Tom Dick & Harriet

Steven Weber's ad agency has just been folded into another and he is out of a job at fifty -- too old to get a new job despite impressive credentials. He has bills to pay, so he gets con man Andrew Francis to act as his beard. Michele Harrison starts off as the third leg in the romantic comedy until MacKenzie Porter, as Weber's daughter serves to separate the men from the boys.

So what makes this better than the average Hallmark romcom? It's difficult for me to mention many specific issues. One is the tentative manner the actors all assume. It makes it clear the characters are finding their ways through unfamiliar territory. Another is the photography. This romcom is rooted in the advertising industry and director of photography Neil Cervin composes a lot of shots like print ads and TV ads instead of the more naturalistic lighting and subtler composition that story films are usually shot in.

More than these technical issues, there is a thoughtfulness in the script, particularly an exchange in which the leads decry the youth-addicted culture. Yes, this panders to the demographics for the Hallmark Channel, but I'm a member of that demographic. I don't mind having my ego stroked occasionally.

In Tom, Dick & Harriet, Steven Weber plays Tom, a successful adman who unfortunately is on the wrong side of 50. When his staid, uptown ad agency gets taken over by a hip downtown one, Tom gets fired because he doesn't have the right image. And as we know, image is everything in advertising. Unable to land a new job and desperate, he hires Dick, a 25-year old con man to be his front. Pretending to be a hotshot copywriter, Dick gets hired at the agency that fired Tom and the scam works - until both men fall for the beautiful and smart Harriet, an art director at the agency.

Though the premise for this rom-com works well and the actors are all charming and give winning performances, this comedy has a a much more serious underlying theme - ageism. In the 50's there was a blacklist, today there is a greylist, Tom is told when trying to land a new job. People are not always judged by talent and experience but by age and appearance. But this message goes down easy in this witty, funny and fast paced movie. We are made to care about the plights of all the characters: Tom, who is fighting to win both the girl and his self respect; Dick, who after a troubled childhood is trying to find his place in the world; Harriet, who is torn between the two men; and Kelly, Tom's rebellious daughter who is trying to re-establish a bond with her father that seems to have been lost along the way.

This is not your typical Hallmark movie - the acting, directing and writing are indeed something special. (The film has received several international nominations). So if you're looking for a sharp romantic comedy with something on its mind, check out Tom, Dick & Harriet.

Note: The movie is also being shown under the alternate title: "All's Fair in Love & Advertising".

Tom Dick and Harriet's premise was that Tom Burns (Steven Weber) lost his job at an ad agency mainly because he wasn't hip or young enough to appeal to the coveted teenage through early 20s demographic. Then a chance meeting with two grifters ended up changing his life for the better to a certain extent.

Weber is one of the better actors in the business and he showed it on this Hallmark movie of the week.

He had to deal with his daughter moving into his apartment and life, he had to find a way to make enough money (after getting fired) to pay for alimony, his daughter's college tuition, rent and other bills, etc. while trying to find the right woman and right way(s) to get his job back at the same agency that didn't want him around.

The standouts in this film were Weber and Andrew Francis (Dick Varnett). Meanwhile, Tom, Dick, and Harriet was a sweet and innocuous film that showed that it's not about looks, money, and image. It's about experience and talent. But its too bad majority of the people in this world don't understand that.

It was a good clean movie. Liked that. It had a pretty predictable plot, but did have a lesson to it. In this world where beauty and youth seem to be what is valued, it was refreshing to see that experience and knowledge are still what makes things work. Enjoyed the movie and will Recommend it. James Welch Henderson, Arkansas 3/2/2021

Steven Weber for me will always be Jack Rudolph in 'Studio 60', and it was nice to see him pop up here in this Hallmark film.

It's one that doesn't fit the normal rom-com formula that the channels films often follow, and that is refreshing in itself.

With themes such as new beginnings and the worth of wisdom I thought this film had some lovely moments.

It's perhaps not my favourite Hallmark film, but it was enjoyable enough.