A Valentine's Date

Elisa Donovan and her on screen daughter live in New York where she is a high-powered executive with an important deal on. However, when her husband, from whom she is separated, sues for shared custody, she has to fly back to Texas to deal with the legal technicalities.

This perfectly ordinary and by-the-numbers romantic comedy, is considerably enlivened by a fine cast of long-time professionals, who manage to keep things bubbling along nicely. Cinematographer Kobi Zaig-Mendez consistently finds beautiful ways to shoot the frame, not only the people, but the backgrounds.

Although nothing in this movie will surprise you as novel and brilliant, there is more than enough in this to keep the watcher occupied.

Although I have learned to enjoy hallmark movies to escape everyday bad news and conflict, this one really annoys me.

Female lead is wayyy too made up! Distracting.

And she is too clueless! Hard to like her.

Laura (Elisa Donovan) left her husband Dylan (Brad Rowe) in Texas over four years ago. She took their young daughter to New York, where she got a great job in the banking business. In addition, she has slowly climbed the corporate ladder. As she explains, Laura was hoping her husband would follow HER, as a support for her dreams, but he loves it at his ranch in Texas. Over time, mother and daughter have made various visits to the Lone Star State. But, now, Dylan says enough! He wants shared custody of their daughter and a divorce. Summoned to court, Laura must face Dylan and get the issue settled. Unfortunately, the judge (Catherine Hicks) postpones the hearing until certain conditions are met. Thus, Laura has to bunk with her father (Tom Skerrit) and try to appease her boss on the phone for a week or so. Naturally, Laura and Dylan meet several times and its a reality that the attraction between them remains strong. Will this visit to the south wreak havoc on Laura's plans? This film is a nice romance but it has some major problems with credulity. Its very hard to believe that a husband, deprived of his wife and daughter, would wait four years to settle the matter. But, whatever. The cast is quite nice, with Donovan and Rowe shining as the stars and Hicks, Skerrit, Hicks, Tracey Gold, and John Schneider giving great support. Moreover, the scenery in Texas is lovely. Although it won't rank as a "must see" flick, romance fans who long for new material will find it acceptably entertaining.

Decent storyline. I'm a fan of Elisa Donovan, beautiful horses, country music, the Christian song "Your Love Never Fails"... (and the pig was cute). But for the love of all that is Texas, don't show aerial footage of downtown Austin and then try to pass off what's obviously SoCal as Texas Hill country! And the characters' horribly fake Texan accents! Super distracting from what could have been a more enjoyable movie. As a Texas transplant living in California, I'm guessing Santa Monica mountains, Santa Clarita, maybe Ventura county locations were used for this film? Texas doesn't have mountains like these in the movie. It would have been better to set the story anywhere else than insult Texans with this hogwash.

Thoroughly enjoyed the movie. I realize that most of Hallmark movies are predictable and soft but I think that is what I enjoy about them. The plot is a gentle play on a theme that we have seen over and over with other films but believable. Maybe the acting is a little more gentle than real life but many of us do not need gritty to get full enjoyment out of the film.

The single only criticism I have is that although the move is set in Texas, you are bout 1800 miles west of Texas, in California. The temps and the dirt and dust are similar, the music is actually very good and fits with my native state but guys we do not have countryside the same as depicted.

Keep making em and I will keep enjoying em.