Heart of the Matter

Well, colour me completely and absolutely surprised! A deep, complex Hallmark movie where romance isn't the main plot? What is going on!

What's going on is Aimee Teegarden - one of my favourites, right back to her Friday Night Lights days - playing the role of a doctor who is responsible for the death of her patient. The decisions she made and the fallout deeply affect her life and she faces further complications when she approaches the dead patient's mother (well played by Gail O'Grady of NYPD Blue fame - remember the Rangers-obsessed receptionist Donna Abandando?) to try and apologise, leading to disciplinary action.

Don't watch Heart of the Matter if you want the usual family-friendly, tropey Hallmark movie. This definitely isn't one of those...but it is one of the best Hallmark films ever made.

Ridiculously frustrating. An exercise in self-indulgence. Ugh...what a ridiculous woman. Why does Hallmark consistently make their female characters so pathologically enfuriating. The omission committed by this doctor in question pales in comparison to the daisy chain of bad, hurtful decisions she proceeds to make, even harming a young boy, in her self-indulgence. Ugh. Pitty-pot time, anybody?

'Heart of the Matter' (2022)

Opening thoughts: The 2022 Hallmark Movies and Mysteries output has varied, most of the previous films in the block actually being very impressive (especially 'North to Home' and 'The Presence of Love') with the only big misfire being 'Cut, Color, Murder'. Also saw 'Heart of the Matter' because of the premise, being someone who did connect with it even reading about it. Hallmark has not always succeeded when it comes to tackling serious themes and personal dramas, but they did do this very well quite a lot.

On the most part, the serious and very personal subject, with the themes of grief and loss, is handled very well in 'Heart of the Matter'. It didn't start off too great, but once it got going and the less the lead character frustrated me the more relatable the film became. For me, it is definitely one of the best 2022 Hallmark films not just up to this point but overall and a fine example of how to tackle serious subjects in a way that was easy to connect with.

'Heart of the Matter' isn't perfect. It is a slow starter, with it taking time to get going and with some of the dialogue not flowing very well. It did take me time to get behind the lead character, being another person to have moments of really disliking her with the film really overdoing her self-absorbed and self-indulgent traits.

Also did feel that the ending was a little too on the wrapped up in a neat little bow-like considering the behaviour of the lead character.

Good things: With all that being said, there is a lot to like here in 'Heart of the Matter'. Aimee Teagarden's performance is very sincere and moving, continuing to grow as an actress. Gail O'Grady has the more interesting and relatable character, one where her point of view was completely understandable and how most would feel in that situation, and plays her with class and every bit as poignantly. The supporting cast are fine, if not up to the same level as the two leads.

It is very professionally filmed and the locations are simply beautiful. A lot of Hallmark's films suffer from being over-scored, meaning being too constantly used and too loud. That isn't so big a problem here. The script is a lot less cheesy and schmaltzy than most Hallmark films and did find it very sincere, very affecting and that it mostly did not awkward, apart from to begin with. The story is predictable, but is very mature and poignant without being sappy or too melodramatic.

Closing thoughts: Overall, good but not great.

7/10.

Like others, I'd watch any story with Aimee Teagarden ever since I first saw her in "Once Upon A Christmas Miracle", and she'd done some work that would never air on Hallmark, yet this movie was quite different from what I expected from the previews. This was almost pure drama, and the romance was incidental to the story. The overriding message is how one can be one's own worst critic, and potentially forfeiting a promising future over tragic lapses in judgements, and yet one can rise above that by being open and honest with those who care, and even with those who have every right to hate them, if only they are brave enough to rise to the challenge. At the time of this writing, Hallmark is barely airing this story at all, and that seems like such a bad idea.

The acting by every single person was absolutely outstanding. Seriously hallmark really did great. It feels like a Hall of Fame movie.

I watched it twice with my family.

We watch non-hallmark and hallmark and this is just a spectacular.

Hallmark should make more productions like this.