Love Takes Flight

I agree with the other reviewers that the film is refreshingly character driven and the acting is realistic instead of the usual Hallmark "overacting". I do also agree that the chemistry is missing between the two leads and he has shown himself to be everything she doesn't want in a partner. The subplot with Walter and Quinn is well developed and sweet. Really enjoyed this one and there was no town to save or boyfriend to erroneously distrust at the last moment .... This is a tender story dealing well with worthwhile topics...grief recovery, trust, friendships, and relationships.

Set and filmed in Savannah, for us it revived pleasant memories of our long weekend there a few years ago. A noted surgeon has developed a new transplant technique, she is looking for a hospital where she can make it work. A missing piece at the moment is no helicopter pilot, the transplant material has a very short required transit time.

They find a pilot, former military, but he is also attracted to the pretty and capable doctor who has become the hospital administrator. The attraction turns out mutual but, following the Hallmark formula, something gets in the way. Only at the last possible moment are they able to get on the same wavelength.

My wife and I enjoy Hallmark movies, they are pleasant entertainment and always under 90 minutes. As this one is. We watched it at home on DVD from our public library.

With the exception of the pilot character calling the helicopter rotors 'propellers' in the beginning, this movie hit solidly on several themes: Closed-off single mom, hurting widower father and adult son, job romances, job pressures and dangers.

Yes, there is the usual break-up around the bottom of the 2nd hour that seems to be a Hallmark movie requirement, but all the elements come together in the end.

I appreciated the less than saccharine tone, choosing to deal with real-life issues providing more depth than many a Hallmark movie. Well done. A keeper.

Dr. Lizzie Beauman (Nikki Deloach) is busy as a hospital administrator and a single mom to Quinn. The precocious Quinn befriends an elderly gentleman named Walter. Lizzie reluctantly hires Charley Allen (Jeff Hephner) as a helicopter pilot for a two week probation. It turns out that Charley's father is Walter.

It's a rather bland Hallmark romance. I think it pales in comparison to the daughter and the elderly father combination. I like that duo more although it's an awkward start. It's like an old timey record where the B-side is the hit. Quite frankly, that relationship has more potential for drama and melodrama. The A-side is rather forgettable.

Lizzie is the COO of a hospital, and has an adorable 5 year-old, Quinn. At work, she hires a new EMS pilot, Charley, who happens to be the son of Quinn's new friend, Walter. These two find each other when they needed it the most and we see Charley and Lizzie beside them in this new adventure.

Writing the review as I watch the movie: Walter and Quinn are adorable. The mother-daughter relationship between Lizzie and Quinn is heartwarming. I think I have said it before but Nikki DeLoach, a favorite for the Hallmark scenery, always light up the room with her performance and her smile.

Jeff Hephner, new to the Hallmark scenery, but not my case (Jeff Clarke, to me) plays a confident pilot, with a hero complex who is there to fix things with his father after the passing of his mother.

I liked it. A fresh idea, instead of an overused plot, good supporting actors and a satisfying script. My only problem was that the main characters did not have enough time alone, which is require for the grand finale we are so accostume to. I didn't feel enough chemistry either, which honestly was disappointing.

The other relationships were more precious to me than the main one. It is worth the watch but won't become a favorite. Sorry Hallmark.