User Reviews

I'm continually amazed at how many variations made-for-TV producers can continue making of the same basic story. Even more amazing is that most of them come off well, especially the ones that appear on the Hallmark Channel.

(Take a minute now to read the Plot Summary if you haven't already done so.)

Now that you're oriented and have probably even figured the outcome, all that remains is to watch the movie and let it fill in the details.

So why do I bother writing these paragraphs? Only to note the near-total lack of chemistry between Julie Benz as "Johnny" and Scott Elrod as "Andrew". It's rare that the supporting cast out-performs the leads; but, sadly, that seems to be the case here.

Williams, Gould, Johnson, and Ishibashi all turn in good performances. Benz might have, too, if she'd been given a more compatible leading man. The other problem with her character, Johnnie, is that we never see her in down-home attire or without business-woman make-up; so we have no surface evidence of her underlying potential to adapt to country life, if indeed that were to become her future as step-mom to the heir of the winery. (Rightly or not, movies are still about the image.)

I've enjoyed Scott Elrod (Andrew) in other roles (on "Men in Trees," for example), but not so much as the celebrity chef in this outing. His fatherly scenes with his "son" (Gattlin Griffith, in a heart-stealing performance) seemed real, even endearing; but as a potential husband for career-woman Benz? I'm not convinced. (However, I think he'd be great in a western, if anybody made them any more).

Bottom line: I rated this a 5 (i.e., average). With some minor script alterations and a tweak of the cast, this could have been a 7.

This movie was so bad it was humorous. I couldn't turn away much like looking at a bad accident. The leads look like Ken and Barbie and have as much personality as the plastic dolls. They also have no chemistry. The child is so unbelievable, one can only wonder who wrote this mess? Someone who fell into a coma in 1950 and recently woke up?

The clincher is the corny music that plays throughout the ENTIRE movie. There were times when you could barely hear the actors due to the non-stop elevator music. Maybe the producers realized the movie was beyond help and decide to send subliminal messages through the soundtrack. The only problems is there is no message or point to this movie.

I mourned the death of Julie Benz on Showtime's Dexter. In this instance, death would have been the kindest twist.

I love Julie Benz, especially her work in Buffy and Angel, and Scott Elrod is HOOOOT! BUT, all that being said, the amount of time these two knew each other before he broke down in front of her, talking about his deceased wife (I know some guys do, but most don't) and the fact that they knew each other for only 4 days prior to figuring out they wanted to make a lifetime commitment was completely ridiculous. This story had all the potential in the world to be so much better, so much more rounded than what the writer/producers gave it. What a shame, because even with the ridiculousness, it was still cute. 3 stars, you have to do better than that folks. I wish I could give it more, but it was so completely and utterly unrealistic that I just can't seem to push past the unreality.

Wonderful film dealing with the old adage that all work and no play makes for a dull person.

A woman, Julie Benz, a dedicated professional, learns about love when her firm is sold under her. While her excellent work allows for her to be hired by the woman who took over the firm, she has found true love by a chance meeting with a widowed chef and his parents who own a failing vineyard.

Her first boyfriend sees her as too old for love and romance and views marriage as a positive business relationship. When she rejects him as not being the one for her, you know what's coming. What is coming is ultimate love and a wonderful relationship with the man, son and his parents. Along the way, she uses her sharp business skills to save the vineyard for the parents.

Elliott Gould, as the father, is really wasted here. JoBeth Williams is the typical mother hoping for her son to find love and the young boy is precocious in every sense of the word.

Julie Benz is wonderful here as the business woman who realizes that there is life beyond an office but Mr. Elrod, who plays her new love is miscast. There is absolutely no really strong chemistry between the two and you know that it's only a good script that brought them together.