Harvest Moon (2015 TV Movie) User Reviews

Predictable but harmless

[snorlaxjen · 6/10 · 28 November 2016]

It's been done over and over : rich city girl, country boy, both come from different worlds so surely they can't get along?

Well it's a hallmark movie so of course they do! Throw in the obligatory rich girl falling in a muddy puddle, and the country boy thinking she's too stuck up to get along with him or his family, and you have all the classics of a harmless family movie.

Put it on in the background while you're doing something else and don't take it too seriously ! - nice gentle but predictable... no spoilers needed as you can already guess what is going to happen ... and you'd be correct !

Predictable and enjoyable

[hh-94450 · 7/10 · 12 February 2018]

Having moved from the city to the country, this is probably my favourite city/ country movie, even allowing for the fact that it is Hallmark and cheesy (aren't they all?). We're not true country folk - we can't talk about how many generations we've been in the valley - but there are few errors in the film that made us laugh. They're 'mistakes' but somehow they make the movie even more enjoyable. The fence didn't fall down. It's not a fence but a cockie's gate - I believe they're called wire gates in the US. Wire gates have their uses but if Brett wants to keep the cows, he's going to have to use something a lot stronger. Don't ask how we know. Brett tells Jen to leave her fencing tools in the paddock, even though a storm is coming. No, just no. Even if they're stainless steel, we don't know a farmer who would leave their tools in the paddock. Finding them again is part of the problem. They get up on horses to ride around the property. A few minutes later they would be back off again, instead of riding around romantically. 40 acres would probably suffice for a pumpkin farm. Add the homestead and the barns and that's it. No room for the wide open grazing land shown in the movie. 40 acres is a big walk but it's not the Ponderosa! A lighthearted enjoyable movie nonetheless .

Mostly enjoyable

[jesusfreak-00881 · 7/10 · 10 February 2020]

I like this movie. I think it's one of Hallmark's cuter fall flicks (mainly Jessie Schram (sp?) and her charm leading the way). However, the 12-year-old girl who is adorable but acts like she's seven kills me. Either get a seven-year-old or have the girl act her age. It's insulting to tweens to have her behave so childishly. Also, city girls may not know how farms work, but they know from tv and movies what a rooster's crow is 🙄🙄🙄. Aside from those things (mistreatment of child actor's age and lack of knowledge of farm life) it's a really sweet film. Those just make it so I have to be in the right mood to watch it.

Under the harvest moon

[TheLittleSongbird · 7/10 · 12 March 2023]

Of all the 2015 Hallmark seasonal blocks, the Fall Harvest one was the only one where for me all the films in it were above decent while not being great. Whereas the Countdown to Valentine's Day and June Weddings blocks had one misfire each and the Christmas output was very hit and miss. Hallmark did have some mediocre or less Fall Harvest films, but most are above average and more. Have liked Jessy Schram and Jesse Hutch in other things, with more familiarity with the always watchable Schram.

'Harvest Moon' is on the whole a pretty good effort. Is it a great film? Not quite, actually an easy film to criticise if one is particularly not familiar with Hallmark's output, which is quite more of the same and very up and down in all its own. Is 'Harvest Moon' worth watching and does it have a lot of good things? Yes, and as far as Hallmark's 2015 output that had been aired already goes it's one of the solid middle ones but also among their better ones overall that year in a typically variable year for them.

It is far from perfect. It is formulaic and doesn't have many surprises, almost everything is obvious well before it happens (and it is not just the neatly wrapped up ending).

As well as the too neat and convenient ending, the whole final act is rushed and contrived. Also didn't like the too constant and over loud music, not uncommon with Hallmark.

On the other hand, there are a lot of good things. Both Schram and Hutch, especially Schram, are good, and their chemistry connects well and is suitably romantic. The supporting cast are solid. It is a good looking film, especially the scenery. While not a script that will win awards, the script is light-hearted and witty, clearly knowing what it was trying to be and clearly understood the genre the film fits under. Doing so without trying to throw in too much tonally or adding anything unnecessary.

Story is not original, but is full of charm and never takes itself too seriously, while also treating the subject with maturity. The pace never felt dull while not being rushed. The supporting cast are solid.

Also felt that the characters weren't too stereotypical and were more than just typical Hallmark cliches that is seen too often with Hallmark. Also cared for them, with them being true to life with personality traits that appealed with situations worth relating to.

Nice film overall. 7/10.

A nice, typical Hallmark Movie.

[rosey-14 · 7/10 · 12 September 2021]

Spoilt daddy's girl loses all her money but finds she owns a pumpkin farm, complete with handsome widower, his daughter, brother, aunt and staff. Predictable, yes but well performed and a perfect autumn watch. The supporting cast are a joy and in particular the actor playing the younger brother, Harry.

The only downside to this movie is the lead actress is so thin, I wish they would feed her a bit of pumpkin pie!

I do wish Hallmark would release more autumn movies in the U. K. or even a few new ones on their channel as it is only worth subscribing to for a couple of months a year and the channel is a nice way to relax in a difficult world.

Almost Nailed It

[athompsonblue · 7/10 · 27 September 2021]

Enjoyable movie. And the female lead's character growth is good. However, the male lead needed more redeemable qualities. And more time needed to be devoted to them connecting. Really, you can convey a character to be a widower in grief, without resorting to making him moody and rude. I'm fine with a romance story where the two lovers have a long way to go, but I don't like it when the male lead is a jerk.

Also, the movie's late conflict didn't have a resolution. Again, a romantic story's late conflict doesn't necessarily need to be between the lovers. I actually thought her dad was going to confess more financial bad news. This could compel her to sell the farm asap, until her friend provides the solution.

Inconsistent but watchable

[danielmjholland-519-797372 · 5/10 · 16 November 2018]

I'm a bit of a sucker for these types of films - something that will just let you shut off for a bit and relax. It doesn't make it a great movie, but it does mean that it is not a bad one. And actually with a few changes in a couple places it could even have been pretty good.

The interesting thing about the protagonist is that she is likeable. She's a shopaholic 'it' girl simply because she had never been asked to grow up. But when things get tough she steps up to do her part. In many ways this is a bit of a coming of age story for her.

But the rest of the characters are a bit oddly written. There's not much likeable about any of them. The main guy is mean and almost completely devoid of personality. I mean he has a banging body and all, but in almost every scene he is dead inside. No insult to the actor who was given nothing to work with. Instead we're meant to bond with him simply because he has had a tragedy in his life. I think they could have done a bit better. The rest of the farm crew are a little better, but I can't get over what age the daughter is supposed to be - she looks about 12 but in the film seems to be portraying someone about 8. It doesn't work.

But the really curious thing is the ending. We have the typical late 'break up' between the two main characters (the predictability of this film should mean that comes nowhere close to a spoiler), so that we can get the resolution to end the film on a high. Now normally this part comes with about 20 minutes or so of the film left so that there is time for some growth or character arc. In Harvest Moon this happens with about 7 minutes to go. And then... well we cut forward a year and they are together and everything is great. It's like 10 minutes of the film just got chopped out.

I'd like to see films of this sort start to subvert these endings a little. One of the characters definitely needs to go through some sort of arc, but it would be nice if it was some other daemon or task they achieved rather than a breakup makeup scenario. This film had the potential to do that.

Still if you are looking to kill a couple hours to zone out you could do much worse.

A sweet, watchable film. Some Mild Spoilers

[JoeMcCain · 8/10 · 17 January 2016]

There is a one other review to this very watchable film, thus far, and that 'review 's just absurd. The reviewer titles his critique -- "How Greed Conquers All" -- sounding like some raving Marxist crank.

He calls the protagonist ['Jenny', nicely played by Jessy Schram] "Scrooge-like".

I don't know what movie 'goddancredmond' watched-- but his characterization of 'Jenny' is just peculiar.

In fact, Jenny's Very Rich family goes bankrupt, and she comes out to sell the one remaining asset - a pumpkin farm. It is unsellable because it is mired in debt. So Jenny turns to learn the farm so its value can appreciate so that she can then sell it -- but has a contract written that guarantees all the farmworkers are guaranteed employment in perpetuity. And is even good-humored about tricks that one of the hands plays on her, to discourage her from staying.

"Scrooge?" Ridiculous.

This City Girl gets up at 5 am to learn how to farm ... takes it upon herself to fix a porch swing and a fence ... does 'makeover's for all the women on farms in the area before a big barn dance.

"Scrooge?" Ludicrous.

Then Jenny starts to become attached to the farm and its 'family', and sees ways to improve their lot, such as marketing a specially bred violet ... a pumpkin-based cream that is good for the skin ... taught a young farm boy to dance, so he could get over painful shyness about a particular pretty girl.

"Scrooge"? What in the H--l is this guy talking about?!?!

In fact the principal problem with the movie is there is too little serious conflict, because Jenny is so sweetly likable and willing to learn, and help, and innovate.

And a final major hurdle is flattened by a Deus-ex-Machina -- the last-second intervention of an old friend.

Nonetheless, it's a sweet film - warming to watch .

'goddancredmond' is simply out of whatever mind he may still possess.

And I regret my angry tone, but I like this film -- especially the character 'Jenny' -- and I am feeling somewhat as a guy who hears a girl he likes being badmouthed by a Neanderthal.

Joe McCain - January 17th, 2016

WHO IS THE PUMPKIN PRINCESS!

[p_charette2002 · 7/10 · 20 March 2022]

Good hallmark movie!!! But I'm a little disappointed that we never found out who the Pumpkin Princess, like I can let some plot holes go but this one is unacceptable!!! Can someone please find out who the winner was!!!!

Hallmark

[SnoopyStyle · 5/10 · 26 June 2020]

High maintenance rich girl Jennifer Stone (Jessy Schram) suddenly finds that her father has lost the family fortune. All she has left is an unknown pumpkin farm and she intends to sell the place quick. The Jarrett family has been living there and Brett Jarrett (Jesse Hutch) intends to buy it back but they don't have the money.

At first, I was going to complain about Schram. She's trying too hard but at least she's trying. Hutch is barely doing anything other than a smoldering frustration. It's not enough and it's not appealing anyways. I'd rather have them fighting. He's better off with the coffee girl. At the end of the day, this is not a horrible movie. For Hallmark, it's hitting on a lot of the targets. I wouldn't say it's good either.

Great Movie

[stargazingran · 8/10 · 21 March 2017]

I found this movie a feel good movie that shows some good life values similar to the TV series Heartland. It was entertaining and good for the whole family to watch without swearing or profanity. A little country touch got me rocking in my seat. A breath of fresh air. As the title says Harvest Moon is actually the setting in which the movie plot begins. It shows that the city life mixed with a little country can work out, you might just have to get a little dirty. Two thumbs up!!

Cute feel-good fluff

[towtrip1 · 6/10 · 14 October 2018]

The plot pretty much follows a Hallmark formula, but it's great for just relaxing under a throw on a weekend afternoon. No violence, no crude language.

The one thing that simply grated on me in this film, unlike most Hallmark films that are pretty well cast, is they have an actress who appears to be 12-14 years old playing a part that is written for a much younger actor. They young actress actually has to say lines like, "my mommy's in heaven" while rushing into her daddy's arms because she's shy of the visitor in the house. The actress is good, but the script should have been reworked to make it appropriate for her age.

Where was the casting director

[sekalska · 5/10 · 3 March 2021]

I enjoyed the movie. One thing just bothered me quite much was the daughter's age and behaviour which was not quite for the actress who played her. The lines were written for a preschooler.

A Jump Cut Hallmark Journey

[braddtastic · 7/10 · 12 November 2023]

The director and editors of this movie seem to have been very aware they were following a tried-and true Hallmark formula, so they met their running time deadline by skipping over incredibly vast pieces of plot and character development. This makes some of the plot and dialogue awkward at best, but overall it works as an enjoyable film.

Jessy Schram carries the show, but the rest of the cast do a nice job as well (particularly Barbara Pollard). The character of Abby was clearly written for a much younger child, but Lilah Fitzgerald does a terrific job with the part despite this challenge.

The cinematography and musical scoring were well done. Together with the warm cast, this leaves the viewer regretfully reflecting on how his film would have benefited from significantly more more script discipline, biting off less and fully developing what they went with. Alternately, I like to think there is footage from a full movie that got left on the cutting room floor, and is waiting to be reassembled into the fully developed film I know it could be.

Nice farm tale

[MickyG333 · 7/10 · 23 August 2023]

7.2 stars.

A city girl finds out that her father has gone bankrupt. They were previously quite wealthy. Now she hast to deal with poverty of a sort. There is the cliché city friend, who we think is going to abandon her, but surprisingly, she stays faithful as a friend. This city girl goes to the country to visit a pumpkin farm her previously wealthy father had bought her sometime ago as a side venture. She meets a good-looking and charming man, and his family who work this pumpkin farm. They have been working this farm for over 70 years. She now is in the picture, and the drama begins. You can guess how the story goes... City girl transforms country bumpkins into a well rounded bunch of wonderful and well adjusted folks. City girl falls in love with farmer hunk... The end.

Least Predictable Hallmark Movie I've Seen in a While

[barkingpeanut · 3/10 · 9 September 2020]

This seemed to me like one of the least predictable Hallmark movies, but not really in a good way.

Generally speaking, there is some chemistry between the lead characters, even if it happens in a too-accelerated timeline. In this one, they seem to hate each other until the moment they decide that actually, they like each other! Usually, there is a conflict late in the movie, and we are shown the resolution. Here, there is a conflict... And then, hooray they're rich and living happily ever after!

Let's start from the top. The lead female character (Jennifer Stone) is meant to be a spoiled, rich city girl who finds herself in the country. For the first half of the movie, she is such an absurd caricature of this archetype as such that she is written as being completely clueless about basic facts of life that everyone else would have no trouble understanding. Case in point, when she is told they start early for work on the farm, she replies that is no problem as she is used to morning yoga, "which starts at 9am." Then, when she hears the rooster crowing early, not only does she not know what a rooster is (???), she runs out into the hallway terrified of the sound. It should be stated that she is in the upper level bedroom when she gets scared of the rooster.

Fortunately, her story arc does redeem in the second half of the movie, where she morphs into a woman with creative business ideas, a thick skin, and a generous heart who is quickly willing to turn away from the city life that she has always lived to stay on the pumpkin farm. OK, we can work with that.

However, then we get to the lead male character - Brett Jarrett. I think it would be fair to say he is a jerk. He is immediately rude to her, he bashes her to the farmhands before they have ever met her, and concocts a plan to make her do unnecessary grunt work so she sells the farm for pennies on the dollar to, surprise, him! He is a real winner. We are supposed to like and emphathize with him because his wife and parents died in a tragic accident, but unfortunately that tragedy has only made him bitter and mean.

As for how they get together, here's a story in three parts:

Part 1: Jennifer accidentally runs over some flowers in a tractor. Brett berates her in front of his family and the farm hands, telling her to go back to the city where she belongs. Part 2: When she comes to find him at a restaurant in town to pitch a business idea, he very publicly humiliates her, loudly telling the waitress to cancel his order because he has lost his appetite. Part 3: They go on a horseback ride, and kiss in the barn at the end. We should all hope to go on such an epic horseback ride some day! We should also all strive to be as forgiving as Jennifer is being.

Brett's younger brother Harry is probably the most likable and relatable character in the film (other than Brett's daughter, who, though she seems older than the age they seem to want you to think she is, is perfectly sweet in the movie), as he is open to giving people a chance, and pursues some hobbies of his own. Somehow, he even manages to find love despite what seems to be a severe incident of social anxiety in the diner. When he is there with Jennifer, the waitress who he has a crush on comes over to talk, and makes several not-subtle hints that she would like him to invite her to the dance. Who among us has not gotten tongue tied with a crush in a situation like this? Harry mishandles this a little bit more than simply being tongue-tied. He essentially flat out ignores her, refusing to look at her and instead looking down the table the whole time until she walks away from the awkward silence. Must the writers use such an extreme to portray his nervousness? Fortunately, his crush is not dismayed, and they end up together after all.

One final note on supporting characters - Brett has a cousin who works at the diner, who is consistently rude to Jennifer right until the time she can get something out of it. She is consistently unfriendly until, surprise, Jennifer is offering to give facials to the women in town! Fortunately, once she gets something out of it, she is more willing to let bygones be bygones, and even says she is "starting to like her" as she talks about Brett's plan to cheat her out of the farm. A true redemption story.

Finally, we have come to the end. After a misunderstanding that causes Jennifer to leave the farm to go back to the city, Jennifer is about to sign the papers to sell the farm. But wait! Jennifer's best friend comes rushing up to tell her not to sign the papers or she is making the biggest mistake of her life. Finally, we have a romantic in the film, and even though this friend has been very shallow throughout, she has made a breakthrough and recognized her friend is in love.

Wait, what's that? Actually, her friend is telling her that the pumpkin cream product from the farm is amazing for her skin, and her company's CEO wants to purchase the product. So, she will be rich again as long as she doesn't sell the farm! Fast forward a year, and fortunately, somehow, their love has been saved, since they both stand to make a large profit out of the deal. We don't know how this happened, only that it did.

Bottom line: I've seen worse movies, but this read more like a bad business book that was adapted to fit Hallmark with a clumsy love story thrown in.

Las calabazas

[javierleon-63192 · 8/10 · 26 October 2018]

Great film good story , I've seen three times in each fall

Very simple

[DogeGamer2015 · 5/10 · 18 October 2020]

This movie is not the worst, but its excessive simplicity in the plot leaves much to be desired.

Predictable

[Jackbv123 · 8/10 · 22 September 2017]

Jessy Scram is this movie. Her bright smile and sunny disposition make this an enjoyable movie. Add two of the farmers kids and some of his hands and while this is a romance movie, it is really about all of these people, but especially Jenny.

Two standard Hallmark themes rules here. The arrogant privileged rich witch shows her meddle in the end. And the struggling family business (farm, vineyard) is threatened with bankruptcy.

Of course Jenny starts out as the enemy of all, and kind of deserves it at first. But over time she wins everyone's hearts. And the viewer's heart as well.

Without her, the story is pure vanilla and predictable on almost all points. Most of the acting is OK.

I couldn't take it anymore.

[krs-92202 · 4/10 · 28 December 2021]

I love to watch these types of movies but cringed every time I saw that grown-up child. I kept thinking "tay in da wind" when she was speaking. I'm glad that they came away from that over the years. Overall, I had to skip through most of it to finish it. I wouldn't watch it again if I could help it.

One if my least favorite

[jenrn-09722 · 2/10 · 27 February 2021]

Awful. There is no relationship development. Poor storyline and nothing tying romantic leads together. He's a moody jerk who we are supposee to feel sorry for because his wife died and he is raising daughter alone. Most of the movie boy yells at girl and blames her for whatever goes wrong. Girl bonds with his whole family - just not him. Girl falls for him anyway. (What?!?) Girl find out he tried to trick her into selling the farm cheap, but then falls for him again when she finds out she's going to make money off the farm. Ugh. Not a romance - is a business venture with some gratuitous kissing thrown in to make it appear to be a romance. Either that, or the relationship scenes must have ended up on the cutting room floor, because I didn't see any reason for her to fall for him, other than pity and she liked his daughter..

Rebounding from failure by way of a pumpkin farm

[lwmtem · 8/10 · 29 April 2016]

The socialite daughter (Jenny played by Jessy Schram) finds that her family is bankrupt leaving her with only one asset to return prosperity to her & her Dad, but a pumpkin farm seems little more than a plot of land. This city girl is determined to turn a quick profit with a sale of the land, but finds that on face value to sell the farm would provide little of her financial needs. For those of us who have enjoyed farm life to one extent or another, her first meeting with the farm operator is NOT to be missed as Jenny maintains her dignity, in spite of mutually blindsided greeting with Brett. Jenny meets the family takes a tour of the farm before returning home. In keeping with her lifestyle, she decides the farm's value would improve with a "makeover", which she provides from her energy, personality and charm in spite of her lack of knowledge about farm life. She returns to the farm to get the feel of farming and readies herself for her "early start" at 9AM start.

A strange noise sends her running for help when she again collides with Brett. He identifies the sound as the family rooster who signaled the start of the work day at 5AM. Initiation into farm life can be hard and tasks have her doing things not really needed and her pay is a sunburn from a day in short shorts and without a hat. Brett's daughter, seeing her discomfort provides the family's formulated pumpkin skin cream that quickly soothes the discomfort from the sun.

As Jenny learns the routines and pitfalls they often remind Brett of his wife's tragic death that tears at his heart, even as he is drawn closer to Jenny because of her enthusiasm and positive outlook focused on the success of the farm and the energy she has restored to a family that in a single car accident lost two parents and Brett's wife.

The community coming together for an injured neighbor holds a dance to help him. Brett's brother can't dance and resists a charming waitress's hints that she wants him to take her to the event. Jenny then takes the time to teach him even as she continues with her seemingly magical way she works and bonds with the family.

Being style smart, she passes a sample of the pumpkin cream to her best friend to evaluate when she goes back to the city after the dance. As Brett and Jenny dance, her best friend overhears the initial tricks played on Jenny and how she could have lost the farm. Heartbroken Jenny leaves to sell the farm as is until her friend arrives just in time with important news.

I love this Hallmark movie, perhaps more than any other. Jessy Schram shines in this upbeat tale of two romances and a "Song to Sing" performances that will delight you from start to finish. Those last five minutes must not be missed!

Harvest Moon

[JoBloTheMovieCritic · 4/10 · 24 October 2020]

4/10 - boring and occasionally irritating, this Fall Harvest offering doesn't pack too much punch

My favorite

[huntersmommy_712 · 10/10 · 2 June 2020]

This is my favorite fall hallmark movie! Wish we would Of gotten a second one! Don't know why all the hate in this movie, I love it! Only hallmark movie I've watched everytime it's come on!

Not Their Best Movie

[LittleJennie · 1/10 · 23 September 2018]

This movie gets worse as it goes along. The writer, director etc have Jennifer Stone character so unknowledgeable about farm life, it is ridiculous. It's not funny, it's embarrassing. She didn't know what was crowing at 5am nor even why. I'm watching with a friend, otherwise I would turn to something else. Hoping Hallmark will not make more movies with with whinny women.