Tag: Gabriel Hogan

Take 3: Carrot Cake Murder: A Hannah Swensen Mystery Review

On By 18cinemalaneLeave a comment

Here at 18 Cinema Lane, I try to review movies that have been recommended to me by my readers. Typically, I watch movies and write about them in the hopes they are good. But in the case of this review, I’m approaching this film a little differently. In the comment section of my article, ‘The Top 10 Worst Hallmark Movies of All Time’, one of my readers, Not a fan of Carrot Cake, shared their worst Hallmark movie they’ve watched. That film is the latest Hallmark Movies & Mysteries title, Carrot Cake Murder: A Hannah Swensen Mystery. Their thoughts on the movie intrigued me. It made me wonder if it was worse than Francesca Quinn, P. I., the worst Hallmark movie I’ve ever seen. So, without further delay, let’s solve this mystery by reviewing Carrot Cake Murder: A Hannah Swensen Mystery!

Carrot Cake Murder: A Hannah Swensen Mystery poster created by Lighthouse Pictures, Looking Glass Productions, and Hallmark Movies & Mysteries

Things I liked about the film:

The camaraderie between the cast members: In a movie series, a group of actors will become familiar with one another’s talents and personalities. This familiarity creates a consistency that can be seen in the characters’ interactions. That consistency allows these interactions to come across as believable in the eyes of the audience. As Carrot Cake Murder: A Hannah Swensen Mystery is the seventh film in its series, the camaraderie between the cast members remained continuous not only throughout this story, but also throughout the series! When Hannah, portrayed by Alison Sweeney, and Norman, portrayed by Gabriel Hogan, interacted with each other, their friendship felt genuine. As Hannah’s mom, portrayed by Barbara Niven, discussed her concerns about her daughter’s safety, that discussion between mother and daughter was presented realistically. These interactions were not only the result of the camaraderie between the cast members, but also the cast members displaying an understanding for their characters and their stories!

The inside jokes: Hallmark has a history of incorporating humor into their mystery series. Typically, this humor can be heard within the dialogue between characters or shown through hilarious situations. In Carrot Cake Murder: A Hannah Swensen Mystery, Hallmark related inside jokes were woven into the script. Frustrated by Hannah’s involvement in the murder mystery case, Mike’s boss tells Mike Hannah is acting like a podcaster. This statement is a reference to Alison’s other mystery series, Chronicle Mysteries. Over lunch, Hannah’s mother, Delores, brings up how Hannah and Mike’s upcoming wedding is never discussed. That conversation references how Hannah and Mike have been engaged since Murder She Baked: Just Desserts, a movie that was released in 2017. These inside jokes provide “Easter eggs” for fans of the Murder She Baked/Hannah Swensen series, as well as fans of Hallmark’s mystery films!

Use of clues: Some mystery stories utilize clues in order for the mystery to be solved. This is the case for several of Hallmark’s titles, including Carrot Cake Murder: A Hannah Swensen Mystery. The movie’s mystery begins in 1995. Therefore, one of the clues is a pager, which was used to determine who the victim called before they passed away. Another clue was a set of keys. But these keys helped set up a timeline for the mystery’s events. The incorporation of the clues in Carrot Cake Murder: A Hannah Swensen Mystery combined the past and present in a nice way. It also showcased a variety of objects that could be used to solve a case!

Baking essentials image created by Olga_spb at freepik.com. <a href=’https://www.freepik.com/free-vector/background-with-elements-of-the-bakery_903718.htm’>Designed by Olga_spb</a>. <a href=”https://www.freepik.com/free-photos-vectors/background”>Background vector created by Olga_spb – Freepik.com</a>. Image found at freepik.com.

What I didn’t like about the film:

The underutilization of Mike: Since the series’ inception, Mike has always played an integral role in the story of Murder She Baked/Hannah Swensen. Because he is a professional detective, he provides a unique perspective to a movie’s case, especially compared to Hannah’s perspective. But in Carrot Cake Murder: A Hannah Swensen Mystery, Mike wasn’t given much to do. Instead, Hannah solves the mystery single-handedly, relying on Mike less than in previous films. The “opposites attract” dynamic between Hannah and Mike was missing, which took away some of the series’ charm. It also does Cameron Mathison and his character a huge disservice.

Lack of “coziness”: The Murder She Baked/Hannah Swensen series has garnered a reputation for being a “cozy” mystery. Despite the stories containing murder mysteries, the stories themselves don’t feel too dark in tone. Instead, humor and pleasant character interactions break up the serious nature of the murder mystery. In Carrot Cake Murder: A Hannah Swensen Mystery, however, that “cozy” feeling was absent. While I did like the inside jokes woven into the script, the overall tone of the movie was serious. The lack of light-hearted subplots didn’t help either. In context with the series as a whole, this film causes a tonal shift that feels jarring.

Mike and Hannah’s relationship: For this part of my review, I will include spoilers for Carrot Cake Murder: A Hannah Swensen Mystery. If you have not seen this movie yet and are interested in watching it, please skip ahead to the part of my review titled “My overall impression”.

The majority of Hallmark’s mystery series contain a romantic relationship between the male and female protagonist. More often than not, these relationships grow as its series progresses. In the Murder She Baked/Hannah Swensen series, viewers have witnessed Hannah and Mike go from being neighborhood friends to a romantic couple. As I mentioned in this review, they became engaged in Murder She Baked: Just Desserts. But in Carrot Cake Murder: A Hannah Swensen Mystery, Mike and Hannah’s relationship was not prioritized as in previous movies. They didn’t spend much time together in this story. In fact, Hannah spent more time with Norman than with Mike. This creative choice caused Alison and Cameron’s on-screen chemistry to feel weaker compared to other films.

Like I said earlier in this review, Delores mentions how Hannah and Mike’s wedding hasn’t been discussed. I also mentioned how Mike and Hannah got engaged in a movie that was released over five years ago. During that time, fans of the series have been waiting for Hannah and Mike to finally walk down the aisle and say “I do”. But in the last twenty minutes of Carrot Cake Murder: A Hannah Swensen Mystery, Hannah ends her and Mike’s engagement. Why, you ask? Because she was upset Mike didn’t tell her he was filling his boss in on developments she and Mike found in relation to the story’s mystery. Hannah seems so justified in her choice, she, through a monologue, compares her ended relationship with baking bread, saying something along the lines of the ingredients needing to be respected. Personally, I feel Hannah’s decision to end her and Mike’s relationship was unnecessarily spontaneous. Looking back on this movie, it makes me wonder if Hannah and Mike breaking up was Hallmark’s excuse to discontinue this series?

Colorful image of key created by orchidart at freepik.com. Flower vector created by orchidart – www.freepik.com

My overall impression:

I chose to review Carrot Cake Murder: A Hannah Swensen Mystery in an attempt to see if it was worse than Francesca Quinn, P. I. Like I said in the introduction, I also reviewed this movie in response to one of my readers. Now that I’ve seen the film, I can honestly say, in my opinion, it is nowhere near as bad as Francesca Quinn, P. I. However, it is one of the most disappointing movies I’ve seen this year, so far. In a recent article from The Wrap, Alison Sweeney confirmed another chapter in the Murder She Baked/Hannah Swensen series. Without spoiling Carrot Cake Murder: A Hannah Swensen Mystery, all I can say is I have no idea how this is possible. Other than solving a mystery, this movie put the series in a standstill. The film’s creative team didn’t provide a reason for the fans to get excited for the next story. From Mike being underutilized to the lack of “coziness” in the latest chapter, I’m wondering if this series will be another mystery series that will unceremoniously end? I said in my editorial about Francesca Quinn, P. I. how Hallmark’s priorities no longer lie with the mystery genre. Reflecting on that film and Carrot Cake Murder: A Hannah Swensen Mystery, it seems like I may be proven right.

Overall score: 5 out of 10

Have you seen Carrot Cake Murder: A Hannah Swensen Mystery? What do you think is in store for the Murder She Baked/Hannah Swensen series? Let me know in the comment section!

Have fun at the movies!

Sally Silverscreen

Take 3: Accidental Friendship Review + 275, 280, and 285 Follower Thank You

On By 18cinemalaneLeave a comment

Last November and December were, for me, the busiest months of 2020. As I was completing articles and reviews before the end of the year, 18 Cinema Lane received 275, 280, and 285 followers! Instead of writing three reviews to commemorate each accomplishment, I am writing one review to recognize all three accomplishments. Since I felt like watching the 2008 Hallmark movie, Accidental Friendship, that’s the film I choose for this blog follower dedication review. This is a title that I’ve never seen in its entirety. Because of that, I didn’t know the movie was based/inspired by a true story. The idea of Hallmark creating films out of true stories is nothing new. However, I don’t recall many Hallmark movies from the perspective of people in homelessness. When I watch more Hallmark projects released before 2010, I notice how this particular time period saw stories that were more unique from those in recent years. It is one of the reasons why I find myself seeking out Hallmark’s older films than their newer ones.

Accidental Friendship poster created by Crown Media Family Networks and Hallmark Movies & Mysteries.

Things I liked about the film:

The acting: While I’m familiar with Chandra Wilson from seeing her on advertisements for Grey’s Anatomy, I have never seen any of her performances. Therefore, I didn’t know what to expect from her acting abilities. As I was watching Accidental Friendship, I saw how Chandra stole the show! From what I know about Grey’s Anatomy, it is dramatic and deals with a variety of circumstances. Because of her involvement on that show, Chandra was able to adapt to any situation her character, Yvonne, was facing. This made her performance emotional as well as believable! During the film, Yvonne experiences both heartbreak and joy, from losing a precious item to dancing to Christmas music with her dogs. In every situation, Chandra gave her performance her all to the point where you couldn’t help feeling bad and/or rooting for her character. When it comes to police officers in movies and television shows, they seem to share similar personality traits. This can range from being tough to “no nonsense”. With Kathleen Munroe’s portrayal of Tami, a newer type of personality is given to this kind of character. She was gentler than her fellow officers and also had an easy-going persona. This not only helped Tami form a friendship with Yvonne, but it helped Kathleen deliver a likable performance as well! I haven’t seen a lot of projects from Gabriel Hogan’s filmography. But some of the movies I have seen were those from the Murder, She Baked series. In that series, Gabriel portrayed a supporting character who was trying to win over Hannah’s heart. In Accidental Friendship, Gabriel was given more material to work with. This allowed him to show how he is capable of giving his character, Kevin, a charming personality! It also helped that he had good on-screen chemistry with Kathleen Munroe!

The lighting: Lighting can be an unsung hero when it comes to movie productions, as it can enhance a film’s tone and highlight the vision a creative team is striving towards. With Accidental Friendship, lighting was used to showcase the different lives of Yvonne and Tami. During Yvonne’s parts of the story, the scenes were cast with a grayish blue light. This represented the dire outcome Yvonne was facing on a day-to-day basis. Tami’s parts of the story were captured in a warm yellow light. It showcased how Tami’s life was desired and comfortable, complete with a successful career and a growing romance.

Yvonne’s dialogue: From time to time, Yvonne talks about her situation by referencing luxury items she doesn’t own. When she is making plans with Tami to meet up at a specific location, Yvonne says she’ll record the meeting in her Blackberry. Later in the film, when Yvonne is sharing a meal with a friend, she tells him she’ll have to get a new shopping cart. Yvonne says she’s getting an “upgrade”. The way she spoke about her circumstances was clever, especially from a screenwriting perspective. The references to luxury items provided a subtle contrast to Yvonne’s reality. This decision in writing was definitely “outside the box”, an idea I might not have thought of myself.

Dog collection image created by Freepik at freepik.com. <a href=”https://www.freepik.com/free-photos-vectors/dog”>Dog vector created by freepik – http://www.freepik.com</a>. Image found at freepik.com.

What I didn’t like about the film:

A somewhat misleading title: This film is called Accidental Friendship, implying that the story will revolve around a friendship that originally wasn’t meant to be. However, the friendship of Yvonne and Tami does not officially begin until the movie’s halfway point, with the film’s first half focusing on the differences between Yvonne’s and Tami’s life. Even when the halfway point does arrive, they don’t refer to each other as friends until the end of the movie. In fact, Yvonne refuses Tami’s help for most of the story. All of these factors cause the film’s title to come across as somewhat misleading.

Tami and Kevin’s relationship: Throughout the story, Tami develops a relationship with a police officer named Kevin. While this relationship was fine and there was good on-screen chemistry between Kathleen and Gabriel, I didn’t like how this was Tami’s only personal conflict. It didn’t serve a lot of interest because it was more predictable than other areas of the story. The inclusion of Tami and Kevin’s relationship feels like a network decision, making part of the project seem like a typical Hallmark Channel picture. Because the story itself is sadder than most of the films from Hallmark’s main channel, the relationship kind of felt out of place within the overall tone.

Situations that don’t get resolved: In the story, there are some situations in Yvonne’s life that don’t receive a resolution. Since readers who might not have seen this film may read this review, I won’t spoil the movie. Hallmark films are known for showing their characters reaching a resolution that is satisfying for both the character and audience. Even if the character doesn’t get exactly what they want, they receive answers that are close enough to their original goals. Had at least one of Yvonne’s situations been resolved within the story, it would have given the audience one less thing to worry about.

Winner’s medal image created by Freepik at freepik.com. <a href=’https://www.freepik.com/free-vector/golden-awards-set-with-colors-details_844356.htm’>Designed by Freepik</a>. <a href=”https://www.freepik.com/free-photos-vectors/gold”>Gold vector created by Freepik</a>. Image found at freepik.com.

My overall impression:

Before I share my overall impression, I want to thank all of my followers for their support and patience. 18 Cinema Lane has almost 300 followers, a stepping stone that would have never been reached without you. The blog does mean a lot to me, so I appreciate visitors taking the time to read my content. Now, on to my overall impression of Accidental Friendship! This is a fine, well-made film. In fact, the overall quality of the movie felt like a Hallmark Hall of Fame production. But I do wish the majority of the story had focused on Yvonne’s perspective, as I found it to be more interesting than Tami’s. I also thought the title was somewhat misleading, as the friendship doesn’t happen until the movie’s halfway point. As I said in my review, Accidental Friendship is sadder than the films that have recently been found on Hallmark Channel. Therefore, it doesn’t have the same amount of re-watchability like other Hallmark films. When I saw Accidental Friendship, I was surprised to see most of the story take place during the Christmas season. It makes me wonder why the movie isn’t included in Hallmark’s annual Christmas line-ups?

Overall score: 7.2 out of 10

How many of Hallmark’s pre-2010s films have you seen? Do you enjoy Hallmark movies that feel more like Hallmark Hall of Fame productions? Tell me in the comment section!

Have fun at the movies!

Sally Silverscreen