A Summer Romance

Erin Krakow plays a ranch woman in this movie who applies her make up like she is behind the cosmetic counter at Macy's. She brags that she gets up at 5am to do the chores. And one of those chores is getting her face on. In general I think most Hallmark actresses wear too much make-up. But at least many of the characters they play meet the public as shopkeepers, are on television, or have important jobs in big corporations where professional dress and at least an effort to keep up appearances is part of the image you want to project.

But a woman who does physical labor all day outdoors? Who in an average day only meets her 2 employees and their little girl? Why the 3 shades of eyeshadow, lipstick, and heavy blusher? Wasn't she afraid those false eyelashes put her in danger of toppling over into a haystack? And she has the nerve to mock Ryan Peavy for his inappropriate outfits? And call him a city slicker? Look in the mirror, lady. And what's with the tops that are so tight, she looks like she's going to bust out of them any second? Again, OK for some professions, like weather-girl or presenter on ESPN, but a rancher?

We've all rolled our eyes at old-timey historical dramas where the actresses' hair and makeup remain contemporary. Come on, Hallmark. This isn't Death Valley Days or Bonanza. We know better now, don't we? Many popular Hallmark actresses are rapidly approaching or have stepped over the 40 year old mark. That is not a bad thing, unless they are dealing with circumstances more in line with a 25 year old character. All the make-up does not disguise their age, it just emphasizes that they are trying to hide something. A natural fresh face=youth, to state the obvious.

Other than that, thanks to the gorgeous scenery and Ryan Peavy, this was a fairly pleasant diversion. Erin was OK. She is a pretty good actress despite her usual mannerisms. The plot was right out of the Hallmark "save the _______ from the big corporation" playbook.

This Hallmark romance has a much-used plot: city slicker comes to the country where he meets a woman and encounters a way of life that transforms him. Still, I enjoyed this film, mostly because of its cast. Ryan Paevey plays the part of the New York suit, Richard Belmont, who sidles up to cowgirl Sam Walker, played by Erin Krakow.

When they first meet, Sam is suspicious of Richard's intentions. She is also dealing with existential financial decisions for her Bighorn ranch. Richard eventually warms to the cowboy way of life.

The manner in which director David Winning portrays the Bighorn lifestyle makes me want to live there myself. And that is, in large part, what makes this film so enjoyable.

Erin Krakow of When Calls the Heart plays a female rancher who has a struggling ranch. Her love interest is played by Hallmark regular Ryan Paevey as a city guy sent to buy the ranch. This plot is vaguely familiar. What makes this better than average is the stars are charming and look good together. Their dialog doesn't feel forced or artificial. It's cute at times especially when she dresses him like a Ken Doll cowboy.

Okay for a watch.

This story in this movie is an uninspiring mish-mash of tropes we've already seen too many times which also means it is utterly predictable. How many times have we seen the wall-street baron waltz in and clash with the pretty heroine whose family ranch (or any other fill-in-the-blank family business) is in jeopardy because of debt? One, or in this case both, characters appear a little arrogant at first and proceed to try to show-up one another. In this case, the cruel Richard really isn't that mean as we see by an a brief early scene his generosity. Sam brands him with the nickname JR intending to belittle him, but he takes it in stride. We all know what happens next and for that matter all the way through to the end.

One new concept in the story that I liked was the cowboy code which may or may not have been made up, but it was the one thing in the story that stood out.

For most people, this movie will come down to how they appreciate the performances of Erin Krakow and Ryan Paevey. With these two Hallmark veterans, there is a good chance to save the movie just based on watching their relationship. Paevey and Krakow sync and it is enjoyable as far as that goes. As a man, I love Krakow and I wish I thought her acting was stellar, but I see too many of her patented expressions over and over in everything she does. Krakow achieves her goal, at least for me, but it is more of a passive effort rather than exciting. Paevey was his usual. I felt sorry for Lucie Guest, whom I have always loved as a supporting actress. Her role, as well as the other corporate assistant, was totally undemanding and was even a bit sad in its futility.

This is not the first time that I, along with many other reviewers, wonder if Hallmark has sacrificed quality for quantity by presenting a new production every week. They have lost any freshness especially in the stories and dialog. I'm sure most of these movies are more appealing to those who don't watch them all but merely sample them from time to time.

We all have seen this plot before, it's nothing new. We all love Erin (can the name her Queen of Hallmark or something?) and Ryan always delivers with his characters. In fact, I believe he was the best part of the movie, watching him unfold this new side of Richard, learning that new lifestyle, and embracing it was fascinating, I just wish it was me doing all those things.

The scenery was beautiful. The chemistry was great. While I wouldn't watch it again, I would definitely watch a sequel: Sam and Richard developing this new idea of hers at the ranch.