Un automne à Manhattan

Aimee Teagarden was great in Friday Night Lights and has been in some very good movies lately (Once Upon a Christmas Miracle, New Year's Resolution, My Christmas Family Tree). She's a perfect fit for Hallmark (which is why they signed her to a new multi-film deal). Here she's cast as a wholesome, adorable, relentlessly upbeat and idealistic woman who shows up in NYC looking for a career. But she's only given herself two months to find an inspiring job (wildly unrealistic).

She tries out a remarkably wide array of seemingly decent jobs that would likely have supported her (Including one that seemed like a wonderful opportunity to travel) but none stirs her passion ("I'm not just looking for a job, I'm looking for a fulfilling career and, when I find it, it's going to feel like a lightning bolt."). And yet she spends a lot of her free time sitting on park benches and drawing. When asked why she doesn't pursue that as a career, she insists that it's impractical and would be a betrayal of her parents who "scrimped and saved" to pay for her college.

Austin (played by Evan Roderick) doesn't create the same good first impression as Piper. He's called a "curmudgeon" and "grumpy" and grudgingly takes a job that anyone with a journalism degree would kill for (writing "features" for the Chronicle). But he shows up late, when he shows up at all, makes no effort to do his job properly and demonstrates a complete lack of integrity (as he does again later in the movie). There's also a pathetic early scene where he let his mother veto his chicken sandwich lunch order and, instead, lets her order him HER favorite kale salad. Ugh.

But, thankfully, Piper has a positive effect on him. And their chemistry is great. But one of the more frustrating aspects of Hallmark movies is their rather chaste approach to romance. These are two attractive, single, 30 year-olds, living across the hall from each other in New York City. In real life (and on Netflix) they'd be in bed together (or at least making out like teenagers) the night the candles came out. I counted about two dozen pumpkin colored candles. Heck, that setting called for a kiss at least. Or even one of Hallmark's famous (and ridiculous) "almost" kisses. But no. Nothing. And yet, in this particular movie, it may actually have made sense for them to wait given the circumstances.

Also, in a laudable continuation of Hallmark's commitment to diversity and inclusion, the movie features a gay couple who own a nearby coffee shop. Initially, Piper's "efforts" (asking if a stranger has tried a pumpkin bread sample) somehow earns her a "coffee on the house". And then Austin waltzes in and also gets a coffee without paying. And then the coffee shop owners offer to plan Piper a party after knowing her for just a couple of weeks. Those were some rather unrealistic moments, but I liked the characters. They were kind, good-natured, and provided sympathetic ears and support for Austin and Piper. And they set up a really sweet surprise in the park.

There's a question of "who will 'champion' who?" that played out in a way I initially thought reflected poorly on one of the characters, but I was pleasantly surprised by how that was eventually handled by the writers (Joey Elkins and Blake Silver). Another reviewer fairly criticized the desperate "fight for yourself or yell" scene but I liked it; it reminded me of the old classic Bob Dylan song with the lyrics "when you ain't got nothing, you got nothing to lose."

Random observations:

The "hostess" mix up was beyond improbable. There's no way that happens.

Temp agencies make their money when a temp is offered and accepts a permanent position. They certainly didn't make any money off Piper.

Pretty good fake view of Washington Square and the Brooklyn Bridge. I wish they had filmed on location in New York City but Hallmark is famous for keeping their filming costs low by filming in Vancouver.

I agree with those who spotted very little evidence that it was autumn which was a shame because in certain locations, fall colors can really be spectacular (and "autumn" is literally in the movie title).

Although running into someone you know in NYC seemed to another reviewer like it would "literally never happen" it actually happened to me when I visited Manhattan and bumped into somebody from my hometown in California, even though I had no idea they were even going to be there. And Piper and Austin don't actually run into each other unexpectedly except for the planned park set up and their run ins at their favorite coffee shop by their apartment (I run into people I know all the time at my favorite coffee shop). That said, it's a familiar technique to have lead characters get into the elevator at the same time, or walk out of the building at the same time, or bump into each other at a local business. That just drives the story along. You have to suspend your disbelief to some extent when you watch a guaranteed happy ending Hallmark movie. They're not documentaries (which, sadly, can be stranger than fiction).

Good use of the song "A Night Like This" by Carmi Esta towards the end. I've noticed that the background music in Hallmark movies has really improved over the years.

7.6 stars.

The theme is a simple one: never give up.

Piper (Teegarden) is a woman who breaks off from her parents' dream for her to work the family business the rest of her life. She has ideas for finding her own path, but the catch is she has no idea where to start.

This is the a peculiar film for Hallmark. The main character has no specific aspirations, no goals, no skills that she is aware of. She blindly goes to NYC and sublets an apartment, basically for free. She tries a dozen or so jobs and finally settles on a dream that was always right in front of her face.

I like this movie for the acting and the cityscape. The chemistry is nice, although I'd prefer something more to sink my teeth into. There are several unlikely circumstances that I will choose to ignore for the sake of enjoyment, but I must mention them. 1) The apartment would be so expensive she would need ten roommates to afford it. 2) Her art is just doodling? Nobody just doodles like that. Someone would have pointed out her talent years ago. 3) She lands so many jobs that anyone would basically give up an arm and leg for, and yet she just quits each on a whim. 4) Woke. Hallmark has gone headlong into wokeness, there is no turning back at this point. I think 2022 is the year they will look back and see this was the turning point that led to their decline and eventual ruin.

'Autumn in the City' is entertaining and has a good message. I like Teegarden a lot, and she is solid in this film.

Piper is about to turn 30 and she wants to make her own path, figure out what she wants to do. So, she moves to NYC and tries a few different temp jobs. There she meets her handsome neigbour Austin, a wanna be writer whose mom insists follows her path.

It's realistic in a way that a 30 year old doesn't know what to do with life and also in a way in which a parent wants them to follow their same path. I kind of sympathise with both.

I thought Aimee was amazing and there was chemistry with Evan. I personally thought Evan's character Austin could show more excitement and a fun, silly scene was missing from this as well.

This is clearly not a Hallmark production even if it was shown there. I'm not sure if a few of the NYC shots were real but they looked like it (The Manhattan skyline and Washington Square Park). The streets certainly weren't and that's okay.

I had big expectations about this. It's definitely not a 10 but this tv film certainly delivers what's promised.

29 year old Piper (Aimee Teegarden) left her job at the family firm and moved out to NYC to find a new path within two months. She's eager to start but nothing is working out. Grumpy aspiring writer Austin (Evan Roderick) is reluctantly following the footsteps of his famed journalist mother Patricia (Laura Soltis). He steals her taxi for their meet-cute. They actually live across from each other.

It's a Hallmark romance. This is doing Vancouver for NYC and it shows especially when they're walking the fake streets. The coffee shop isn't that authentic either. They do manage to get a couple of New York City scenes. They must have spent a day filming there. I don't like this guy. He would be more appealing if he's just bad at his job rather than not trying. I'm left waiting and waiting for them to accept their dream jobs. In the end, it is all very light weight and not that compelling.

Realism in this one is catastrophic. Why would they set the story in autumn while you can tell the set isn't really in that season? I mean, let's be real: in fall New York, you wouldn't go out with a light dress and a light jacket like it's warm outside. Plus, Central Park looking nothing like Central Park.

Besides, if the girl has only two months, it would make sense for it to be summertime. I guess jobs wouldn't be that easy to get in summer. But again, how unrealistic is it that you can find as many interesting jobs through a temporary work agency. And who I would have the luxury to refuse a job in this economy?

As for the relationships, I don't live in New York but I do know big cities, and characters are really too one-dimensional, starting with the coffe shop owners.

The actors are good though, so it compensates.

My expectations aren't that high for a TV movie but it's like they shoot themselves in the feet with all these.