Love of the Irish (2025)

Love of the Irish was supposed to be the finale for the February Valentine’s reviews. Thankfully, it was not a Loveuary release because I had a very difficult time getting through this one. I rolled my eyes so hard I was afraid they might stay that way!

Fiona (Shenae Grimes-Beech) is a ballet dancer having trouble landing a role. In an attempt to fix her bad luck, she goes on a trip to Ireland with her mother, Helen (Moira Kelly). Helen’s goal on the trip is to reunite with her birth mother, who she believes lives in Ireland. Thanks to some helpful locals, and a single dad named Liam (Stephen Hagan), the women may just find what they are looking for.

I have a few problems with this movie. Just to get this out of the way: Fiona is supposed to be a dancer yet we never actually see her dance. No, the fancy turn when she’s playing darts doesn’t count. And no, “teaching” children how to hold their arms doesn’t count either. They could have given her any career in the world. Why did they choose ballet if they weren’t going to do any actual ballet?

Next, the writers really needed to pick one storyline to stick with. Every time a scene started to get interesting with Helen and her mother, they switch over to Fiona and Liam. WHO ARE BORING. They are boring people. They do nothing. This movie would have been a lot more interesting if they made it more of a mystery-type movie where they spend more time tracking down Helen’s mother with a big happy reunion party at the end. Liam could have been their guide around Ireland that Fiona falls in love with. His daughter is completely unnecessary, Fiona’s ballet is completely unnecessary, the rest of the movie is completely unnecessary.

I’m sorry that this review didn’t make it into February. On the plus side, an Irish movie fits in with a March St. Patrick’s Day theme, right? Well, either way, stay away from this one. It’s dull.

Rating: 2 out of 5 hearts or clovers

Time For Her To Come Home For Christmas | 2023 Christmas Movies

With Time For Her To Come Home For Christmas, I think they have finally run out of pronouns to come home. I have watched Time For Us, Time For Them, and Time For Him. Will this be the end of Blake Shelton’s Christmas movies?

Carly (Shenae Grimes-Beech) is a musician who has been hired to help a church choir prepare for their Christmas concert.

Yeah, that is pretty much the plot. All summed up in one line. And that is how deep this movie is as well. We get a schmaltzy story about Carly’s mother passing and love-interest Matthew (Chris Carmack) returning from some soldiery duty. But that is it. Everything that should be deep and emotional feels flat and cardboardy. Handled correctly, this could have been an amazing story about someone finding lost family and finding where they belong. Instead, it was about a rather terrible song about Christmas.

Rating: Can the next one be “Time For Me To Leave?”

When I Think Of Christmas | 2022 Christmas Movies

Hey, guess what? It’s another movie about singers! When I Think Of Christmas isn’t only about one singer though. We have three singers in this one!

Sara (Shenae Grimes-Beech) is a New York lawyer who has returned to her hometown to help her mother, Anna (Beth Broderick), move into a smaller home while celebrating the holidays. At one of the town festivities, she finds out that her ex-boyfriend and ex-singing partner, Josh (Niall Matter), is producing the town holiday concert. Will they spark a new love for music along with reigniting their love for each other?

When I Think Of Christmas is an interesting movie. There are a couple of conflicts that keeps the audience interested in staying tuned instead of just the big conflict with the main couple. Yes, I said main couple. This movie also has a secondary will-they/won’t-they couple! And each of the main characters have multiple conflicts. Does Hallmark want our brains to explode?

Here’s a quick rundown of the conflicts: Sara and her job, Josh and his job, Sara and Josh romantically, Anna and Sara’s history, and Sara and her romantic interest George (Mark Humphrey). While I wouldn’t necessarily call it a conflict, there’s also a big plot point about Anna and Sara remembering their deceased father/husband. We don’t normally get this much going on in a Hallmark movie. It’s nice to have stuff going on outside of romance. I know, I know. Romance is supposed to be all we think about. I don’t think I can roll my eyes any harder.

With all of that said, the script isn’t fabulous. There are a few weird things that no real human being would ever say to another but I will allow it this time. I will call When I Think Of Christmas a watchable movie that most people will enjoy. Go forth and sing thee thine carols!