After three months of voting, the winners of the 2020 Gold Sally Awards have been determined! This year, the nominees were expanded beyond Hallmark projects. I made this choice to better reflect 18 Cinema Lane. Because of its success, I will not only bring the Gold Sally Awards back in 2021, but I’ll continue nominating films from within Hallmark and outside of Hallmark! Thank you to everyone who liked and voted in the 2nd Annual Gold Sally Awards! You are the reason why I keep this event around! Like last year, I have brought back the scrapbook style page showcasing this year’s winners! 2020’s theme is silver and gold with a dash of sparkle! And now, the winners of the 2020 Gold Sally Awards!
Scrapbook page and screenshot taken by me, Sally Silverscreen.
Best Movie and Ensemble: Avengers: Endgame
Best Story: Mystery 101: Words Can Kill
Best On-Screen Couple: Ziyi Zhang and Chen Chang – Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon
Best Actress: Haya Harareet – Ben-Hur (1959)
Best Actor: Spencer Tracy – Boys Town
Best Supporting Actress: Kathy Bates – Swept from the Sea
Best Supporting Actor: Ian McKellen – Swept from the Sea
Happy April! We’re almost finished with the acting division as the Best Supporting Actor poll arrives. This poll will help us determine who will be crowned the Best Supporting Actor of the 2nd Annual Gold Sally Awards! You’re allowed to vote for more than one nominee. However, you can only vote once per person. This poll starts today, April 3rd, and ends on April 9th.
Before I start this When Calls the Heart re-cap, I’d like to remind everyone that Thursday, April 2nd, is the last day to cast your vote for the Best Supporting Actress of the 2nd Annual Gold Sally Awards! The next poll will be posted on the April 3rd! Here is the link to the poll:
It’s hard to believe that Jesse and Clara’s wedding is the third one that has taken place on When Calls the Heart. So many milestones have happened on this show in the six years it has aired on Hallmark Channel. From being the longest running program in the network’s history to its consistent ratings, the show has found so much success in less than ten years. But, like any show, When Calls the Heart is not perfect. As I mentioned in last week’s re-cap post, the creative team behind the program experienced backlash after Jack’s death. They also had to deal with the “Abigail situation” last year, causing the show to experience a temporary delay. Despite these flaws, the show has survived each situation. The fanbase has stuck by When Calls the Heart’s side and cheered it on, which helped keep the show running. There are both positive and negative qualities to this show. But since it has left a special place in the hearts of their fans, it has become a program worth fighting for. These aspects make me wonder if When Calls the Heart is like a relationship?
Just a reminder: If you did not see this episode of When Calls the Heart, there may be spoilers within this re-cap.
For the majority of the episode, Clara and Jesse make last minute preparations for their wedding. But as the day of the wedding approaches, Clara becomes more reflective toward the past. At the café, Clara shares with Bill that she’s been thinking about her deceased parents. Bill tells her that they would have been proud of her and he would have wanted someone like her to be his daughter. The current wedding also makes Clara think about her first wedding. The night before the ceremony, Clara shares her fears with Elizabeth about losing Jesse, similar to how she lost Peter. Elizabeth reminds Clara not to worry about “what ifs” and that the time she spends with Jesse is the most valuable part of their relationship. On the day of the wedding, Clara and Jesse’s plans for an outdoor wedding don’t work out, as it ends up raining for the whole day. In an instant, Elizabeth decides to host the wedding and the reception at the saloon. During a two-hour time-frame, Elizabeth and several of Hope Valley’s citizens come together to set up the venue. The wedding and reception itself run smoothly, with Jesse and Clara receiving the ceremony of their dreams. At the end of the episode, Elizabeth ends up catching Clara’s bouquet.
At recess, Robert approaches Elizabeth. He reveals to her that he’s been thinking about becoming a Mountie. This conversation is interrupted by the arrival of Pastor Zeke. Later that day, Elizabeth continues the conversation she and Robert started at recess. While learning more about Robert’s reasons for choosing this profession, she discovers that he plans on abandoning his education in order to start his Mountie training. Elizabeth suggests that Robert should spend a day with Nathan, so he can see what it’s like to be a Mountie. After Nathan agrees, Robert visits Nathan to gain insight about his potential occupation. While there, Robert believes that the prisoner who is currently in jail could be a nice person. Nathan warns Robert not to become emotionally involved when it comes to any Mountie related situation. The next day, Nathan and some of his fellow Mounties are in the process of transferring the aforementioned prisoner. During this transfer, the prisoner tries to escape. However, Nathan catches the prisoner before the event can cause more fear for the citizens of Hope Valley. After this event, Robert tells Nathan that he’s not sure if he wants to be a Mountie anymore. This is because he doesn’t feel he is brave enough to be a hero like Nathan. Nathan confesses that he doesn’t always feel brave and that when he was Robert’s age, he didn’t feel ready to become a Mountie. At Jesse and Clara’s wedding, Elizabeth tells Nathan that Robert has decided not to become a Mountie. She shares with Nathan that Robert wants to focus on his education and be a kid.
Even though the saloon looked visually appealing, I think the main story’s conflict was more on the predictable side. When Calls the Heart has done a good job this season what it comes to subverting expectations. I would have liked to see this same story-telling approach applied to Jesse and Clara’s wedding. As I mentioned in last week’s re-cap post, I was disappointed by their wedding taking place indoors. It makes me wonder why Jesse and Clara didn’t just receive a Christmas wedding in the first place?
I liked Robert’s storyline, but I don’t think it should have been featured in this episode. Because Jesse and Clara’s wedding was an overarching event within the episode, the episode itself should have kept its focused on the wedding. Robert’s storyline in the context of the main story felt random.
I loved Clara’s wedding dress! It had a different style from Rosemary’s and Elizabeth’s dresses and it suited Eva well! Like the previous two dresses, I hope Hallmark hosts a contest where the winner receives Clara’s dress!
What are your thoughts on Jesse and Clara’s wedding? Do you have any predictions on who the next couple to get married will be? Let me know in the comment section!
Now that we have a determined winner for the Best Actress category, it’s time to move on to the Best Supporting Actress division. Like the previous two acting polls, this specific poll is for choosing the Supporting Actress that was the best of the year! You’re allowed to vote for more than one nominee. However, you can only vote once per person. This poll starts today, March 27th, and ends on April 2nd.
Before I start this When Calls the Heart re-cap, I’d like to remind everyone that Thursday, March 26th, is the last day to cast your vote for the Best Actress of the 2nd Annual Gold Sally Awards! The next poll will be posted on the 27th! Here is the link to the poll:
Taking things at face value is something that we’ve all done at least once in our lives. We judge a book by its cover, believe something for what it is, or quickly take someone else’s word. However, not everything is what it seems. False information may be passed along, providing opportunities for research and facts to come into play. Gossip and rumors can spread from ear to ear, but, more often than not, truth will prevail. Upon a second glance, looks can be deceiving. This episode of When Calls the Heart perfectly exemplifies everything I’ve just said. Several situations occur in Hope Valley that are easy to observe at face value. However, as you’ll read in this re-cap, the situations are not as they seem.
Just a reminder: If you did not see this episode of When Calls the Heart, there may be spoilers within this re-cap.
At the beginning of the episode, Elizabeth discovers that a lot of Jack’s clothing doesn’t fit him anymore. When Rosemary comes by to collect the clothes for a fellow neighbor, she sees how disappointed Elizabeth is. In an effort to cheer her up, Rosemary decides to give Elizabeth a bouquet of flowers. The next day, when Rosemary arrives to give Elizabeth the flowers, she discovers that Elizabeth is not home. So, Rosemary places the flowers on the doorstep with no attached card. Elizabeth is pleasantly surprised to find the flowers. When Bill pays her a visit and notices the flowers, he suspects that Nathan or Lucas is the culprit. Elizabeth, however, doesn’t make a big deal about the gesture. In his spare time, Bill tells Nathan and Lucas about the flowers, hoping one of them will reveal their secret. Both Nathan and Lucas are caught off guard, as none of them gave Elizabeth the flowers. In town, where Molly and Elizabeth have a conversation about the flowers, Ally overhears what they are saying. She also wonders if Nathan truly gave the gift. At Clara’s Bachelorette party, Elizabeth spends time with both Nathan and Lucas. She tries to figure out which man is responsible for the flowers. To Elizabeth’s disappointment, none of them seem to have given the bouquet. After the party, Rosemary reveals the she was the one who gave Elizabeth the flowers in an attempt to make her feel better about Jack growing up. Elizabeth is relived by this because she’s afraid of the idea of Nathan or Lucas falling in love with her being real. Rosemary tells her that it’s ok to open up her heart again. At the end of the episode, both Nathan and Lucas give Elizabeth a bouquet of flowers.
Throughout the episode, Rosemary is busy planning Clara’s Bachelorette party and creating Clara’s wedding dress. Her to-do list causes Lee to rethink his ideas for Jesse’s Bachelor party. Later that day, he meets with the guests to determine what will work. During the meeting, Lucas shares that he let the guests of the Bachelorette party reserve half the saloon. He also says the saloon’s chef will make the food for the aforementioned party. Because of this, Bill volunteers to make the food, with the help of Nathan. On the day of the Bachelor party, Jesse reveals that he’s nervous about getting married. He says that he’s afraid he won’t be a good enough husband to Clara. Lee comforts Jesse by sharing his past insecurities and reminding Jesse that his love for Clara is all that matters. At the party, the men discover that they’re not having as good of a time as they thought. Mike suggests that both parties should combine to become one big party. Every guest ends up taking this suggestion. As a result, everyone has a better experience because they’re spending time together. Lee also admits that Rosemary is more talented when it comes to planning events.
Before she left for medical school, Faith hired Molly as the Infirmary’s secretary. This decision was made in an effort to help Carson with day-to-day duties. While Faith had good intentions, they lead to undesirable results. Molly creates appointment schedules without informing Carson, she diagnoses patients with no medical context, and she assumes the worst with her own health. All of this becomes too overwhelming for Carson. One day, he tells Molly not to diagnose patients without his knowledge. At first, it seems like Molly understands what Carson is saying. But, at Jesse and Clara’s party, Carson realizes that Mollie’s feelings are hurt. Florence tells Carson that Molly’s secretary job is the first full-time job she’s had in a long time. This fact makes Carson see how important this job is to Molly. When talking with Carson, at the party, Molly shares her medical concerns. Carson tells her that, sometimes, people can get carried away with certain medical terms and conditions. He also admits that he should have taken a gentler approach to the situation. As Molly continues to work at the Infirmary, it seems like she and Carson have gained a better understanding of each other.
Because she misses her ride to the city, Fiona asks Henry if she can borrow his car. She tells him she needs to go to Benson Hills to pick up parts for Bill’s phone. After getting his permission, Fiona is on her way to the city. Just as she’s about to leave, Rosemary asks her if they can carpool to Benson Hills. Rosemary says that she also has to go to the city so she can pick up material for Clara’s dress. After agreeing to take her, Fiona and Rosemary start their journey to Benson Hills. Later in the episode, Fiona and Rosemary are on their way back home. However, their trip is interrupted when they experience car trouble. While figuring out what to do, Rosemary recruits the help of a nearby neighbor. When the neighbor arrives, he helps Fiona take the car to Kevin, while Rosemary takes the dress material and heads to the dress shop. Back in Hope Valley, Kevin tries to help Fiona fix Henry’s car. However, his vehicle knowledge is very limited. Later that night, they arrive at Jesse and Clara’s party. While there, Henry asks Fiona where his car is. She tells him that it got dirty on the way home, so she wanted to clean it before giving it back to him. Henry tells her that he needs the car tomorrow in order to go to a meeting. The next day, when returning the car to Henry, Kevin and Fiona confess that the car is broken due to yesterday’s events. After dealing with the brakes, Henry reveals that the car isn’t broken, but sometimes experiences brake related issues.
In this episode, Clara’s dress isn’t revealed to the audience. Even in the commercial for the next episode, only a part of her dress is shown. I like how the show’s creative team is intentionally waiting until the wedding to show Clara’s dress. It creates a shared experience for the audience and the characters, as most of the characters are going to see the dress for the first time at the wedding. It also reminds me of Marrying Father Christmas, when Miranda’s dress wasn’t revealed until the wedding ceremony.
Speaking of the commercial for the next episode, the footage made it look like Jesse and Clara’s wedding will take place indoors. If this is the case, I would be disappointed. Hearties have never seen an outdoor wedding on the show before, so this would be When Calls the Heart history in the making. If the wedding takes place indoors and if the writers knew that was going to happen that far in advance, then why didn’t Jesse and Clara receive a Christmas wedding in the first place?
I know that a lot of fans are invested in the love triangle that is taking place on the show. However, I’m personally not a fan of it. In stories, I find love triangles to be a waste of time and creative energy. Nathan and Lucas trying to win over Elizabeth’s heart has gone on for too long, lasting a season and a half. Honestly, I hope this gets resolved soon so the writers can move on to a different story.
As I said in last week’s Word on the Street story, no winner was determined in the Best Actress division of the Gold Sally Awards. Because of this, I decided to re-post the Best Actress poll, so people who are interested in voting can have a second chance to choose among the ten nominees. Like the previous polls, you’re allowed to vote for more than one actress. However, you can only vote once per person. This poll starts today, March 20th, and ends on March 26th.
The Gold Sally Awards makes an effort to recognize the best actors and actresses of the previous year. Throughout the month of March, the individual acting polls of the Gold Sally Awards will take place. The first of these four polls is to determine the Best Actress! For this poll, you’re allowed to vote for more than one actress. But you can only vote once per person. This poll starts today, March 6th, and ends on March 12th.
The fourth poll of the 2020 Gold Sally Award is here! This poll is meant to crown the Best Ensemble out of the movies I saw in 2019! Like the previous polls, you’re allowed to vote for more than one ensemble. But you can only vote once per person. This poll starts today, February 28th, and ends on March 5th.
It’s time to vote for the Gold Sally Award’s Best Story of 2019! In this poll, you will help determine which movie I saw in 2019 had the best story. You’re allowed to vote for more than one story. However, you can only vote once per person. This poll starts today, February 21st, and ends on February 27th.
Happy Valentine’s Day! Because today is February 14th, I decided to change things up a little bit. Instead of posting the Best Story poll as the second poll of this year’s Gold Sally Awards, I decided to post the Best On-Screen Couple poll earlier than I did last year! In this poll, you’ll be voting on who was the best on-screen couple from movies I saw in 2019. Similar to the previous poll, you are allowed to vote for more than one on-screen couple. But you can only vote once per person. This poll starts today, on February 14th, and ends on February 20th.