The Secrets of Bella Vista

7.7 stars.

I like a good mystery, this one was orchestrated well enough to keep us guessing just a little and doing a bit of nail biting, and then it all unravels at the end to a predictable climax. Yes it's woke, yes it's got some far fetched ideas about uber rare coins and holocaust survivors, and people dying in mysterious ways, and the secrets kept by several seemingly saintly people for no good reason. This extremely savvy woman and her equally savvy mother are the butt of the whole generational joke, but who is keeping score? I liked the film for the entertaining twists and turns. She speaks 3 languages? Right. He is a pilot, was in the navy, and has been to multiple countries, and is now a banker? Right. Her grandfather was a self-made orchard owner in Napa valley right in the heart of the best agricultural land on the whole planet and they can't sell the place? You mean they spent 20 million on cancer treatment? Ok, something doesn't add up.

The movie is entertaining, wokeness and illogic notwithstanding. What can I say, I've been suspense deprived for too long watching all these syrupy romances, it's nice to have a maudlin mystery for once.

I have grown tired of the Hallmark formula applied to every movie so this was a very pleasant change. Still Hallmark, but the tired scripts did a pleasant change up, and it really was a pleasant change. A very enjoyable movie, mystery and romance.

There were both a host of new characters, all likable, and a couple of old standbys, also very likable. Great scenery, so they must have sprung for a slightly higher budget, a good choice. Everybody loves a little mystery, some honest appearing suspense, and a happy ending.

Keep the changes coming and trash the worn out storylines that are totally predictable and boring.

I struggle to rate this hallmark film. I love Hallmark regular Niall Matters and Rachel Lefevre was just fine. I really liked that this was about an apple orchard (and not another vineyard) and I loved the main characters career around antiques...and all of the antiques shown (was that a Parker slag lamp on the desk? And I have that very same brass letter holder!).

The story was VERY loosely based on the Susan Wiggs novel The Apple Orchard. The main character, Tess Delaney, is up for a very coveted position acquiring antiques for the prestigious New York firm of Sotheby's. Meanwhile an unknown gentleman keeps trying to contact her...it turns out she has inherited half of an orchard and estate from a grandfather she never knew and surprise!...she has a half sister that inherited the other half. Then she discovers the estate is in financial trouble...enter the story of their grandmother whose wealthy Jewish family fled the Nazi's during WWII, possibly with some kind of treasure.

The base story was a decent one and could have been well done. Unfortunately, it was just ok.

The part I really didn't like...was the random lesbian storyline that felt out of place to the rest of the story. It's like the put it in out of requirement and made no effort to actually work it in seamlessly with the story. Thus it felt forced and awkward or as some reviewers have commented...like a moral lesson. No issue with a lesbian storyline, but I would prefer to see it done well.

I'm afraid I can't really recommend this hallmark film to loyal hallmark romantics like myself...or fans of mysteries, sorry.

This has many of the usual plot elements. Save the family orchard. Lady exec, Tess, who has an amazing assistant, up for promotion inherits half the estate. Quest to find hidden or lost family treasure. Tess had single mom and now is finding family she never knew. Male opposite, Damhniac, helps with the quest. Yet somehow it didn't feel like the same old same old. There is a bit more of a detective mystery than the usual quest story.

Meanwhile there is the relationship between Tess and Damh but it doesn't get as much screentime as a simple rom/com. Niall Matter and Rachelle Lefevre do have chemistry even if it's shortchanged for screentime.

IN A NUTSHELL: This Hallmark mystery was directed by Heather Hawthorn Doyle, and written by Jamie Pachino based on the book "The Apple Orchard" by Susan Wiggs.

The story is about Tess Delaney, who gets the surprising news from estate executor Damhnaic McAuley that she has inherited half of an apple orchard from a father she never knew and has a half-sister she didn't know about. When she visits the orchard and connects with her new-found family, she learns that the orchard is deep in debt. Using her knowledge as an antique expert, Tess and her half-sister work to unravel the mystery of their grandmother's "treasure" that could hold the key to saving the orchard. And, in the process, Tess ultimately finds a new understanding of herself.

THINGS I LIKED: The casting of the mother and daughter was pretty good! I thought the beautiful Rachelle Lefevre looked a lot like Nathalie Boltt.

Nice cinematography and drone shots.

There's a fun mystery to figure out.

I like that Hallmark movies don't always have female employees fighting and bickering. This is the second recent Hallmark movie where I've seen a boss portrayed as super nice to her employees and up for a promotion for a great job.

Empty refrigerators always make me laugh in movies.

We get to spend time in a beautiful apple orchard.

There's more to the story than just romance.

THINGS I DIDN'T LIKE: Hallmark was really going for the "diversity" award in this movie with storylines that include a pregnant lesbian couple, a Hispanic family with immigration problems, and a Holocaust story.

Why are the ladies in Hallmark movies always super uptight? Does Hallmark think that's how all single women are?

The CGI window views look super fake.

Super cliched dialogue.

There's a lot of exposition in less than 5 minutes.

Grape stomping is hilarious but seems super unsanitary, right?

Dumb dialogue like "Do you have something sweet like a dessert thing?" Maybe I missed it but it seemed funny to me that there was no discussion about why the apple orchard was going bankrupt. They never addressed the underlying causes. Instead, the characters spent a lot of effort trying to save it, but what kind of financial situation were they going to be in with the orchard once they saved it without solving the underlying problem?

The romance felt like an afterthought in the story, really.

TIPS FOR PARENTS: Spanish is spoken without subtitles.

A lesbian couple has a baby shower.

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