User reviews

The story line is good and the scenery is great ... The Irish accent of your leading male actor is so far removed from a normal accent .. it is actually hard to listen to ... surely you could have got an Irish actor for your lead role.

Jack Turner and the plot convinced me to watch this movie: two exes reuniting and getting a second chance? That's a yes from me. However... It was kind of disappointing: I don't feel there was any chemistry between the actors. It was kind of slow, and there were no fun moments, nor any major scene/problem between the leads. I don't think it got my full attention at any point during the hour and half. You know what to expect from a Hallmark movie, but this wasn't it.

I appreciate the original plot. The location was beautiful. I didn't hate it, I liked it but I think a few things were missing that could have made this movie special. I'm actually sad that i'm giving this 5 stars. This had so much potential but it just didn't work for me.

I like that this movie starts in Ireland, rather than being a fish-out-of-water movie and has two generations. Whilst I'm really bored of flour fights etc, and the time of year is confusing, this film would merit and facilitate sequels.

I found Jack Turner's (Charlie's) accent forced and hard to understand. I liked watching Roisin O'Donovan (Katherine) though. It seems they could have done a little better job making the actors look like they actually aged 5 years. Of course, the scenery in Ireland was beautiful and a nice change from the typical generic Canadian settings.

Pretty scenery and pretty lead stars can't save this grating movie. Will exes reunite before one of them is about to marry? It is set in Ireland. The lead actor has a bad Irish accent that sounds like just whispering everything quickly. It's predictable because her new fiancé is not as good looking. So obvious.

This is a lovely film with great chemistry between the actors and a competent cast across the board. Does not follow the formulaic romantic movie plot which was refreshing.

I have taken off one point as the Irish accent of the lead was a little less than and maybe a tiny bit slow at the beginning but overall was a special and enjoyable watch..

What is it with Hallmark and homely leading men? Made the movie somewhat difficult to watch when "Dave" was on-screen.

Not worth the watch. Bad acting. Bad accent. Bad story. Boring and predictable

Yes, it is another simple Hallmark made for TV romance themed film but Mrs. Shullivan and I are hunkering down during the Corona Virus 19 pandemic and we are a bit choosy about what we want to watch on TV. It was no surprise that we both enjoyed this simple little film as our own first trip together was to the beautiful country side of Ireland where the pubs are many and the food hearty and bountiful such as it was in this romantic themed made for TV film.

The two lead actors Merritt Patterson and Jack Turner certainly had feelings for each other but as in all realistic scenarios they had their own careers to follow and so they fell out of touch with one another through the subsequent years. We as all humans have a memory bank of both the good times and bad times we have experienced with some of our memories harder to forget than others. Such is the case with these two star crossed lovers Jenna Slade and Charlie O'Hanlon.

As life and time goes by, (and time stands still for no man nor woman), Jenna and Charlie have moved on, or so they thought until five years later they find themselves in the boutique hotel that Charlie's father owns and runs. Economics have not been good to the hotel or to the O'Hanlon's who have fallen on some recent hard times and Jenna takes it upon herself to help Charlie's father bring new life back into the hotel and maybe, just maybe rekindle some of the old feelings that Jenna and Charlie once shared in good times past.

As I am from Irish heritage I have a soft spot for any film surrounding the countryside of Ireland, and although actor Jack Turner's Irish accent left a lot to be desired the story is a favorable one, the romance rekindled and a happy ending in these troubled times (COVID 19) are always a blessing we all need.

I give this particular Hallmark made for TV romance a strong Irish blessing score of 8 out of 10.

Yes the scenery was the star and not just the breathtaking kind like the cliffs, but every day Irish scenery too. My wife's biggest memory of Ireland is those skinny roads and yes we saw some of them in thia movie.

The story lacked something even beyond not tying up lose ends. It seemed disjointed. There were no big highs nor any big lows. Of the two or maybe three major conflicts, one didn't get resolved, one ended very quietly and the third was the lead up to the obvious ending. In broad strokes, this movie was predictable which is almost automatic with a Hallmark romance. However, getting there didn't rely completely on overused tropes and cliches. The save-the-family-business trope gets old, but this had a slightly different approach to it. Also, the story seemed to ramble a bit. I think I can see how the inn's problems were supposed to have been solved, but the movie jumbled it up some and didn't explicitly explain it.

When the biggest problem seemed to be too little staff and not enough time, they sure had time to hike and bike and do other things. Charlie's big plan at the end doubles down on this and really didn't make a lot of sense either.

Merritt Patterson is one of what the Hallmark networks need - new and especially younger stars. I love a bunch of the veterans, but so many of them are over 40 and that's not really a good start-a-family age which is the kind of story you want to see at least a good percentage of the time. Patterson and Turner are decent actors for this brand, but not really knock-your-socks-off people. Patterson has beautiful eyes and her closeups are striking. In this movie, I didn't see the chemistry between the leads. And the guys' singing sounded off. Accents? They sounded off too, but at least for Turner it wasn't heavy.

Bad accents! Beautiful scenery though. Ireland is stunning.

6.7 stars.

"Forever in My Heart" is like a counterfeit film that feels like Hallmark, is in fact Hallmark, but more of a budget version. Take the plot for example: it's so mundane it checks all the right boxes, and yet I feel like I'm shopping at a movie thrift store to purchase a Hallmark knock off. This is a clone of a clone and the lowest form of a Hallmark forgery. Don't get me wrong, the scenery and backdrop are breathtaking. The Ireland landscape is so fresh and awe inspiring, but you can't put all your eggs in the Ireland countryside basket and expect that alone to produce phenomenal results.

First, we have an Englishman portraying an Irishman, and although he does the accent well to my American hearing, his character as a whole is lacking depth and likability. He's a good looking musician (which Jack Turner is in real life), but where is the personality excitement? Merritt Patterson's character is equally shallow and hard to read. She puts little effort into making Jenna a passionate and familiar person. I am unable to fall in love with the character, and all that remains is the obligatory emotionless and pasted half-smile that defines Merritt Patterson.

As the story goes, Jenna leaves Charlie behind in Ireland to pursue her dream job in the States, but there's no indication of a girlfriend/boyfriend bond. They seem more like good friends maybe, certainly not best friends. There is a lot missing in the development of any relationship. 5 years later when Jenna returns to Ireland and reunites with her friends, there is a total lack of expression and spark between any of them. Jenna now has a boyfriend in the States, but oh what a dull fellow, and there is zero chemistry between them.

There is a tiny side story of an elderly woman and some recognition between her and one of the supporting males, but this whole plot is downplayed to the point that it is better being absent altogether. Why even add it to the story if only to denigrate it further? Another side story is when Charlie surprises Jenna with a tour of her past, but there is no enthusiasm from either of them. We witness some family history which is lessened to the point of irrelevance, another small plot of an emerald ring, revealed early on for a brief moment. Where is the elation or shock when family history is revealed, or the emerald is revisited years later?

"Forever in My Heart" falls incredibly short in every aspect, especially entertainment value, and the whole production is devalued, because how difficult can it be for these two leads to make a film come to life?

I would have rated this around 6.0 stars, but there is a special something about the energy of the Irish, their culture, the music, and ambience that is very inviting; and Miss Patterson is a very lovely woman in spite of this particular performance.

So sad to see the rating for this movie is so low. I really enjoyed this movie and hate to see a rating lower than 8-9 stars. I gave it a 10! Definitely a must see!!

Hallmark did make some good films in 2019 in all their seasonal blocks, though it was another hit and miss year for them. Merritt Patterson and Jack Turner have done good work elsewhere. Ireland is an exquisite place with scenery to die for. The idea was quite nice if not innovative and had potential for a cute, charming film if done right. The mixed reviews though did dampen my expectations a bit, especially considering that the more negative reviews were from trusted users.

'Forever in My Heart' was watched with as open a mind as possible with all of this in mind. Even when taking it for what it was and what it was trying to do, so not expecting Oscar-worthy material, the film didn't do it for me. It is not a waste of time and there are good things, but 'Forever in My Heart' just didn't click on the whole. Ireland, Patterson and Turner deserved better, while two of them don't come off badly at all one disappoints a lot.

Am going to start with the good. The best thing about 'Forever in My Heart' is Ireland itself, the scenery is absolutely gorgeous and the photography really enhances its beauty. Would go as far to say that this is one of the better looking 2019 Hallmark films, and it is a shame that the film overall does not match that. The music suits the tone and doesn't come over as over-emphasised or used too much.

Patterson is charming and provides the one source of spark from the cast, as a character that isn't too perfect or overly flawed. Actually found her character, while typical, quite rootable in her quest. The supporting cast do very well despite being in underwritten roles.

Turner on the other hand didn't work for me, and this is being said with a heavy heart as somebody who usually likes him. His performance consists of mumbling and not much else and his character is not easy to warm to. While this reviewer really tries to not be nit-picky it is agreed that the accents are distractingly bad (especially Turner's). Really do not try to not criticise accents, but it is hard to when Irish accents are stereotyped so often and most of the time badly and borderline distastefully which was the case here. Patterson and Turner don't have any chemistry together, too distant and too cautious, and the relationship never really grows.

What also didn't work were the story and pacing. The story is very draggy and too thin, not going very far for some of the length. Also found it very predictable and some of the situations not always logical and tepidly resolved or anti-climactic. The direction plods and the script can sound awkward, too schmaltzy and quite drab. Tension is almost completely lacking and the romance just doesn't register, while the film takes itself too seriously. The warmth and charm just isn't there. Only Patterson's character is interesting of the characters, the others are underwritten.

Concluding, rather lacklustre. 4/10.

Good chemistry between the leads. I've watched this one on-demand probably 20 times over the last month to get me through some tough nights. I love the beginning and how they jump to 5+ later. I see others "complaining" about the Irish accents, but I"m not an expert there, so I don't even notice. Just a fun and warm story that I can watch as an escape. Enjoy!

I agree with the other ad reviews. They say exactly what I was thinking: very disappointed and the scenery could not save the movie; the lead actor's terrible accent and mumbling; zero chemistry; just boring. Honestly, I came here to leave a review because I thought the movie was almost over in like 10 minutes. I'm barely over half-way! What on earth could be left of this sad mess? It's never fun to leave an honest review like this. Her haircut was cute. I can't believe anyone would say anything negative about it.

Merritt Patterson and Jack Turner are two of my Hallmark favorites. They are both gifted and extremely talented. I think that is why this motion picture was such a disappointment to me. The first problem was Jack's fake accent (which was not good) and his high speed mumbling of his lines which made most of his dialog unintelligible. There was absolutely no spark, no chemistry, and no passion, each of which is necessary for a romance. The plot was only slightly interesting, but the supporting cast held it all together. They were good. I hope Merritt was wearing a wig for this movie, because I would hate to think some hairdresser had made her hair look so bad. When two talented stars like Merritt and Jack work together it is not unreasonable to expect more. Two stars for location and two for supporting cast.

Good story. Lovely scenery. Good acting. I really liked this movie. Ireland is beautiful. I've been there 3 times and this movie lived up to the beauty. The cast was excellent.

Scenery alone cannot carry a movie. This movie was DULL as can be. Nothing really happened. There was no tension or romance. The leads all felt like brother and sisters pecking each other on the cheek. The lead actor had a very bad Irish accent, and the rest seems dubious at best. The lead actress is usually someone I like in the Hallmark movies, but she did not have much to work with here. Hallmark needs some better writers and stories.