Graduation Cards
Summer Nights continue in August on the Hallmark Channel, and see what's coming to Hallmark Movies & Mysteries in the all-new press release from Hallmark Media below...
PRESS RELEASE:
HALLMARK CHANNEL
AND
HALLMARK MOVIES & MYSTERIES
OFFER VIEWERS
ALL-NEW ORIGINAL MOVIE
PREMIERES IN AUGUST
Hallmark Channel offers viewers four all-new original movie premieres in August. With the continuation of the network’s Summer Nights programming event, viewers can treat themselves to feel-good summer love stories that will transport them to a seaside music festival, the African savanna for a romantic safari, a beautiful winery in Napa Valley and a 30th birthday celebration like they’ve never seen before.
Meanwhile, Hallmark Movies & Mysteries brings fans two exciting new movies with the follow-up to last year’s “Big Sky River” as well as an inspiring story of growth and self-discovery.
PREMIERING IN AUGUST ON HALLMARK CHANNEL:
‘MAKING WAVES’
Saturday, August 5 (8 p.m. ET/PT)
Starring: Holland Roden, Corey Cott
Music executive Amelia (Roden) goes to a festival on the Outer Banks to beat out the competition for an elusive new band and discovers that the group is fronted by Will (Cott), her childhood summer sweetheart. Over the course of the week, as Amelia tries to convince Will that her company is the better choice for his musical vision, she realizes there might be a conflict of interest…her feeling for him.
Movie Reviews:
☀️ Making Waves. Family friendly. Cute movie. I quite liked the lead actor and actress. (Tiny point of contention: the Outer Banks of North Carolina that I know does not have mountains in the background, so, obviously it was filmed in Canada or somewhere.) ~~Jane
☀️ Making Waves is clean, enjoyable, and definitely fits the summer theme perfectly! (just ignore the spit second showing of the trans flag at the start of the movie.). -Maria
☀️ Making Waves is family friendly about a music label executive travels to a festival on Outer Banks to check out an exclusive new band is fronted by her childhood sweetheart named Will ~Anonymous
☀️ Making Waves I DVR it and stopped watching when they could not even get the location shots right. The Outer Banks is flat with NO MOUNTAINS perhaps the set designers, or someone needed to do more research before they filmed his movie. ~Anonymous
☀️ I watched Making Waves today & I really enjoyed it. I thought the leads were a cute match and I especially enjoyed the summer music festival scenery, it reminded me of my hometown’s county fair we have every year with all the rides and food. I can’t say if it’s 100% family friendly as it’s rare I can watch a movie without an interruption these days but nothing I noticed! 😊 —Paula
☀️ "Making Waves" checked all my boxes - good chemistry between the leads, interesting story, and family-friendly. The music was an added bonus. I was glad to see Holland Roden again, as I thought she was great opposite Tyler Hynes in "Time for Him to Come Home for Christmas". Terrific summertime movie! ~MPT
‘WHEN CALLS THE HEART’ – Season 10, Episode 1002 – “Hope Springs Eternal”
Sunday, August 6 (9 p.m. ET/PT)
Starring: Erin Krakow, Pascale Hutton, Jack Wagner, Kavan Smith, Chris McNally, Kevin McGarry, Andrea Brooks, Martin Cummins, Kayla Wallace, Loretta Walsh, Viv Leacock, Amanda Wong, Johannah Newmarch, Natasha Burnett, Ben Rosenbaum, Hrothgar Mathews
Everyone is buzzing with talk of the Hot Springs and how it will help the town. Meanwhile, Elizabeth (Krakow) and Lucas (McNally) host Aunt Agatha and Julie on an interesting visit to Hope Valley.
‘A SAFARI ROMANCE’
Saturday, August 12 (8 p.m. ET/PT)
Starring: Brittany Bristow, Andrew Walker
Megan (Bristow) is a research scientist living her dream in South Africa pursuing a Ph.D. in Ethology, while working as a ranger on a nature reserve. When Tim (Walker), an American theme park designer arrives to capture footage for an immersive, safari-themed attraction, Megan serves as his guide. As they spend time together exploring the savanna to observe giraffes, elephants and lions in their natural habitats, romance develops. Knowing that Tim will soon return home, Megan is afraid of giving her heart to someone who lives half a world away.
Movie Reviews:
☀️ A Safari Romance was family friendly. I can't, however, say that I especially liked it. Seeing the animals was fun, but I don't know, I was kind of bored. Can't put my finger on why. Maybe because we've had a safari themed movie already? At least it was clean, though. ~melnewlife
☀️ A Safari Romance is clean, enjoyable, beautifully scenic, and that's about all there is to say. -Maria
☀️ I was not all that thrilled with the A Safari Romance movie. It lagged a lot. ~Anonymous
☀️ A SAFARI ROMANCE (family friendly)
First of all, the backdrop of the movie was beyond beautiful (of course), and the message of conservation and all the wonderful African culture purposely showcased was great. The writing was not so great though. My first impression of the movie was a bit flat. I kept hoping it would get better. The chemistry between Andrew Walker and Brittany was just... meh. I liked them both individually, but together, I'm not sure. The conflict with Tim's friend-turned-boss showing up in the resort all of a sudden felt a bit awkward to me. She was really really annoying and obnoxious, and honestly made me want to turn off the TV altogether. I did finish it and fast-forwarded some. The romance was quite cheesy and predictable, nothing special to it. The only good thing about it to me was Andrew Walker. And the setting/backdrop with all the safari animals. ~CH Mom
☀️ I see some good and some not so good reviews of A Safari Romance. It is family friendly with beautiful scenery and love seeing all the animals but the story is a little slow. Nothing fantastic about it. The leads did their parts good with what they had to work with. It's worth watching to see the scenery and the animals at last once. ~Joyce in Carolina
☀️ Review: A Safari Romance -
Family-friendly? Yes -
Keeper? Nah -
If you want to watch a movie that has some gorgeous scenes of a safari, with close-ups of various animals and beautiful landscapes, then this one is for you. Otherwise, skip it. The plot is very cookie-cutter (one person is going back home in a little while - what will happen to their romance?) with nothing original. I have always enjoyed the two leads, but they have been in much better movies! ~Mark 25
☀️ I tried to watch "A Safari Romance" but sadly only was able to get through about fifteen minutes before I lost interest. That movie bored me to tears. ~Joan
☀️ A Safari Romance – I agree with others; this movie is kinda cute with all of the incredible animals; plus, it’s family-friendly, but the story is rather slow and there’s very little chemistry between Megan (Brittany Bristow) and Tim (Andrew Walker), who I’ve enjoyed more in previous films. In fact, I kept thinking Brittany and Andrew look more like sister and brother, so it was hard to get past that thought.
The ending is rather silly looking. I won’t spoil it with too many details, but Megan and Tim stand in a large room that has the safari projected on the walls. Something about it just looked very cheesy to me.
Anyway, A Safari Romance is wholesome and sweet, it just lacks a bit more story depth and romance, which is ironically in the title. If you love wildlife animals; however, then you’ll surely enjoy this lighthearted movie. It’s perfectly fine for all ages. There’s even a good lesson about telling the truth when you’ve done something wrong. ~Net
‘WHEN CALLS THE HEART’ – Season 10, Episode 1003 – “Oh, Baby”
Sunday, August 13 (9 p.m. ET/PT)
Starring: Erin Krakow, Pascale Hutton, Jack Wagner, Kavan Smith, Chris McNally, Kevin McGarry, Andrea Brooks, Martin Cummins, Kayla Wallace, Loretta Walsh, Viv Leacock, Amanda Wong, Johannah Newmarch, Natasha Burnett, Ben Rosenbaum, Hrothgar Mathews
Tourists start arriving, including the St. Johns, who may prove to be trouble for Bill (Wagner). Meanwhile, Elizabeth (Krakow) rallies all Rosemary’s (Hutton) friends to plan the perfect baby shower.
‘NEVER TOO LATE TO CELEBRATE’
Saturday, August 19 (8 p.m. ET/PT)
Starring: Alexa PenaVega, Carlos PenaVega, Sherry Miller
Camila’s (Alexa PenaVega) busy schedule at the dental practice where she works has left her exhausted and with little time for a life outside of her patient load. When she meets Javi (Carlos PenaVega), a substitute teacher at the school where Camila’s mother Sherri (Miller) works, she takes him up on his offer to join the Spanish class he teaches on the side so she can finally learn the language of her late father. Sparks fly as Javi helps Camila connect with her Mexican roots and, with her 30th birthday around the corner, Javi encourages Camila to mark this milestone with a “double quinceañera” to honor her Hispanic heritage. Not one for big parties, she’s hesitant at first but ultimately decides to take the plunge and celebrate in style.
Movie Reviews:
☀️ Never too late was great! I love Alexa and Carlos together, I think it’s sweet that they are married and get to make movies together. I really felt for the mom and how much she missed her life with her husband, and I like how mother and daughter encouraged each other. I think the change up at the end was nice, as most endings have the person canceling their plans but she said she was still choosing to move to Mexico. Also had no idea Carlos was a singer, he has a very nice voice. I didn’t recall anything, so I feel it is family friendly. —Paula
☀️ Never Too Late to Celebrate is family friendly about Camila & Javi plan a quinceanera-themed birthday party to honor her Hispanic Heritage. Camila celebrates double quinceanera ~Anonymous
☀️ I watched "Never Too Late to Celebrate" which I really enjoyed. I normally don't like Alexa and Carlos, together in movies, but I did like them in that movie. I forget sometimes, how natural of an actress Alexa is. She was really good in that movie. ~Joan
☀️ I forgot to mention some other things I enjoyed about 'Never too Late to Celebrate'. I really liked her friend. She was hilarious. I also liked her mom. The songs Carlos sang were beautiful. He has nice voice. On another note: I respect Carlos and Alexa tremendously. They are conservative couple who is not afraid to share their feelings on faith and God. :-) ~Joan
‘WHEN CALLS THE HEART’ – Season 10, Episode 1004 – “Great Expectations”
Sunday, August 20 (9 p.m. ET/PT)
Starring: Erin Krakow, Pascale Hutton, Jack Wagner, Kavan Smith, Chris McNally, Kevin McGarry, Andrea Brooks, Martin Cummins, Kayla Wallace, Loretta Walsh, Viv Leacock, Amanda Wong, Johannah Newmarch, Natasha Burnett, Ben Rosenbaum, Hrothgar Mathews
The Coulter baby is late, but Faith (Brooks) assures them everything is fine. By the time Rosemary (Hutton) goes into labor, the entire town is there to support her. Madeline tries to stay in Hope Valley.
‘NAPA EVER AFTER’
Saturday, August 26 (8 p.m. ET/PT)
Starring: Denise Boutté, Colin Lawrence
After inheriting her estranged grandmother’s winery in Napa Valley, Cassandra (Boutté), a high-powered attorney, takes a sabbatical from her job to renovate the property that was the source of the fractures within her family. With the help of handsome local Alec (Lawrence), she learns more about the grandmother she hardly knew and is able to reconcile the past, while finally opening herself up to a love like she’s never known.
Movie Reviews:
☀️ Napa Ever After was a sweet, slow burn romance. ~dstoutholcomb
☀️ Napa Ever After is family friendly about an attorney named Cassandra Monroe takes sabbatical from her job to renovate a winery she inherits in Napa Valley, with help of handsome local named Alec Jackson, she learns more about Grandma she hardly knew, while opening herself up to a live like she has never known. Cassandra meets her Grandma’s best friend named Isabel Collins. Eloi Vineyard owned by Cassandra’s family in generation. Including Eloi Weddings ~Anonymous
☀️ "Napa Ever After" was so good! :-) We really liked the movie and would watch it again. :-) Joan
‘WHEN CALLS THE HEART’ – Season 10, Episode 1005 – “Life is But a Dream”
Sunday, August 27 (8 p.m. ET/PT)
Starring: Erin Krakow, Pascale Hutton, Jack Wagner, Kavan Smith, Chris McNally, Kevin McGarry, Andrea Brooks, Martin Cummins, Kayla Wallace, Loretta Walsh, Viv Leacock, Amanda Wong, Johannah Newmarch, Natasha Burnett, Ben Rosenbaum, Hrothgar Mathews
Rosemary (Hutton) and Lee (Smith) are still adjusting to parenthood. Lucas (McNally) reveals the surprise he’s been working on to Elizabeth (Krakow) Nathan (McGarry) has a camping trip planned for just him and Allie.
PREMIERING IN AUGUST ON HALLMARK MOVIES & MYSTERIES:
‘BIG SKY RIVER: THE BRIDAL PATH’
Friday, August 11 (9 p.m. ET/PT)
Starring: Emmanuelle Vaugier, Kavan Smith
Tara (Vaugier), now settled in Montana and dating Cowboy Boone (Smith), works to bring their family lives together but tensions arise, as blending their families will be more of a challenge than anticipated.
Movie Reviews:
☀️ Big Sky River. Was it just me or did they slip in two men at the parent teacher conference. Other than that it was ok. ~JoCo
☀️ Big Sky River was one that I wanted to see as well. Yes, there was a same sex couple at the parent teacher meeting. It is Hallmark trying too much to dump their tried-and-true viewer and try and get an audience that is not true to them. ~Anonymous
☀️ As far as sequels go, I thought "Big Sky River: The Bridal Path" was excellent and I really enjoyed it. There were several interesting subplots to complement the emotional exchanges between the two leads trying to blend their families and plan their wedding. I did not find the 30-second scene with two men meeting with Tara (a teacher) offensive because given the context of the story and taking place in a small town in Montana, the two could just as easily have been brothers or friends, and not a same-sex couple. ~MPT
☀️ Big Sky River: The Bridal Path was fine, but why did they have to insert such an unnecessary scene where Tara talks to two men about a girl, who I presume is their daughter. The scene lasts about 30seconds to a minute, if that. Tara is talking to the men, whose faces are never really seen front on and I don’t recall either one even saying anything. Tara keeps getting text messages as they talk and she walks away looking at her phone. The men are in the background and you can see one guy put his hand on the other guys shoulder. Then, that’s it. Totally unnecessary. ~Anonymous
‘THE MORE LOVE GROWS’
Friday, August 18, (9 p.m. ET/PT)
Starring: Rachel Boston, Warren Christie
When Helen’s (Boston) husband unexpectedly asks for a separation just after they’ve dropped off their daughter at college, she struggles to navigate her new-found single status. Thanks to a stray dog who enters her life and the friendship of a helpful veterinarian (Christie), Helen rediscovers her strength and begins to forge a new path.
Movie Reviews:
☀️ I just finished watching The More Love Grows. As a Christian, I did not like the way marriage and divorce was portrayed. It made it seem like divorce is good and marriage holds you back. Helen also basically starts hanging out and flirting with a man while she is technically still married. The only reason I kept watching was for the cute dog and the side plot about her daughter's first semester at college. *Spoiler alert* And for those who might say, "well, sometimes men leave their wives even though the wife doesn't want a divorce," at the end of the movie, her husband changes his mind and wants to work things out, but Helen says no because she's "finding herself" and they both "deserve to be happy." So they sign the divorce papers. I totally disagree with this portrayal of God's covenant of marriage. ~melnewlife
☀️ THE MORE LOVE GROWS (clean) **some spoilers**
I have to say I didn’t like the story line about divorce and the beginning felt a bit awkward especially the way the marriage ended. I had a feeling that it was sort of “promoting” divorce. Rachel and Warren’s character’s new “friendship” did start before Rachel and her husband legally divorced. She was already served the divorce paper though, and it was just friendship at that point for Rachel (although Warren wanted more). But the whole thing still didn’t sit well with me to be honest. Both Rachel and Warren are fine as couple and had a pretty good chemistry (no kiss though I think, unless I missed it?). I guess this was just not a typical Hallmark movie overall and not my cup of tea, but I guess everyone’s walk of life is different and this could work for others. Not a keeper for me. ~CH Mom
☀️ The More Love Grow is family friendly about Just after Helen & her husband Paul return home from moving their daughter Aly into her college dorm, he breaks the unexpected news that he wants a separation. Not sure where to go from here, Helen struggles with her new-found single status. When an adorable, stray dog turns up on her doorstep, Helen reluctantly takes him in and dubs him Elmer… because he sticks to her like glue. He provides welcome company and also leads her to Ben is a veterinarian who helps her navigate first-time dog ownership. Slowly, Helen wiggles out of her comfort zone, rediscovers her inner strength & begins to rebuild her life as she starts down a new path full of promise and possibility. Aly meets Trevor while they study at the library. Aly comes home from college when she notices her parents’ checklist behind her back. Elmer runs away & he comes back home to Helen’s house. Helen & Ben bond with their dogs out for walking down the street. ~Anonymous
☀️ “The More Love Grows” is a family-friendly yet unconventional Hallmark rom-com that addresses the unexpected break-up of a 20-year marriage and how adopting a stray dog helps the woman (Rachel Boston) cope with life on her own. Without any experience as a pet owner, she seeks the help and advice of a single-dad/veterinarian, who of course takes an interest in her. I enjoyed the story and casting, but felt sad at the husband’s unreasonable determination to end the marriage as soon as their daughter left for college, and then the Boston’s unwillingness to reconcile things when her husband realized the separation was a mistake. I kept thinking this story might be a set-up for a sequel because Boston’s romance with the vet was just getting started as the movie ended. ~MPT
☀️ I also watched "The More Love Grows" which I did not enjoy that much. It was tedious and corny and I did not like the storyline with the Veterinarian since she was still legally married. ~Joan
☀️ I loved Rachel Bostons new movie, it was very sweet acting was great and I liked the whole story, will watch again! ~Susan Ann
☀️ I just wanted to say I loved When Love Grows, the acting was great and I’m sorry, her husband was a jerk and I’m glad she moved on, too bad he didn’t think of the consequences before he left. ~Susan Ann
☀️ The More Love Grows – (this review contains Spoilers) I agree with a lot of the other reviews on this movie. At first, I was totally Team Helen! I wanted Rachel Boston’s character, Helen, to move on with her life after her husband, Paul, of 20 YEARS, walked out on her and requested a separation. I also loved the story with the dogs (by the way, who doesn’t know dogs can’t eat chocolate?), and Helen’s new eccentric friend, Cindy, was such an interesting character, but I didn’t like it at all when Paul wanted to try one more time to save their marriage, and Helen said no, she knew moving away was really what he wanted, even though he was pleading to give their marriage one more try. That part of the story really disappointed me. Sure, Paul was a jerk for initially wanting a separation, but they were married 20 years and have a daughter, Aly, together, so saving their marriage should have been a priority. Helen seemed way too eager to end it and move on with her new friend, Ben.
Plus, the title of the movie is “The More Love Grows.” Helen’s mother’s advice was – “The more you tend it, the more love grows.” That is truly beautiful advice, but apparently, Helen decided not to take it. Instead of tending to her marriage and trying to hold on to it, she decided to let it go. It was truly disheartening to see this story about divorce, which made it appear to be easy. I believe "The More Love Grows" is a disillusioned view of the heartbreak separation and divorce typically brings to a husband and wife and their family. Please know, I realize divorce is not always the fault of both individuals; however, in this case, Helen is given another chance to make her marriage work and without taking time to even think about it, she declines to try.
"Heartland" fans will recognize one of the supporting characters, Alisha Newton (Georgie). Alisha portrayed the daughter’s college roommate, who is a carefree slacker who wears sleazy clothing and likes partying. She influences Aly to skip classes and take part in the party life. That sort of lifestyle was thankfully shown to be wrong, and it hurt Aly’s chances of keeping her scholarship.
Another star spotted in the movie was Andrea Brooks ("When Calls the Heart"), who, in one short scene, had a cameo role as a yoga instructor.
Overall, the acting in "The More Love Grows" is excellent, but the storyline with Helen and Paul suddenly ending their marriage so easily left me feeling very disappointed. Husbands and wives should take their marriage very seriously; it is a sacred commitment and covenant before The Lord. This movie is a Hallmark glossed-over version of divorce, and it is definitely not a keeper for me. ~Net
I hope you all find something to look forward to watching in August. I am personally most excited about When Calls the Heart, but several of these movies have piqued my interest, as well.
Please share your thoughts in comments below.
Happy movie-watching,
Net
