Coup de foudre, set et match

While I enjoy many of the Hallmark movies, this was a total fail due to lack of research. You need to win 6 games to win the set. You need 3 sets to win the match. The far right screen stays at 40 on both players the entire time. Next shot in either result is game. The next shot EVERY time in the film script should actually give the entire match to the other team. Why people were tasked with this movie and no research team is beyond me. It would be like me making a movie about American football, even though I've never seen a match (actually as I understand it, scripting that may be easier...I just add loads of advert breaks?). However, I still wouldn't know how to do the scoring without visiting something simple like the Tennis Scoring System on Wikipedia. Aside from such a MAJOR mistake for international audiences, where we DO play tennis, I think the comments over story and characters in other reviews are also well made.

Hallmark doesn't do this kind of movie often where a sporting event dominates the story. They do plenty of contests, but this kind of sports movie has a different feel from most of the others by its nature. This one follows the pattern you would expect with a slight twist almost at the last minute.

There was some mild chemistry between Davida Williams and Richard Harmon. The acting was OK. The dialogue had a few good moments but was mostly average. Some sets were almost cheesy since the training facility looked more elaborate than the tournament itself.

There is almost always an aspect where each of the lead couple encourage the other to be a better person. William was supposed to be a John McEnroe type with uncontrollable anger issues, but after we actually meet him, there isn't much of that.

There were lots of Tennis scenes including some coaching of youth players but otherwise the story was pretty simple.

Hire a Hall of Fame player to be producer, another Hall of Fame player to play an announcer, hype the heck out of the movie on your network and lead everyone to think they're going to see a good tennis movie (a rarity). This sort of requires that you deliver a good movie. This movie fails miserably.

When you combine terrible acting with a terrible script AND terrible tennis, it results in a straight set loss. Call it love and love for the absolute nothingness this movie has to offer.

Where to start. Let's begin with the two leads, Davida Williams and Richard Harmon (who just happens to be the brother of the director). Williams brings a pleasant enough presence to the screen, but is absolutely unconvincing as a tennis pro. Part of the problem is the weak dialogue she is given, but the more significant problem is the fact that she does not look the part at all.

Harmon's character might as well have been played by a cardboard cutout, as that's about as much depth as he brings to the part. His complete lack of athleticism is strikingly apparent and makes him completely unbelievable as a tennis pro. He would also be completely unbelievable as a tennis student, a ball boy or anything else related to tennis. I picture nepotism as the only reason he was cast and those responsible should be ashamed.

Poor acting MIGHT have been overcome if the tennis action were good. Likewise, poor tennis action MIGHT have been overcome if the acting were top notch. However, in this case the tennis action is just as painful (maybe even more so) than the acting. The awful filming painfully hides the lack of athletic ability of ANYONE in the cast. There are no long range shots of the game being played, only cheesy studio close ups of players stumbling, balls landing close to the line or players 'swinging' a racquet. The outfits, sneakers, movement and physique of the actors in no way portray any tennis pro I've ever seen. They don't even portray a modern 4.5 player.

The sets were awful. The finals were held in some sort of studio mock up with what was probably half a court. It's really a slap in the face to try and convince the viewers this is real tennis when you cannot even film in a real tennis venue. Of course, the producers (one is mentioned below) and the director must have realized early on they weren't going to be able to make it look like real tennis because they didn't hire anyone who could play tennis.

The contrived 'drama' of the 'high ankle sprain' scene at the end played as if written by a middle school net judge. I can't imagine any pro player having any doubt about finishing a match at that point. And they wouldn't be conversing it with their father, either.

For the life of me, I can't understand why Venus Williams and Tracy Austin would want to be associated with this dreck. They surely must have seen how poorly the actors were at tennis. Somebody must have asked them during auditions if they can play. Somebody must have looked at them during filming and seen how dreadful they were. And despite all this, they continued with the filming.

In all good conscience I cannot give this movie even one star - it's that bad, even by Hallmark standards. I'm not really a Hallmark fan - my wife watches all of their movies - but I do catch a few things here and there. I'd heard about this movie during the previews, and as an avid player, I thought I'd take a look. For a company which sends movies out to real tree farms, real restaurants, real kitchens, real locations - I really cannot fathom how they approved this absolute sham of a movie. All involved should be banned from center court.

I find it strange and annoying that only those who do not appreciate a film leave a review. I liked it, it's really amazing and funny in some moments. The two leads are convincing. I find that Richard Harmon has given depth to his character and shows great comedy skills too. Davida Williams was perfect. She is so much in the character. I really loved her work and the chemistry the leads get to build between their characters. This Is a process though because the beginning is not easy at all. Perhaps someone could expect some more attention to the romantic side in a Hallmark movie, not that I missed it, but here there was really a lot to tell and various aspects of Taylor and Will's personal and sporting life to eviscerate. In my opinion, giving a 1 or 2 to such a film is ridicolous and outrageous of the work of the cast and crew. I would put a 10 to try and remedy but I will not be so unfair and let a more than deserved 7.

Beyond laughable in its representation of professional tennis. The ludicrous plot line details were so far removed from reality that we laughed through the entire comedy - except it wasn't supposed to be funny THAT way. The sequences of play action were so disjointed, it was as if they teleported across the court. The scoreboard camera shot in the final match was absolute gibberish in representing what had happened in the course of the match with the points, games, and sets won. And a mildly injured player agonizing over whether to play the FINAL match point to win? I won't even delve into the relationship plot and the lack of chemistry among the leads, who in no way sold themselves as professional athletes. If you know anything about tennis at all, watch it for either a laugh at Hallmark's expense - or to be majorly frustrated at the stupidity. Just to be clear, I enjoy Hallmark movies for pleasant entertainment. Not this embarrassment.