How to Fall in Love

Why is the teenage dork always named "Harold" (who grows up to be an accountant)? Talk about Hollywood stereotypes!

"Ugly Betty's" Eric Mabius, playing a grown-up Harold White, finds that Annie Hayes, his homecoming dance date when they were freshmen in high school, has returned to town, and is unable to find employment in her chosen profession as party planner. Annie is played by Brooke D'Orsay, of "Royal Pains" and "Drop Dead Diva" fame.

At the prodding of a buddy, Harold tries to hire a dating coach, but it doesn't work out. Instead, he hires Annie to become his coach (it helps to supplement her waitress income), and she does such a good job that at one point, the student winds up teaching the teacher.

The ending of this movie is preordained from the outset, but it gives the viewer a nice ride along the way. It also works as a decent how-to dating guide for nerds everywhere.

A slimmed-down Kathy Najimy plays Brooke's co-worker; and prospective first date, Gina Holden, never looked better.

When a sensitive but nerdish accountant hires the girl who broke his heart in high school as a dating coach, you know exactly how this movie is going to turn out. When each segment is given a neat chapter head offering the Lesson in What Women Want for a Good Relationship and Men Should Want Them Too, you just know that some women are going to force their boyfriends to watch this with them, punctuating the instruction with "Why don't you ever do that?" Later, when those boyfriends leave for other women, they will be extremely confused.

Despite my distaste for the narrative stupidity of this movie, I enjoyed it. Mostly I attribute it to some excellent performances by the leads -- Eric Mabius really seems to know how to act for the camera -- and a wonderfully silly small turn by Kathy Najimy. There is also some beautiful photography, particularly a marshland sequence near the end.

I think you'll enjoy this one, but please, ladies, if you force your boyfriends to watch this and insist on asking him why he doesn't do these things, don't poke him in the ribs to emphasize your point.

I absolutely loved this movie! Eric and Brooke were wonderful in this tale of a shy, dorky guy who hires a popular girl he went to high school with to help him improve his image. However, instead of "McDreamy" AKA Patrick Dempsey hiring his pretty high school neighbor to pretend to be his girl friend so the kids in school will think he's somebody, it's 20 years later, and Eric Mabius is hiring Brooke D'Orsay, the prettiest girl from high school, to be his dating coach. Along the way they both learn things about themselves, each other, and how much they have in common. This movie must have been preparation for the Signed, Sealed, Delivered series as Eric Mabius certainly delivered the same quiet gentlemanly charm we have grown to love about his Oliver O'Toole character. If any Postables fans haven't seen this movie, yet, it's a Must-See!

Brooke is beautiful as always. (I don't know why some reviewers say she's not as pretty as other Hallmark actresses, I think she's gorgeous! When she smiles you can't but smile with her.) Her portrayal of Annie, an out of work, undiscovered, party planner who goes to Harold (Eric) for a job as his dating coach is very believable. When she apologizes to Harold for hurting him when they were in high school you feel like it's genuine.

Kathy Najimy's supporting role as a waitress who works with Annie is a bonus. She's delightfully weird, as always, especially when she helps Harold practice conversation for his date and tells him about things she likes to do in her spare time. (Don't judge her!)

Yes, it's totally predictable, like all the Hallmark movies, but such a wonderfully romantic tale that makes you laugh, cry, and smile.

This was a interesting movie to say the least but yes I really enjoyed it. Yes I recommend it. James Welch Henderson, Arkansas 1/25/2021

My wife and I both loved this movie. It was humorous and at the same time inciteful. The characters were realistic as was the plot. This is not one of those sophomoric rom/coms, but an intelligent romance movie that even though we all know how it will end up, it was great to watch it develop and play out. Highly recommend.