User reviews

I didn't know about this movie until I noticed the 3d part of it on this site. And I thought that it will be interesting. So, today I watched the first part of the "Good Witch". It is a story of a beautiful woman, who came to live in the Grey House. Everybody around thought that she was a witch, because once she talked with dog, who scared children, and after that the dog has changed a lot. She had friends, but she had enemies. We can see how this woman tried to survive in this small town. It was very well-done, very bright, colorful and kind. A very good story with love and rivalry. I think that you can watch it with your family if you want to rest. The acting was brilliant, the plot is not very difficult to understand. Watch it! You will love it!

This was your run of the mill Hallmark channel movie but that certainly didn't stop me from enjoying it. It was great to just sit on the couch with my popcorn and watch a good, clean, movie. The acting was good and all the characters were believable. I enjoyed watching Catherine Bell the most. She was perfect for the part. I MIGHT watch this movie again but nevertheless, it was still good to just sit and watch something without violence, sex, etc. It's definitely worth your time and it'll keep your interest 'til the end. 'Witches' don't exactly coincide with my beliefs but knowing it was a Hallmark movie, it didn't make me standoffish at all.

Let me say at the start that this film is about as far from "normal" as it gets for me. I don't have a family, I don't watch afternoon TV (and this film *definitely* fits both those bills), and I generally avoid Hallmark movies like the plague. But, you know what? I liked this one.

It is VERY low-key - perhaps even overly so at times - but it's the very "ordinaryness" of the characters that makes Cassie stand out, and the languid pace of the story fits well with the small-town atmosphere.

Everyone, the kids included, do their jobs well; and the upshot is a very pleasant hour and a half immersion in a children's story, with just enough to keep the adults amused. It's not J.M. Barrie, but it's not pap either, and it has the good sense not to overstay its welcome.

And for someone who likes Seagal and Willis and Pacino (when he can't find a "Casablanca" or a "Shawshank") that's pretty high praise.

I'll admit, I was predisposed to like this movie -- Catherine Bell and Chris Potter, two of TV's most telegenic actors, and two of my favorites, in the same feel-good family movie -- what could be better! (The grandfather and granddaughter are particularly well-cast as well.)

Although the script follows a typical stranger-in-town plot, combining mystery, conflict, and redemption, the whole thing is very well executed with nary a misstep. The explanations regarding the title character's background make total sense when revealed, and can even let viewers who don't analyze by thinking ahead enjoy a surprise or two.

If TV movies were all there were, I'd rate this a 10, but in the larger context -- after all, it's not "great art" -- I gave it an 8.

(Note: When I originally wrote this comment, the running time for this movie was not yet listed, so I noted here that, as shown on the Hallmark Channel, it runs for 89 minutes, plus commercials to fill out the two-hour time slot. The running time has since been added where it belongs.)

Addendum: Rewatching this movie two years later, I find it has lost none of its charm, and indeed is even more endearing upon second viewing.

Lovely Catherine Bell is perfectly cast as Cassandra Nightingale, a beautiful and mysterious newcomer who opens a shop in the small town of Middleton and has a knack of solving people's problems with relative ease. She quickly makes a good impression on the widowed police chief (Chris Potter) and his kids. Unfortunately, she makes a bad impression on the mayor's wife, a busybody who leads a campaign to have Cassie's shop closed down because she's a witch. The question of whether she really is a witch is never definitively answered. The movie does a clever and cute job of keeping that mystery intact right up until the final (and somewhat odd) slow-mo shot. The cast backing up Catherine Bell is extremely likable and appealing. The Good Witch has a wholesome quality about it but it's never corny or cloying. I especially appreciated the movie's leisurely pace. The score helps, as well. It's a relaxing movie with a little bit of humor, drama, and romance...and a lot of magic.

Old-fashioned, never-never-land fable about a mysterious woman who comes to a small town to claim an inheritance, specifically, the town's notorious haunted house. She sets up a shop full of potions and gemstones and charms, which does not go down well with the mayor's pompous wife (and tellingly, the only fat woman in the entire cast). This chubby busybody, straight out of a 1940s comedy, is convinced the new arrival is a witch (she does own a black cat and an antique broom) and spends the rest of the film trying to drive her out of town. Meanwhile, the newcomer performs a series of subtle good deeds that help various town folk with problems ranging from sterility to bullies. This Hallmark movie bears more than a passing resemblance to "Bell Book and Candle," and in fact the reputed witch names her New Age-y store Bell Book and Candle. The delectable Catherine Bell plays the mysterious woman, a woman similar to the character played by Kim Novak in "Bell Book and Candle." Since this is a Hallmark TV movie, Bell has to rein in her incredible sensuality, but she's still quite a dish even while playing more of a Mary Poppins character. I got a kick out of the cover for this one, which shows Bell grasping what appears to be a long, black phallic object, while giving us a knowing smile. The object, if you look hard enough, is actually a very long broomstick. Familiar TV actor Chris Potter plays the local sheriff, a widower with two small children who is smitten by Bell at first sight. Spending an evening alone on a couch in front of a roaring fireplace, wineglasses in hand, Bell and Potter manage one chaste kiss -- no tussling in the sheets for these two. This is a Hallmark movie, after all. So a chaste kiss is all we get. Entertaining, low-key family movie that was shot in Canada.

I have watched this movie several times on cable, and I just really love the entire concept of the haunted house, the widowed father with two adorable kids, Catherine Bell as the so-called witch. She is so beautiful and so believable. Maybe it is schmaltzy but I really just love watching a wholesome program where the "good guys" win.

The scenes from Halloween were exceptionally wonderful, you could see the two main characters falling in love.

And the Mayor's wife getting her comeuppance, the actress playing the Mayor's wife was really great, I loved her. A good feel good movie!

I heard that there is a sequel in the works, and I really hope so. This is a true wholesome family movie and I look forward to it!

I think this is a take-off on the French movie Chocolat (1988). A mysterious but sweet wandering woman comes into a small town. She opens up a shop where she gives away things that magically make people better. But the conservative element tries to drive her out simply because she's different from them.

A complement to the movie is that although I missed the start, I recognized the plot immediately. It did have a similar feel to Chocolat.

But it wasn't nearly as good because it got distracted by a typical Hollywood love interest which wasn't germane to the main plot of intolerance. And it ended abruptly with a typical Hollywood cop-out. The question is not whether she's a witch, but could enough people in town change to accept her goodness.

The title didn't seem to fit the movie or tv series. She's a woman who is good at solving problems. A witch? Who knows. It almost seemed like the show was too scared to commit to the idea of her being a witch for fear of losing the Evangelical viewers. Aside from that, it just seemed to check off every cliche for a made for tv movie. Love Catherine Bell, but this was just boring.

This is such a lovely family movie. It has everything you need for a warm tale about love kindness and all things magical. It makes you want to be a better person and be more open and accepting towards all others. I know sappy right...but who doesn't love a sappy clichéd movie.

I originally thought this movie would be kind of like Sabrina the Teenage Witch with lots of magical power, potions and spells but instead they have gone down the pathway of inner magic that everybody has the ability to possess. It's nice. Not what I was expecting but it does let your imagine run wild with the possibilities.

If your looking for something to watch that makes you feel good inside then I would definitely recommend this movie. I will certainly continue watching the entire series.

A Hallmark movie that Catherine Bell of JAG fame apparently filmed whilst on a production break from Lifetime's Army Wives, and the start of a long series of TV episodes and movies that rated through the roof for Hallmark.

Catherine Bell plays is The Good Witch aka Cassie Nightingale, who turns up to a small town, moves into The Grey House (a kind of quasi haunted abode, it seems) and gets everyone's tongues wagging. People believe she is a witch, the town's chief busybody and city council member, Martha Tinsdale, amongst them. I love Catherine Bell and thought she was sultrily - at least, as sultrily as you can get in a Hallmark movie - and enchanting as Cassie. She certainly charmed the local police chief Jake Russell, played by Chris Potter. They have good chemistry. It took me a while to get used to the over-the-top acting of Catherine Disher as Tinsdale. Was she meant to be that much of a caricature?

Good story and good idea but poor acting and poor directing...

I've seen the movie twice and thoroughly enjoyed it both times. If you live in a small town, you can really appreciate different aspects of this movie. Catherine Bell is wonderful. She really makes you fall in love with Cassandra Nightingale. All of the characters are wonderfully cast. Chris Potter is great as Police Chief, Jake Russell. The children are fun and believable. I couldn't help but smile throughout the whole movie. It is wholesome and fun. A movie for the whole family. The movie has some really cute twists and turns. The first movie I've seen in a while with no sex, violence or foul language. A very typical Hallmark feel-good movie. I LOVED IT and hope to see several sequels.

The characters are rather too idealistic; every few episodes, it feels as though you may have to give yourself an insulin shot just to keep things normalized. The kisses.... cold, emotionless. I haven't seen anyone face-bump and hold someone's arms that much since about 3rd grade back in the late 1970's. My cat actually displays more genuine tenderness and affection when he bumps my face to go feed him in the morning. The writing is massively predictable-- five minutes into it and you can guess what'll happen and how things will end. And while yes, the show is founded on magic, you have to suspend belief A LOT when it comes just to day-to-day basics of life. And some characters just suddenly disappear without explanation. The writing is too... elementary. My wife gets after me about it, but it's hard NOT to laugh and gently mock the show for it. Wholesome entertainment is one thing, but it's so wholesome that it's... bland.

HOWEVER... the REAL magic however is that the characters are lovable and endearing and show a way of living that you'll WANT to believe in. You'll want tea with Cassie and a friendly ear. You'll want to shoot hoops with Sam. You'll pray there are kids like those influencing your kids. And maybe if you're lucky, you'll remember a grandpa or grandpa-figure in your life as cool as George. That is what takes it above average though the "concerns" with it are just too much NOT to notice and break the binge here and there.

I absolutely adored TGW. It was a wonderful family movie that my niece and nephew enjoyed watching w. me. As a huge Catherine Bell fan since her days on JAG, I have always loved the characters that she portrays. Btw, she is one of the most under-rated actresses today who deserves more recognition from her industry. With that said, you will not be disappointed in this very feel good sweet and fun story with beautiful acting from Catherine Bell and Chris Potter. In this day and age when movies are violent and have bad language, TGW is clean good fun. I would recommend this movie to anyone. It is not scary and really sends a strong message to people. As a teacher, I would want my students to watch a movie like this (3rd graders)because of the important message it sends. TGW is the best- it was Hallmark's highest rated movie for 2008 and second highest rated movie in their history.

I like it because of the great cast except Catherine Disher - I was hoping she would finally let go - she hurts the show- I try to avoid anything she is in.

In the days of gory and seedy exposure of human behavior this movie is refreshing in showing the pleasant side.

I am probably prejudiced because I watched Catherine Bell in the JAG series and I adored her. In this movie she looked pregnant at least that was my impression but it added an allure to her role.

It is interesting that it was filmed in Canada and not US. More movies like this so the world does not seem to be comprised of mentally deranged seedy characters. We grandfather also acted very humanly and supportive. I identify with such intra family advise.

Question remains why it is not shown in the movie theaters?