This movie blends humor, mystery, beautiful scenery in Wyoming, and romance. Jane Seymour is a joy to watch. James Welch Henderson, Arkansas 3/16/2021
Dear Prudence
2009
Action / Crime / Drama / Mystery
Dear Prudence
2009
Action / Crime / Drama / Mystery
Plot summary
Prudence MacIntyre, the 'New York home tips' TV show presenter, is sent on holiday, by studio boss Jeffrey Symcox, to a secluded lodge in Tassajero, Wyoming. The lodge was built on the last remnant of Indian land preserved by the Andrews family. Her celebrity status and sassy charm help quickly getting acquainted with local notables, including French heir Jean Phillipe Andrews, his land trust lawyer Doug Craig and police detective Eddie Duncan. Pru is with lodge caretaker Ruth Vigil when she discovers her estranged son JR is missing from his home after leaving a message. Pru finds blood, and although it's not JR's insists he must have been murdered. After her research assent, a computer whiz with a minor criminal record, joins her, and they soon get in danger snooping ahead of the incredulous authorities to discover several linked crimes.
Uploaded by: FREEMAN
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good to watch
Jane Seymour is great! The plot is...less great.
My wife and I looked forward with anticipation to this movie as we are big Jane Seymour fans and knew she'd be entertaining. However, we also knew that the plot would most likely be pedestrian (after all this is the Hallmark Channel). All expectations were met.
Jane Seymour is very good as a household tips hostess who gets herself involved in a murder in Wyoming while on vacation. Her Prudence character is nosy, interfering, smart, confident and just a bit wacky. It's little wonder that Jamey Sheridan's police chief finds her both irritating and beguiling. He provides a nice gruff contrast to Prudence. (Though I felt the development of their relationship was a bit rushed.) The young actor playing Prudence's brainy and nervous assistant, Nigel, was also good. They make a delightfully goofy crime-fighting team.
The plot is not as strong. The dialog was sharp at times but Jane Seymour really deserves a better script. My wife and I had figured out the whole thing within fifteen minutes.
Ultimately, though, it was all about watching Prudence break into motel rooms, sneak through the woods and investigate crime with her knowledge of the multiple uses of peanut butter, liquid soap, and shaving cream (when she's not inadvertently cleaning up evidence). Fun show!
Entertaining
Hallmark Channel is big on recognizable stars and mediocre scripts that move like molasses. "Dear Prudence" had the stars and the mediocre script, but it actually moved a little faster than, say, "Mystery Woman." Jane Seymour plays a household hints TV lady who goes on vacation at her boss' mountain place in Montana. Once there, she becomes involved in a murder.
Seymour is playing in essence a character role here, one you might see a younger version of Angela Lansbury doing. It's inspired against type casting - Seymour is beautiful and energetic, investing the role with a sense of enthusiasm that's refreshing on Hallmark.
The downside is the plot; the mystery was solved by this viewer in the first 10 minutes or so. However, the script had the household hints going for it, which are great, and the young man playing opposite Seymour was very good. Plus, Jamey Sheridan made a good romantic interest for Seymour.
Hallmark is pushing the heck out of this; Prudence has a special page on the Hallmark site, so I'm wondering if this is intended as a pilot. It would be a lovely series for the "Murder, She Wrote" crowd -I wasn't a member of that demographic when "Murder, She Wrote" started in 1984; I am now.