I really wanted to like this movie. The leads are very good and supporting cast very likable except for boyfriend It seems Hallmark produced this movie with cheapest budget in the world. The characters wear the same clothes throughout the entire movie. Also the rest of the cast the same. Did Hallmark not have a budget for clothes hair etc. This movie had the makings of a good romcom but lacked any kind of production. Everything was the same from the first scene to the last.
I was hoping more from Hallmark but what I did like very much there were no social messages. That's to me was the most refreshing part. Maybe that's why they gave it no budget.
Plot summary
A junior PR professional arrives at a quaint B&B for her parents' vow renewals and runs into a former flame who broke her heart. Panicked and afraid of humiliation, she pretends the B&B owner is her new boyfriend.
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A nice movie ?
OK, if you can survive the first half.
One more take on the "fake boyfriend" scheme. Rhiannon Fish plays Rory who, with her dorky-adorable sister Cleo, joins their parents, in a renewal of their vows at the very B&B where they fell in love. This is, definitely, not one of Rhiannon's better performances. There, she unexpectedly finds her ex and his new love interest, and becomes unglued. Impulsively, she convinces the B&B owner, Noah, played by James William O'Halloran, to pose as her new boyfriend. The rest of the plot develops along predictable lines. At first, Noah appears almost like a hapless klutz. Yet, he soon proves to have appreciable human dimensions and turns out to be a real "prince". Rory's family are very warm and pleasant people with captivating qualities. The problem with the show is Rory's character. Her embarrassment and discomfort are so enormously overplayed that she appears childish, emotionally disturbed ,if not semi-hysterical for a good half of the movie. Honestly, I felt uncomfortable, just watching it all. Happily, she tones down in the second half. From there, the movie offers some sweet moments and glimpses of family values and sensible romance, as one would have expected. While this may reassure that a usually endearing actress has not totally lost it, it is not enough to completely salvage the production.
Keep watching through the cringey reunion at the beginning. It gets better
Awkward.
Unrealistic.
Cringeworthy.
At least at the beginning.
But then there is some fun banter and some nice getting to know you moments between the two leads. And the Lily Lake B&B is located in a lovely setting near some beautiful waterfalls cleverly known as "The Falls". The movie also uses a lot of split screens in a way I found to be (mostly) effective. And the background music is quite good.
Still, a B&B with no WiFi?
No TVs in the rooms?
A front desk with no computer?
A front desk person who goes into another room, puts on headphones, and dances obliviously right when guests are expected to be checking in at 4pm?
Rhiannon Fish is not for everyone, but I enjoyed her in this movie and in the recent A Picture of Her. She's quirky, fun, spirited and engaging. And a little silly. And she looked great in this movie, especially in that white hat. Unfortunately, I didn't like how her role was written in the scenes involving her ex, Jason, who dumped her back in NYC, but just happened to be checking into the same B&B where Rory and her family were staying. I would have preferred it if her character had been written with more of a backbone.
James Williams O'Halloran was solid as Noah. Frankie Savige was savage as Rory's heartless boss Melody. Erin Connor had some lovely moments playing Rory's mother, and Renee Herbert was sweet and enthusiastic as Rory's sister Cleo.
Bottom line, it was worth watching.
"You'll look back one day and you'll realize that all the little things, they add up to be the big things in life. And that makes every moment so much more precious."
"There are two moments in life, those you miss and those you seize."