Since both of my reviews from this year’s “Fall Harvest” line-up have been pretty well-liked and since I don’t know if I’ll review any movies before my Halloween double feature, I decided to review Love, of Course. Like a lot of the movies I talk about on 18 Cinema Lane, I had low expectations for this film. While I’d seen Cameron Mathison and Mackenzie Vega perform in at least one Hallmark movie before, I had never seen any of Kelly Rutherford or Gabby Douglas’ acting performances. Also, the story of a parent spending time with their children at college is not new for Hallmark, as A Lesson in Romance was released four years prior to Love, of Course. However, I wanted to watch this film with an open mind, hoping that, at least, some creativity was incorporated into this story. Was Love, of Course the surprise waiting at the end of the corn maze? Let’s take the trip through this review to find out!

Things I liked about the film:

The acting: The entire cast of this movie was great! Everyone brought their A game to their specific roles, with all of the performances appearing natural and believable. The talents of the actors complimented each other, making the film even more enjoyable. Before watching Love, of Course, I was impressed by Mackenzie Vega’s performance in Hallmark Hall of Fame’s The Beach House. Mackenzie’s portrayal of Cara was great in this film as well! I hope Mackenzie can appear in more Hallmark movies in the future.

 

The on-screen chemistry: Kelly Rutherford and Cameron Mathison gave a great performance individually and as a pair. One thing that added to the portrayal of their characters was their on-screen chemistry. Amy and Noah’s relationship came across very convincingly. It also looked and felt like their relationship was developing over the course of the film. Watching Amy and Noah’s interactions was definitely one of the highlights of this film!

 

The fall and harvest themes: I thought the fall theme was incorporated really well in Love, of Course! There was a lot of fall related things in the movie; from the idea of someone going back to school to the desserts that Amy makes for the people around her. I also liked how this story focused on the theme of harvest. Farmer’s markets have been featured in Hallmark movies before. However, Love, of Course showed the process of how a farmer’s market participant prepares to sell their product at a farmer’s market. I found this aspect of the film very informative and interesting!

What I didn’t like about the film:

The under-utilization of Gabby Douglas: Even though Gabby doesn’t have as much acting experience as some of the other cast members in this film, I was disappointed by how little screen time she was given. Gabby is not only one of the top billed actresses in the film, she is also featured on the film’s poster. While watching this film, I noticed that Gabby was present in the movie for about five minutes or less.

My overall impression:

I’ve seen the majority of Hallmark’s 2018 “Fall Harvest” movies. Out of all those films, Love, of Course is the best one from this line-up! Outside of the Christmas season, the “Fall Harvest” line-up has been the strongest on Hallmark Channel! In fact, I think this year’s “Fall Harvest” line-up was better than last year’s. Even though Love, of Course had some elements that are usually found in Hallmark movies, there were also aspects within the film that were creative and interesting. It was also nice to see that the cast was made up of familiar faces (Mackenzie Vega from The Beach House) and new members of the Hallmark community (Kelly Rutherford). I’m hoping that these familiar faces can continue to work and thrive in the Hallmark community and that today’s new members can be the familiar faces of tomorrow.

 

Overall score: 8.3 out of 10

 

What are your thoughts on this year’s “Fall Harvest” line-up? Which movie has been your favorite? Let me know in the comment section!

 

Have fun at the movies!

Sally Silverscreen