Hallmark Has Made Some Choices I Haven’t Loved lately, But They Delivered Us A Banger Just In Time For Valentine’s Day

by

For approximately ten years, I’ve been sharing insights on forthcoming Hallmark movies, experiencing a mix of flops and masterpieces during this period. To illustrate, last year’s Christmas movie season fell short of expectations, but the fresh start of 2025 has brought about good news! I’m thrilled to announce that Hallmark has delivered an outstanding production – perfectly timed for Valentine’s Day celebrations.

If you’re a fan of the channel, you might have caught Lacey Chabert’s recent film – it’s her first Valentine’s Day movie in a while and it turned out beautifully. In fact, “An Unexpected Valentine” could be my favorite Hallmark movie to air since “A Biltmore Christmas,” which premiered in 2023.

An Unforeseen Valentine

This heartwarming movie showcases Chabert and Robert Buckley, who previously appeared in Hallmark productions and iZombie respectively. Together, they make an enchanting pair. Their romantic encounter takes place in a lesser-known Uber rival, where Finn, played by Buckley, is both an artist and occasional driver, while Hannah, portrayed by Chabert, creates exquisite chocolate sculptures. On Valentine’s Day, Hannah discovers a lost engagement ring in Finn’s vehicle. As they collaborate to return the ring, they cross paths with various couples at different stages of their relationships, all while discovering their own compatibility.

Despite some speculation suggesting that the 42-year-old actress might be nearing the end of her career in such films, Hallmark has taken steps to counteract this perception by emphasizing Chabert’s “uniqueness” in conveying heartwarming holiday tales. Chabert, who aspires to tell stories across all life stages, is demonstrating her commitment to this goal with her latest romantic project, which features characters at different stages of their romantic journeys.

I found it intriguing that Hannah and Finn balance each other well, mostly because they are contrasting personalities. She’s organized and polished; he’s got a lot of parking fines. Yet, they both have a love for art and adventure, which makes their pairing seem authentic despite their differences. The chemistry between them can make or break a Hallmark movie, and while Chabert consistently delivers an outstanding performance, Finn and Hannah come across as a harmonious match without straining too much to fit together.

Indeed, on the set, it might not have been as genuine as portrayed. However, the fact that this film has a straightforward concept yet manages to be captivating speaks volumes about the talent of its cast and crew. I found myself appreciating some subtle details in the movie, such as how Finn’s camera often finds Hannah, which adds depth without relying on dialogue. It’s a clever technique for building chemistry and it keeps viewers hooked.

Intriguingly, the storyline of “An Unexpected Valentine” follows a pattern we’ve seen before on the network, with characters who’ve recently met or are new colleagues embarking on an adventure to recover a lost item. The execution is particularly effective in this case.

Lacey Chabert is often known as the ‘Queen of Christmas’ on television networks, but it was unusual that her top holiday film this year, “Hot Frosty,” premiered on Netflix instead of Hallmark. Although I don’t dislike “The Christmas Quest” – it simply didn’t make my Top 5 list this season. It’s intriguing because Chabert’s holiday movie focused on searching for a missing item, while her Valentine’s Day film centered around returning an item she found. Now, if only she could star in a movie about someone returning a lost item to her, she would complete a kind of thematic trilogy.

I’m just saying, we’ll be needing some Spring and Summer adventures coming down the pipeline next!

Read More

2025-02-05 17:09