When her family’s beloved eatery, The Starlight Café, is slated for demolition, Annie (Kimberley Sustad) vows to put a stop to it before Christmas. She storms the offices of Holt Enterprises to get their eviction notice rescinded and the demolition cancelled, but gets mistaken for someone else. William Holt (Paul Campbell), you see, is the heir apparent, but like a typical rich kid has spent most of his life just coasting by on his charm and his family name, relegating the hard work to his long-suffering assistant, Lyle. Daddy Holt is understandably worried about leaving him the company, so he decides to hire a lawyer to follow Will around, solving any legal messes as he makes them. Yes, it’s the most ridiculous plan ever hatched, and that’s saying something on the Hallmark channel.
Anyway, Annie is mistaken for that lawyer. But she is a lawyer, coincidentally, so Will proposes to hire her, fulfilling his father’s obligation without actually having someone meddlesome breathing over his shoulder, and in return, he promises to shut down the demolition plans. Even more preposterously, in her fake position as his guardian lawyer, one of his legal messes somehow involves her organizing an elaborate Christmas fundraiser…and then Will gets roped in too. Does it make sense? No! But they’re doing it and they’re falling in love while doing it. Which, technically speaking should probably be its own “legal mess,” but let’s go along with the spirit of the film and pretend that logic is overrated.
But wait: what if Will can’t hold up his end of the bargain? What if The Starlight Café gets plowed out of existence and this whole thing was for nothing? That’s not super romantic, is it? Total boner killer. Well, lady boner. What a conundrum! What will happen to our star crossed lovers? Can a lawyer get disbarred for posing as a different lawyer? Are all relationships based on business deals doomed to fail? Find out next on the Hallmark channel.
ASSHOLES WATCHING MOVIES 
I love their chemistry and this was a good movie.
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I am a jaded Hallmark victim (outvoted by wife and mother-in-law) but this was a cute movie! I agree with Tony. On the other hand, last night we took a chance on a British family dramedy. The contrast with Hallmark could not have been bigger. Here is my nonreview, if I may be permitted to share without appearing to want to compete with your nicely word smithed, irreverant and entertaining reviews, Jay!
dr bob movie critic not wonders why he has the urge to share
Fisherman’s Friends (2019)
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1648186/
Humans have evolved to become extremely social animals, we have to be in order to live together in groups. We don’t make art just for ourselves but to share with others. We don’t write stuff so we can read it to ourselves, we write to share. Facebook elevates us all to author status at whatever style of writing we choose to adopt. We need an audience. But we are driven to create even without the audience. Who reads these silly nonreviews anyway?
Fisherman’s Friends? Really. An aging boys band of hardened Brits with accents whose day job is serious business, who sing just to share, not looking for any contract or fame. How do you make an engaging heartfelt movie about this? Skeptical I was but okay, why not take a risk?
A risk well worth taking as it turns out. Compared to all the Hallmark fluff we’ve been drowning in, this seemed real, real people, real messy relationships, the lead guy just an ordinary bloke, not a hunk, the leading lady, well okay, she is hot in a fishing village disguise. Her dad a believable protective father and stand up good guy with an edge from losing his wife to another man. And a great voice for “What do we do with the English sailor” solo. The grandpops, also first rate. And the child daughter, another heartstring puller.
These folksy British films really seem to capture happy small towns with a lighthearted touch and a bit of drama. In this case based on actual real life. Well done. And the penultimate song on the soundtrack was from The Waterboys, a group I had forgotten about but have a CD of theirs somewhere in my dormant collection that I need to find. Soon. Good night.
You can delete this after reading if you think it is inappropriate, Jay!
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Thanks Robert, I don’t think I’ve seen this one, and you know that doesn’t happen often!
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Do you actually watch any movies just for fun? You seem to have terrific stamina pounding down these movies one after the other.
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Another Hallmark movie I’ve enjoyed. Lot’s of good humor 🙂
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Bad setup but cute movie? Must be Hallmark.
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Have you noticed that most of the attractive young actors and actresses in these films all look alike?
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Haha, yes, Sean commented that he couldn’t keep two guys playing brothers straight.
They’re all meant to be attracted but not beautiful, approachable, girl next door types.
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Wait, yes, they all fit into a certain mold, but they all have their distinct looks if you watch enough of these movies. I am finding I now have my own favorites in spite of the fact that I am somewhat a prisoner viewer. What is surprising is that there are so many of these actors/actresses in this (what we used to call B) movie universe, trapped in these formulaic performances locked out of the A list films, while doing the best they can with the material they have to work with.
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