shift cable and hallmark film festival!

If I had not been home waiting for the shift cable to be replaced in my Saturn, I very will might have missed a gift from Comcast: a free week of Hallmark+ movies.

As the Universe would have it, I was home, though, and slowed down enough to notice that gift when it began on Monday.

Hallelujah!

Right time, right place.

Moreover, I had four instances scattered throughout these dozen movies when I knew that I was exactly where I needed to be.

Shall we take a gander?

Yes, let's... but don't be expecting a bunch of Christmas movies.

I wanted a bit of variety... and I certainly got plenty of that! 

(smile!)

I've listed the movies in the order I watched them. 

 

"3 Bed, 2 Bath, 1 Ghost" (2023)
Anna: Julie Gonzalo
Elliot: Chris McNally
Ruby Baker (1923 ghost): Madeleine Arthur

Anna is tasked with selling the Baker estate, but finds Ruby still haunting it, even though she's been dead 100 years - can Anna's ex-fiance Elliott help?

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"Adventures In Love And Birding" (2025)
Celeste: Rachel Boston
John: Andrew Walker
w kid (her teen daughter)

Celeste agrees to be 'fake date' with John for bird contest,
not realizing its for several weeks - lol!

Loved all the bird puns in this one!

The photo is of the bird-of-paradise flowers he sent her.

Right place, right time, for me.

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"Fourth Down And Love" (2023)
Erin: Pascale Hutton
Mike: Ryan Paevey

w kids (her tween daughter, plus his tween niece)
 

Divorced Erin ends up helping out for her daughter's flag football team - 

so does pro player Mike, her college sweetie, for his niece, while he's on

the injured list with his team.

Lots of good football action!

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"Nelly Knows Mysteries: A Fatal Engagement" (2024)
Nelly: Pascale Hutton
Mickey: Kavan Smith

Advice columnist Nelly steps in on detective Mickey's case 
since the dead man was her friend's fiancee.

She's a lot like the lead character in "Elsbeth", though not as colorful.

In the photo, she's playing with a hula dancer in the PI's office.

Have I mentioned that the tow truck driver had one on his dash?

Well, he did.

Right place, right time, for me.

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"Mystery Island: Winner Takes All" (2025)
Amelia: Elizabeth Henstridge
Jason: Charlie Weber

Detective Jason is paired with crime psychologist Amelia
to craft mystery for 8 contenders, but plan is waylaid
by real murder.

Good movie!

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"Catch Of The Day" (2025)
Sophie: Emilir Ullerup
Cam: Michael Rady (reminded me of Paul Rudd)

Chef Sophie returns to hometown to help her sister revive the
family restaurant - runs into her highschool beau, Cam,
the very first day - LOL!

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"The Real West" (2024)
Rebecca: Kimberly Sustad
Jake West: Lucas Bryant
w kids (her two sons, 1 in 12th grade)

Tenure-track professor Rebecca takes the family on vacation with her mom
and sister - but who's that hottie, Jake, in the hat shop?

And why did her sister get to him first?

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"Pie To Die For: A Hannah Swenson Mystery" (2025)
Hannah: Alison Sweeney
detective Chad: Victor Webster

Hannah's delivery of banana cream pies to town star finds the
star strangled and on the floor.

Enter hunky former Marine Chad to help the sheriff,
and her and her sis and mom, solve the case.

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"Crashing Through The Snow" (2021)
Maggie: Amy Acker
Sam: Warren Christie
w kids (her two non-teen daughters)

When the ex invites their two girls to spend Christmas in Aspen
with him, Maggie ends up invited along by his girlfriend - oops.
Good thing that woman has a hot brother, Sam, in town crashing

the family get-together!
 
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"For Love & Honey" (2024)
Eva: Margaret Clunie
Austen: Andrew W. Walker

Ah, Malta! I was there in 2002 and was thrilled to see it again!

Right place, right time, for me! 

Its very name means 'honey sweet', as is this tale of a beekeeper, Eva, 

called to aid Austen the archaeologist in his quest to solve the riddle of 

found art that features - you guessed it - bees!
 
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"What The Deaf Man Heard" (1997)
Sammy at 10yo: Frankie Muniz 
Sammy: Matthew Modine
Helen, his mom: Bernadette Peters
Norm, bus depot mgr: Tom Skerritt
Lucille, bus depot waitress: Judith Ivey
Archibald the rubbish man: James Earl Jones
Tallasse, Sammy's love interest: Anne Bobby

Little Sammy gets left on the bus by mom, who told 
him, "not one more word" - so he plays deaf and mute when
bus pulls into last station - ends up living there 20 years,
tended by Norm and Lucille - now he's 30 and witness to
church robbery - what to do?
Loved the list of names I knew in this one!

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"The Love Letter" (1998)
Scott (present time): Campbell Scott
Elizabeth (in 1863): Jennifer Jason Leigh

Time travel romance, a la "The Lake House"! Scott finds an 1863 letter 

never mailed in the antique desk and decides to answer it.

Next thing you know he has a penpal named Elizabeth and they fall 

in love, kinda sorta.

All set during the Civil War - and viewed after the GOB sermon today.

Right time, right place, for me!

The photo is of her lover, Col. Denby, in the battle at Gettysburg.

Wow -
perfect end to this film festival!