Rip in Time

Rip in Time felt like a Hallmark Hall of Fame movie from years ago. C. Jay Cox wrote a wonderful script directed beautifully by Jessica Harmon. The casting was perfect. Niall Matter gave a very nuanced performance as Rip and his chemistry with Torrey Devitto felt natural as did his chemistry with Eric Keenleyside and Joshua Black.

They even filmed part of the movie in New York-how great is that!

Loved it so much I actually didn't want it to end-haven't had that happen with a Hallmark movie in a while.

Torrey Devitto has never been more beautiful, warm and alluring. She positively glowed, and Niall Matter was charming as a character with old timey manners and speech patterns from the 1700s. And I loved the script by C. Jay Cox (who wrote Sweet Home Alabama with Reese Witherspoon and last year's Hallmark gem- Love Strikes Twice).

It's a "fish out of water" time travel tale that's been done countless times before, and in many different ways, but that's because this kind of story is often quite entertaining. Rip in Time is a nice, pleasant, easy going version of the old movie trope, and it's a lot less creepy than the new Time Traveler's Wife series (ugh). It's like a reverse Outlander without all the disturbing, cruel, and hard to watch nastiness on that show. It reminded me of A Timeless Christmas, with Erin Cahill, and Ryan Paevey, which I also liked.

The script had some clever bits about modern mores and the evolution of a woman's role in society. Devitto's Sarah is written as a strong, brave, self assured, kind, confident woman who at one point initiates a scene that struck me as an homage to the "it's still not over" scene from The Notebook. Unfortunately, the scene where Rip noted how "flawed" Thomas Jefferson had been in excluding women from "all men are created equal", would have been a good time to point out how flawed and hypocritical it was for him to own slaves. That was a missed opportunity.

In order to enjoy these kinds of movies you need to buy into the fantasy and hope the story is as "realistic" as possible within that fantasy construct. And, for the most part, Rip in Time succeeds, except for the "leg injury" which would have manifested far worse symptoms. I also wondered why no one took Rip to a dentist to confirm he had no modern fillings. Heck, his teeth would likely have been in pretty bad shape. Also, I doubt he would have had access to a quill pen and ink in 2022. But these are minor quibbles.

The story was strong, the conflict wasn't over done, and I actually sympathized with the cop even though he was the token "bad guy" (although he really wasn't a bad guy- he truly cared and, let's face it, Rip's story was bonkers).

Another solid win for Hallmark. I hope we get more good stories from C. Jay Cox and I'd love to see more Torrey Devitto (loved her in Write Before Christmas)

I had very high hopes for this one, and I was not disappointed. It was written by C. J. Cox who penned one the best Hallmarks in recent years, Love Strikes twice, as well as the Reese Witherspoon favorite Sweet Home Alabama and Rene Zellweger's New in Town. It starred Niall Matter as Rip Van Winkle's estranged son who travels from his time to ours and meets single mother Torrey de Vito, and her son and father who are the current owners of the old Van Winkle property. Time Travel stories are always a safe bet and Niall Matter is a favorite of mine. Torrey Devito, not so much, but she was fine in this. Niall seems to have an air of melancholy behind his eyes, which was perfect for this role.

Most of the movie is relationship building with Rip helping Torrey's bullied son, dealing with the jealous suspicion of his rival for Torrey's affection, a police deputy, and of course the slow burn romance.

The writing was full of authentic details, bringing in Washington Irving's tale and farm machinery of the era for example. Flax Breaks--Who Knew? Not to mention Ben Wilkinson attempting to explain the science behind time travel to a stunned Torrey and a bewildered Rip.

The romantic conclusion was a little too pat, with lots of future challenges remaining unaddressed. But the reach across time, by means of a backpack, provided a reconciliation between Rip and his misunderstood father that was touching and satisfying.

Really enjoyed this. It was engaging & nicely written. It was not the usual Hallmark formula and I think it gave Niall Matter a chance to really shine & stretch his talent.

Sarah Majors (Torrey DeVitto) is a single mother and runs the family farm with her father Calvin Majors (Eric Keenleyside). They find a homeless guy hiding in their barn. He has spotty memory and the name Rip (Niall Matter). He seems to be from the past and a fish out of water.

This is a fun concept for Hallmark but it does need better writers than their standard level. I would have liked him asking the year much earlier and go down the road of his sanity. That's a more fertile and reasonable path. I can do with much less sci-fi exposition and going to the big city. I don't want the magic to be explained away. I like the suspicious cop and the small town rumor mill. That's a great second half story arc. This starts off well but it doesn't develop well. There are elements that I like. I even like the ending but the writing needs a few improvements.