7.7 stars.
It's an entertaining and somewhat inspiring story of a college president (DeLoach) who is forced to house a bunch of rowdy football freshmen in her home while their dorm is being repaired. The coach (Christie) also helps with the situation, because this group of young men are messy and loud.
Eventually everyone bonds, so the story continues along its natural course as both coach and president grow closer. Soon their respective responsibilities add up and things become somewhat overwhelming for both. He has aspirations he's now starting to realize and she has a college to run, alumni and faculty to please, donors to appease...meanwhile he's always wanted to be a coach at a top tier college instead of this one and it's possible he will get that chance. Of course, that means he might have to leave and that will result in hurt feelings.
Of course there is a moment of tension and they have a slight falling out, in the usual Hallmark fashion. Honestly, I thought it wasn't going to happen, runtime was dwindling and they were still getting along so well. But the inevitable happened and things got dicey, but the end is happy (as always).
What's different about 'Home Turf'? Just about half of it doesn't fit the usual formula. There are many little nuances that make this movie feel special, which is refreshing. In the end it's better than average for entertainment factor. But, in contrast, the chemistry and romance aspects are just a notch above average. However, I'll gladly rewatch 'Home Turf' in a few years, because as a whole it's pretty good.
