Amoureux malgré eux !

There were two main reasons for seeing 'Moonlight in Vermont', Hallmark film completest sake and Lacey Chabert. Have begun seeing fairly recently Hallmark's non-Christmas output and it's been an interesting endeavour, though like the Christmas quest it's been hit and miss with some good, some bad and some somewhere in between. Chabert is one of the most popular regular Hallmark actors and it is not hard to see why, while not all her films are great or even good perhaps she is always watchable.

And she is watchable here, more than that even. Despite not being all that wowed by the story when reading the synopsis, and even on film it is still not the most exceptional of stories, 'Moonlight in Vermont' is a very charming and easy to digest film as long as not too much is expected. Much better than the previous 2017 Spring Fever film 'Love at First Bark', which didn't do much for me despite liking the leads elsewhere.

'Moonlight in Vermont' isn't mind blowing. Story-wise, it is very formulaic, where most plot points are foreseeable well before they happen (due to Hallmark doing them a number of times before). And also on the lightweight side, meaning on the slightly thin side and also where it is all wonderfully pleasant and polite with lots of charm but also with not a lot of depth or goal.

Occasionally the dialogue is on the corny side and the ending is slightly too neat.

Having said all of that, 'Moonlight in Vermont' succeeds in many areas too. Chabert is immensely engaging in her roles, with a real expressive warmth and perkiness. Her character sounded neurotic and pushy on paper, but Chabert manages to not emphasise those negatives too much (almost at all even) and makes her likeable by the end. Carlo Marks is every bit as appealing and always looks relaxed and positive in energy. The chemistry between them is playful and charming. The supporting cast are solid.

Also thought that the scenery was beautiful to watch and that the photography complemented it nicely, never cheapening it. The music didn't come over as over-powering or used too much and the main song is sweet without being to sickly effect. The film is assuredly directed, while the script mostly flows well and has an appealing light-hearted-ness. The story is cute and heart-warming and even with the predictability being high there is also a cheerful energy that stops it from getting mundane. Characters that didn't sound like that they would be appealing conceptually did turn out to be a lot more interesting and easier to get behind than expected.

In summary, not great but a very pleasant watch. 7/10.

This movie was absolutely delightful. I am a big fan of Lacey Chabert and her heartfelt and sincere acting, and I watched this for mainly that reason, but boy was I surprised.

Sometimes Hallmark movies can get dull, the story line isn't developed enough, they can be slow, and worst of all, the main characters sometimes have no chemistry.

This was one of the best made for TV movies I have seen in such a long time! Good acting by absolutely everyone, with Lacey shining and even more natural acting abilities than the last time we saw her. It also had adventure, lessons about people changing, re- evaluating and mending strained relationships. No part of it was forced or too adolescent, just an all around enjoyable movie!

I will be watching this one every time it comes on :)

Moonlight in Vermont is your typical country good-city bad, pretend boyfriend to make old boyfriend jealous, issues with dad Hallmark fare. The only thing to set it apart is good production values, cute setting, and the always reliable Lacey Chabert. Unfortunately she is not given too much to work with here. Her love interest is pretty cute as well and her step mother was a nice smart woman and not the source of tension or conflict. Her rejection of city life for stop to smell the roses country living was too quick and not well supported.

Beautiful movie to watch the scenery is so picturesque. Lacey is in a lot of hallmark movies lately. They are worth watching.

Setting is mentioned as spring, not winter. Dialogue even mentions "late snow". Entirely possible maple trees could be giving up first sap.

Also, snow on ground in no way implies current ambient temperature is freezing. Cold, sure, but not necessarily freezing. Concrete will set just fine, just take a bit longer. Adding baking soda accelerates the hardening, btw.