This is one of the better Hallmark movies I've seen. You expect Hallmark to be formulaic. You expect it to be sentimental. You expect it to be predictable. This movie was all of those. But it didn't detract from the story, which was sweet and touching, nor the characters, who were likable and whose interactions with each other were genuine and believable.
Alison Sweeny as Jenny provided just the right amount of sweetness and vulnerability, while still playing the no-nonsense single mother, who clearly loves her children and will do anything to protect them. Greg Vaughn as Jeff is absolute perfection as the good-guy fireman, who is tough, but has a heart for Jenny's children and a deep capacity to love her. You also really feel for his hidden pain, at having lost his own firefighter father when he was 10. The cynic in you might question the ease with which Jeff enters the lives of Jenny and her kids and instantly charms them, not with fake gimmicks, but with genuine caring and concern. But the hopeful optimist in you gladly cheers him on and welcomes his eventual entry into their little family to heal all their past hurts.
The subplot about the kids reading to the residents of the retirement home was quite touching. Was it unbelievable? Sure. I mean, a 7-year-old reading Moby Dick? Or an 8-year-old composing stories so convincing that the blind woman wouldn't realize they were written by her? And what kids in the real world would seek out an opportunity to hang out at a retirement home, unless they had grandparents or someone there that they actually knew, or unless an adult forced them to go? But the kids were adorable, if a bit too much on the Hollywood precocious side, and their interactions with the old folks were sweet and genuine.
The script was good. The dialog was realistic, as were the interactions of the characters with each other. Jenny's pushing away of Jeff, just as things were going well between them, was frustrating, yet believable. A single mom whose husband abandoned her and the kids would naturally be gun-shy about opening her heart to a guy who, honestly, seems too good to be true, and she would be all about protecting the kids from getting too close to that guy, who could as easily exit their lives as he entered them, and break their hearts once again.
The practical jokes that the firefighters played on each other were a fun addition. They were hilarious, especially the one where an incapacitated Jeff is shrink-wrapped to his bed. This did a lot to humanize the firefighters, breaking them out of the noble first-responders stereotype and demonstrating the affection and camaraderie they had with each other. The end scene, where the whole fire crew shows up at Jenny's house, complete with fire truck, was a bit over-the-top, but it works, because you know they are that tight with each other, and would be there to support their fellow brother in petitioning for the hand of the woman he loves.
The movie has its minor flaws, but you don't really care, because it's just so enjoyable to watch. These are characters you really like and you truly want them to get together. The predictable conclusion, where they do get together, is very satisfying. Definitely worth a watch, and a rewatch or two.
Alison Sweeny as Jenny provided just the right amount of sweetness and vulnerability, while still playing the no-nonsense single mother, who clearly loves her children and will do anything to protect them. Greg Vaughn as Jeff is absolute perfection as the good-guy fireman, who is tough, but has a heart for Jenny's children and a deep capacity to love her. You also really feel for his hidden pain, at having lost his own firefighter father when he was 10. The cynic in you might question the ease with which Jeff enters the lives of Jenny and her kids and instantly charms them, not with fake gimmicks, but with genuine caring and concern. But the hopeful optimist in you gladly cheers him on and welcomes his eventual entry into their little family to heal all their past hurts.
The subplot about the kids reading to the residents of the retirement home was quite touching. Was it unbelievable? Sure. I mean, a 7-year-old reading Moby Dick? Or an 8-year-old composing stories so convincing that the blind woman wouldn't realize they were written by her? And what kids in the real world would seek out an opportunity to hang out at a retirement home, unless they had grandparents or someone there that they actually knew, or unless an adult forced them to go? But the kids were adorable, if a bit too much on the Hollywood precocious side, and their interactions with the old folks were sweet and genuine.
The script was good. The dialog was realistic, as were the interactions of the characters with each other. Jenny's pushing away of Jeff, just as things were going well between them, was frustrating, yet believable. A single mom whose husband abandoned her and the kids would naturally be gun-shy about opening her heart to a guy who, honestly, seems too good to be true, and she would be all about protecting the kids from getting too close to that guy, who could as easily exit their lives as he entered them, and break their hearts once again.
The practical jokes that the firefighters played on each other were a fun addition. They were hilarious, especially the one where an incapacitated Jeff is shrink-wrapped to his bed. This did a lot to humanize the firefighters, breaking them out of the noble first-responders stereotype and demonstrating the affection and camaraderie they had with each other. The end scene, where the whole fire crew shows up at Jenny's house, complete with fire truck, was a bit over-the-top, but it works, because you know they are that tight with each other, and would be there to support their fellow brother in petitioning for the hand of the woman he loves.
The movie has its minor flaws, but you don't really care, because it's just so enjoyable to watch. These are characters you really like and you truly want them to get together. The predictable conclusion, where they do get together, is very satisfying. Definitely worth a watch, and a rewatch or two.