]

I enjoyed the movie too for the same reasons you did. I liked the mystery and the food. I also liked the dialogue a bit more than I usually do.

He's co-writing it too.

The cool girl cliche is a woman having a messy car and eating quick crap because she's too busy and needs to feed her daughter?

I think that's the TV cop cliche.

Yeah, the more I think about it, you're right, it's a TV cop thing lol.

[chitowngirl]

Signed, Sealed, Delivered has its own brand new forum!

[ShelleySue]

I finally watched Murder She Baked.  It had been sitting on my DVR for so long that I almost forgot about it.  It wasn't bad, but why did they make the dentist and the homicide detective look so similar?  I found that confusing.

 

PS  Does anyone have a schedule for the rotation of these new mystery movies?  The Hallmark Channel and Hallmark Mystery/Movie webpages don't have information on future movies unless they are in the next few weeks.

[Irlandesa]

Signed, Sealed, Delivered has its own brand new forum!

I enjoyed that series and movies. I wonder if the next one is going to be the last.

 

I enjoyed "A Perfect Match" last night.  The leads were good and the guy's house was to die for. 

 

There is another Hallmark movie on tonight--rare for the non-Christmas season.

[twoods]

I think it's the "June wedding month" on Hallnark, hence the new movies. Looking forward to seeing a Perfect Match.

[Irlandesa]

I know it is but considering they only have three new movies, I'm surprised they're burning them off over the course of two weekends instead of airing one each week. 

 

With Christmas, they have so many they have to double up.

 

Love Again was just okay. I like Teri Polo but didn't like the man who played her husband.  Plus, their problems were ill defined as was what brough them back together.

[twoods]

Only three? They were promoting it like there were new movies all month- thought it would go into July. Too bad.

I ended up liking Perfect Match, but more for the chemistry between the leads. The storyline about them planning just one wedding was tiresome. Didn't even try to attempt taping the other one because the previews did not look appealing. I may watch A Country Wedding next week just because I like the leads.

[Irlandesa]

Nope.  July brings us "Christmas in July" which usually includes their Christmas movies and then one new Christmas movie.  Last year it was a family movie with Connie Britton and Harry Connick Jr. that I found kind of boring.

This year, they go back to romance with Lacey Chabert in a movie called "Family For Christmas" where she is a career gal who is thrown back in time so she can see what life would have been life if she had married the "love of her life" all those years ago.  This sounds like a similar movie to Nancy McKean's Lifetime "Comfort and Joy."

[twoods]

Caught A Country Wedding and surprised with how much I really liked it. Autumn Reeser is turning into Hallmark's "it" actress, and her chemistry with Jesse Metcalfe was great. I was shocked at how good his singing voice was, and he looks great for his age- he can still pass for a college guy.

[Irlandesa]

I like both of the actors, especially Autumn, but I was bored by A Country Wedding.  For whatever reason, it didn't work for me.  While Jesse is a good singer, I thought there was too much singing/too many montages.

 

And this was one of those movies where I felt the current significant other (in this case, the actress he was engaged to) didn't behave badly enough for me to NOT feel sorry for her when she's dumped.  The worst thing she did was plan a wedding her fiance didn't want.  So while they were different and it's a good thing they broke up, I still felt the love story felt a little sketchy given his circumstances.

[Crs97]

I hate when hero proposes to heroine two seconds after he breaks up with fiancee #1, and heroine squeals and says yes and doesn't question anything about how he could possibly know they are meant to be together when he was two seconds away from pledging his life to someone else.  Which means I struggle with more than a few Hallmark movies!

[ShelleySue]

I hate when hero proposes to heroine two seconds after he breaks up with fiancee #1, and heroine squeals and says yes and doesn't question anything about how he could possibly know they are meant to be together when he was two seconds away from pledging his life to someone else.

 

 

Don't forget that "BradBird" knew her favorite flower, flavor and color.  That is what love is all about.  BTW - I asked my husband of 28 years and he knew my favorite flavor and color, but not flower.  He thought it was red roses.  I'm not going to toss him to the curb though.

[beadgirl]

I hate when hero proposes to heroine two seconds after he breaks up with fiancee #1, and heroine squeals and says yes and doesn't question anything about how he could possibly know they are meant to be together when he was two seconds away from pledging his life to someone else.

I hate it when the heroine is in an actual wedding dress and about to marry a snooty jerk, when she suddenly breaks it off and runs into the arms of another guy, without stopping to wonder why she was so attracted to a snooty jerk in the first place and whether maybe she should take a break from relationships entirely.

 

I think the problem is too many movie makers think weddings, aborted weddings, engagement rings, and the rest are terribly romantic and an easy source of drama, but ignore real-world consequences.  All that stuff should happen *after* you've figured out who you are, what you want, and who you want to spend the rest of your life with.  Make it more about the actual relationships, and less the trappings of relationships.

Edited July 1, 2015 by beadgirl

[Artsda]

I really liked A Country Wedding, it was really cute. Loved Autumn in her role.

[Irlandesa]

I'm not sure where to post about the Lacey Chabert movie.  It is both a holiday movie and a Hallmark movie.  I didn't love it.  Once again it kind of reinforced the notion of family vs. career.  What her character was proposing in her alternative life would not have consumed her time. 

 

In happier news, Aurora Teargarden's next movie is July 26th and a week later will be the Gourmet Detective.  I would assume there would be a "Murder She Baked" movie around the same time but the only one I've heard about is one associated with their holiday slate of movies.

I'm not sure where to post about the Lacey Chabert movie.  It is both a holiday movie and a Hallmark movie.  I didn't love it.  Once again it kind of reinforced the notion of family vs. career.  What her character was proposing in her alternative life would not have consumed her time. 

 

In happier news, Aurora Teargarden's next movie is July 26th and a week later will be the Gourmet Detective.  I would assume there would be a "Murder She Baked" movie around the same time but the only one I've heard about is one associated with their holiday slate of movies.

[EyewatchTV211]

If they're going to repeat the whole family vs. career thing, they should at least switch it around and have a man going through the conflict. It doesn't have to be the extreme of workaholic life vs. stay-at-home dad (though why not, since they do that with women), but they can do the workaholic vs. more balanced career and family man. It's annoying that it is always a woman who is "bad" for being career focused/successful.

[Rick Kitchen]

I'm surprised that Candace Cameron Bure is portraying Aurora Teagarden, because, although there isn't that much sex in the books, they are written by Charlaine Harris, notorious for her vampire/werewolf/fairy sex in the Sookie Stackhouse books.

[TrininisaScorp]

Oh, my people!  I love these movies on a Saturday afternoon when I'm doing laundry and chores around the house.  I don't think I caught it the first time, but Recipe for Love with the gal from The Flash (Danielle Panabaker) was on.  I very much enjoyed it.  The two leads were pretty and the story was sweet.  I liked that she didn't sacrifice her dream to go to culinary school in Paris too.  

 

In general, these movies are fabulous mindless entertainment.  I have actors I like, Antonio Cupo and Autumn Reeser have been mentioned here, as well as Andrew Walker and Arielle Kiebel.

[cam3150]

Because I have AT&T Uverse, I have had a 5 year abscense from Hallmark movies, to my great dismay.  But....last week a deal was reached and Hallmark is back!!! This made me abnormally  happy. I LOVE the cheesy Hallmark romance movies so, so much.  So the first thing I did was record nearly all of them that I could.  So far I have watched Portrait of Love, Puppy Love, Elevator Girl, Surprised By Love, The Sweeter Side of Life, A Country Wedding, Stranded in Paradise, and a few others I can't think of.   My favorite so far has been A Country Wedding. I just loved that one. I knew I would since I love Autumn Reeser and Jesse Metcalf.  Was that Jesse singing? He is really very good.  I also really love the Aurora Teegarden Mysteries with Candace Cameron Bure.  Now I will also have to catch up Cedar Cove and When Calls the Heart on Netflix.

 

My least favorite was The Sweeter Side of Life.  That was 2 hours of my life I will never get back.  I don't know, it was just not for me I guess.  There were parts that were ok but I thought the leads were miscast, at least the female lead. 

 

My DVR won't make it through the holiday season. I'll come home one day to a pile of parts because it will have self destructed as a way to try and save itself from the overload of movies I will record. I cannot wait for my first holiday season  back with Hallmark movies in 5 years!

[cam3150]

Since it was over 100 degrees where I live it was just too hot to be outside so I stayed in and watched Hallmark movies all weekend. Since I just got it back after a 5 year break. I have a lot of movies to catch up on.

 

The movies Lucky in Love and A Wish Come True were on nearly back to back.  Both of these were cute but they are basically the same movie.  in each movie, the girl makes a series of either wishes or April Fools jokes that end up coming  true:  huge promotion, mega mansion to live in, the perfect guy enters their lives. They end up with everything they ever wanted but they change to the point that they alienate their co-workers and friends.  The really funny part is that the guy best friend that the girls (of course) end up with in the end, once they realize the error of their ways, was played by the same actor in both movies -- Ben Hollingsworth.  I had to look him up on IMDB to see if it was actually the same actor.  How funny that he got cast in basically the same role for two different movies that had basically the same plot. 

 

I also watched When Sparks Fly - it was ok but the male love interest was miscast to me. Also, it was HORRIBLE firstly that the friend even dated or got engaged to her best friend's ex and it was even worse that, once they were engaged, the main girl told him she still had feelings for him on the day before he was supposed to get married.  So ridiculous that the cast aside fiance / friend even was willing to speak to her BFF the next day, much less was eventually laughing and attending a July 4th party at what was supposed to be the site of her wedding.  Also, the main couple gets engaged not 24 hours after he ended his previous engagement??? Ugh.

 

I saw one where Danika McKeller plays a wedding planner.  It was really good and I liked the male lead alot. I hope he shows up in some more movies.

 

I also saw In My Dreams with Katherine McPhee and Mike (?) Vogel  -- I had actually seen this one before. I like it pretty well, I think the leads have a lot of chemistry.  I do wish they could have spent some time together outside of dream world. I realize that would have ruined the payoff at the end  but the dream interactions were kind of odd so I would have liked more normal interactions

[Kemper]

I like some of the Hallmark movies...The Gourmet Detective, Aurora Teagarden and the Yard Sale Mysteries to name a few.  I think some of them are really saccharine and sappy.  Is it just me, or are the leads in a lot of the movies kind of vanilla?  Non-threatening, sort of.  During the Yard Sale movie, the commercials were really promoting an upcoming project involving a young, beautiful womanl (what else?) who grows attached to a young girl...who both kind of resemble.  It just looks so wholesome I could hardly stand it.  Sorry, I know that was snarky, I must have a black heart.  That being said, I do watch the channel, especially on a long Saturday or Sunday afternoon.