Pour The Wine, It's Rom-Com Time

Hallmark’s An Unexpected Valentine

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What if your love for Hallmark rom-coms could lead to a new adventure in podcasting? Join us as we pop the cork on "Pour the Wine, It’s Rom-Com Time," our brand-new podcast where we celebrate our favorite feel-good films & shows. As empty nesters with a shared passion for all things Hallmark, we're excited to kick off our inaugural episode with a review of "An Unexpected Valentine," featuring the delightful duo of Lacey Chabert and Robert Buckley. With a glass of cabernet sauvignon in hand, we chat about the charming storyline, the undeinable chemistry & witty banter between Lacey and Robert, New York City's vibrant backdrop, the adventourous stops, and that quintessential Hallmark "weather."


Music from #Uppbeat

https://uppbeat.io/t/abbynoise/mood-of-summer

Amy:

Welcome to the very first episode of Pour the Wine. It's rom-com time where we'll sip some wine and review all things. Rom-com on the Hallmark channel. I'm Amy.

Garry:

And I'm Gary.

Amy:

And we're so excited to finally get this podcast off the ground. Can you believe it?

Garry:

No, I can't. Yes, I can?

Amy:

Yes, you can.

Garry:

We've been talking about this thing for so long. I am so excited that the day is finally here.

Amy:

It's definitely definitely been a long time coming. For sure, we love the Hallmark Channel and found ourselves watching it more and more every day I know and some people would probably call us Hallmark junkies- Hallmark junkies that's probably a good term for us. For sure, we always seem to have it on. We stop what we're doing, we get sucked in, especially you. I find you stopping and staring Whoa, whoa, whoa. Let's wait a minute there.

Garry:

Yeah, you do catch me a lot. I feel like we always find ourselves. You know, just talking about, you know what worked in the movie, what didn't work in the movie.

Amy:

What we liked, what we didn't like, the cheesiness of it all, sometimes, not all the time.

Garry:

No, not all the times. The predictability and especially the life lessons.

Amy:

There are quite a few life lessons. They're heartwarming, oh yeah.

Garry:

Heartwarming stories Mm-hmm.

Amy:

Should we give a little bit of info about us?

Garry:

Yeah, go for it, let's do it.

Amy:

Well, we've been married for almost 11 years. Our anniversary is coming up actually this month, woo-hoo and we have a blended family.

Garry:

Yes, not our first go around. No, it's not our first go around. We have two boys and two girls, and you know what? It's kind of crazy, because the boys are close in age and the two girls are close in age.

Amy:

Yeah, it is kind of crazy how that worked out and they're actually really close relationship wise, even though they're not blood. You know, blending a family is never easy and we're definitely not perfect, but it's great to see them all so close as adults.

Garry:

I would call that being blessed.

Amy:

Being blessed for sure. Oh, and we're empty nesters.

Garry:

Yes, queen.

Amy:

We quite enjoy the empty nesting. I have to say, yes, we do, we love them, but we also love the empty nesting.

Garry:

I have to say, yes, we do.

Amy:

We love them, but we also love the empty nest. So you know, because the kids are gone, we decided to take the plunge into podcasting, because we love rom-coms on Hallmark so much and we know that there are so many people who share our Hallmark enthusiasm.

Garry:

There just has to be other people.

Amy:

There has to be. I should mention here that we are not affiliated with Hallmark. We just really love their movies, their shows and their stores. We go into their stores A lot, a lot. We do. We like to mull around. Is it review time, you think now.

Garry:

Well, the wine is poured, so let's get it.

Amy:

Spoiler alert it's a cab salve. Ooh, we love cab salve.

Garry:

Love some cab salve people.

Amy:

So today, what are we going to be reviewing?

Garry:

Let's see what was planned this past weekend. No, today we're reviewing An Unexpected Valentine that aired on Saturday, february 2nd. This is the first of four all-new movies as part of Hallmark Channel's Love you, harry.

Amy:

Love you Harry. I love, love you Harry.

Garry:

So why don't you hit us with a synopsis?

Amy:

All right, here we go. A chance encounter on Valentine's Day brings Hannah and Finn together as they race through New York City to return a lost engagement ring and save one couple's special day, starring the one and only Lacey Chabert as Hannah Lacey Lacey how cool is it that our first podcast review is a movie with the queen of Hallmark?

Garry:

Yes, queen, yes queen, yes queen.

Amy:

This is her 41st Hallmark movie. That's awesome. That's a lot. That's a lot. I was reading the other day that she teamed up with Hallmark and developed a product collection that will be launched during the 2025 holiday season. So things like wrapping paper cards, entertaining pieces, glassware- glassware.

Garry:

I hope she's got some wine glasses.

Amy:

We'll definitely be checking it out, that's for sure. Also starring Robert Buckley as Finn. His films last year were blind date, book club and it was the date before Christmas. Yeah, we really liked both of those for sure. But we know them best from.

Garry:

Chesapeake Shores.

Amy:

Chesapeake Shores. Oh, we love that show.

Garry:

He was the billionaire.

Amy:

He was the billionaire.

Garry:

I wish I was a billionaire.

Amy:

Aw Treat Williams, Aw Moment Aw. Now for the supporting cast. Jess Brown plays Gabby. She was in Santa, tell Me, last holiday season.

Garry:

Oh, I like that one.

Amy:

The one with the three Knicks. Yeah, princess Davis plays Nadine. Oh, she was in Holiday Road.

Garry:

Oh, that was another good one, that was one that we really, really liked.

Amy:

Anthony Timpano plays Nate, and those are the three passengers in the ride share when Lacey Chabert first gets into the car. Caitlin Stryker plays Annalisa, and that is a friend slash co-worker of Lacey Chabert in the movie. She works in the marketing department, whereas Lacey works in the product development department and Vincent Tong plays Levi. He is Robert Buckley's agent slash friend.

Garry:

Yes, he's the one, I think, owns the gallery where he hangs his photographs at Right, right yeah.

Amy:

And I saw on his Instagram he stated that it's his first time back in front of the camera in eight years Eight years and he's been acting a long time.

Garry:

Yeah, he has like over 100 acting credits. He didn't miss a beat. That's pretty good. That is really good. Well, you ready for the first takes.

Amy:

I am.

Garry:

Take it away.

Amy:

Get to it, huh.

Garry:

That's right.

Amy:

I think Hallmark absolutely nailed it. I loved Lacy and robert I. I think they crushed it with their wit and their playful banter. I mean I just I loved everything about this movie, all the stops. I I'm honestly not sure I could have loved it more yeah, and it might have taken over the number one spot as my favorite homework movie ever Do you know what it used to be.

Garry:

I really like this one Sugar Plum.

Amy:

No, but I really like that one. That's a good guess, but no, we've talked about it.

Garry:

What was the other one? The Christmas one, where she went over to her boyfriend's house, the Christmas one.

Amy:

There are always Christmas ones, I know.

Garry:

I know, I know she. It was her first christmas. She was jewish leah's perfect gift yes, is that it? Yeah, that was a really cute one too.

Amy:

Oh my gosh, no, a biltmore christmas oh I loved a biltmore christmas, but this one. Although it's not a christmas movie, I just Everything about it was great.

Garry:

Yes For me.

Amy:

I agree with you Plus there were serendipity references all throughout and we are crazy about the movie serendipity yes, it is one of my all-time, all-time favorite movies all right, let me, let's take a little side trip here.

Garry:

You first introduced me to that movie, serendipity I did, I did never seen it before, never heard of it. Nope. Starring john kuzak, kate beckinsale, kate beckinsale the two characters, and I just remember that. There's two of the scenes that really, really got to me. One of them was when he opened the gift from his fiance, and it was the book.

Amy:

Talk about a tear moment. Literally one of the best scenes ever in a movie.

Garry:

Very, very very well written.

Amy:

My heart race, my heart yeah.

Garry:

And then the second one was when he was laying in the ice rink or the roller skater rink as the snow was coming down and the glove falls on his chest. And he stands up and he turns around and there she is, it's so great and the glove takes forever to go down.

Amy:

That's probably the most unrealistic part of the movie because it floats for a long time.

Garry:

She was probably like 20 yards away when she threw the-. The movie makes up for it, but anyways, that's okay.

Amy:

Yeah, but there are a lot of serendipity references throughout this movie Not the movie itself, but just about serendipity, yes, and its meaning.

Garry:

It was very cool and we relate to it.

Amy:

What was your first take?

Garry:

I too, thought Hallmark did a really, really good job of putting these two together. I thought the chemistry was spot on. I loved the banter back and forth Totally, While they were riding around New York in a car. I mean, can you imagine?

Garry:

That whole movie was shot basically with them two in a car In the, a car in the car and some stops along the way. Yeah, and that that right there tells you that the chemistry was there. Yeah, yeah, I really enjoyed the uh lacy. When she was outside the car she had said, um, something about a backward scavenger hunt yeah, I thought that was kind of cool. Yes, and that was them tracing the drop-offs of the other passengers to find the owner of the ring.

Amy:

I thought that was really cool. That was a really, really great formula for the movie.

Garry:

And one other thing. It kind of reminded me of another movie, phone Booth with Colin Farrell. Not what happened in the movie, but the fact that that movie was shot with him inside that phone booth, the entire movie. So I kind of felt like them riding around in New York for half, if not three quarters of the movie. It just kind of reminded me of that.

Amy:

Yeah, I can see that. So that's my first take. I can see that. Cool yeah. What about your favorite scenes? Do you want to dive?

Garry:

into those. Yeah, let's dive into those. You start it off.

Amy:

Well, I would have to start at the beginning. I've always been drawn into movies and films by their music, by the soundtracks, always, always, always. So the first song in the opening scene I thought was fantastic, I just loved it. So the movie really had me at that first song and I had to look it up. It's called A Thousand Stars by Henry Parsley and Alan Ross, and I'm sorry if I mispronounced the Alan, because it's spelled A-L-L-Y-N.

Garry:

Yeah, people like to spell their names differently, but that's okay and I agree you are one for soundtracks.

Amy:

I am.

Garry:

You've always loved the soundtracks Always, as a matter of fact, I think. Sometimes when we go to the movie, that's why you go to the movie.

Amy:

It's just to hear the go to the movie. That's why you go to the movie. I'm always listening, always, especially back in the 80s and the 90s?

Amy:

oh gosh, yeah, but not so much that nowadays, but no, but back then, like probably my favorite soundtrack about last night, I knew all the words, all those songs. Yeah, there's another movie called stealing home. Not many people saw it. I, in fact. I was probably the only one in the theater. It was Mark Harmon and Jodie Foster and I fell in love with the soundtrack and, in fact, david Foster. Oh, david Foster, yeah, wrote a lot of the music and performed it.

Garry:

And it's just really really great.

Amy:

So, yeah, so music is a very big deal to me, so they had me at that first song, a Thousand Stars, what about you. What was?

Garry:

one of your favorite scenes, I think my first favorite scene was probably the convenience store. What I liked about it was, you know, as they were walking through the store picking out you know, like water and snacks for his passengers, she was still trying to convince him to go with her to find the person who the ring belonged to. And there was that one scene inside the store where they had stopped at the end of the aisle and she had popped open the box with the ring in it and this other customer had come around a different aisle and she had a phone and she was like, oh my God.

Amy:

It was so cute so.

Garry:

Robert in that scene played it so well. He really did, he really did, and the look on Lacey's face said it all. It was just so funny, so I really enjoyed that particular scene.

Amy:

Yeah, I think he goes yes, a hundred times, yes, or something like that. Right, and then he goes post that to the girl.

Garry:

Yeah, she's walking away. He was like don't forget to post that.

Amy:

It was cute, so that's kind kind of funny. That's probably one of my favorite scenes also, yeah well, what?

Garry:

what's another favorite scene of yours?

Amy:

um, actually that was my second one, the one that you just yeah, yeah.

Garry:

So what did you like about it?

Amy:

um, I think another scene was the cop scene. I think because it surprised me. You know, we always talk about the Hallmark movies and how they can be predictable and I expected the cop to escort them to their next stop. But I didn't expect the personal connection. I thought that was kind of cool.

Garry:

I should have been expecting it but I really, really wasn't. I know it's Hallmark. You got to expect everything.

Amy:

I know, and the little cop car.

Garry:

Oh, that was so funny, that was so funny funny them driving down the street and it's going and she goes.

Amy:

you think that's a real siren and he's like no, you probably got it from amazon that's what the wit, the banter is so good throughout the movie and that little cop car in big new york city was hysterical to me what did you call the little cop car?

Garry:

little me meat that's a good description, little me-me.

Amy:

Maybe they're all like that now, I don't know.

Garry:

Right.

Amy:

What about you? Do you have another one?

Garry:

I think my second favorite scene was the bar scene.

Amy:

Yeah, that was such a great scene.

Garry:

What was it? Moonlit Bar. What I liked about it was they both had to go through the bouncer. They both had to talk their way in but it was at separate times in the scene and I just it reminded me back in the eighties. Um, yes, the eighties uh, my buddy and I, we used to bar hop all the time and I'm sorry, but we always knew the bouncers, so we were the ones who got to go to the front of the line.

Amy:

You got to go to the front of the line. You're the ones who always got to go.

Garry:

Okay, Well, you know we always took care of the waiters and the waitresses when we were in there and they got to know us and that was one of the perks Lots of tips, you know, treat people, bribe the way you want well yeah, pretty, much, pretty much um yeah, that was.

Garry:

That was a great scene yeah, and I also like the fact that when they actually met up inside, when they finally got to get together with each other, uh, lacy had waited for him because he was like so did you get? Did you talk to her? It her ring. And she was like no, I waited for you, you're like my ride or die.

Amy:

Oh, I know, and I thought that was cute. I know Well you got to talk about the biggest 80s moment in that scene.

Garry:

Oh yes, the biggest 80 moment. So they're getting ready to leave the bar and she decides to pull him onto the dance floor. And as they're walking onto the dance floor, a song starts to play. Do you know what song that was? Do you remember?

Amy:

I know what song it was. What was it Love Shack, Baby love Shack.

Garry:

The B-52s. So talk about an 80s moment.

Amy:

Oh, wow. And who didn't love dancing to Love Shack?

Garry:

Yes, that was a fun song Back in the day, and still that was a fun song to dance to Dead roof 89, I think that song came out 89, yeah.

Amy:

Dating us again.

Garry:

So what was your next favorite scene?

Amy:

I'd have to say the balloon scene, oh my goodness when they pick up all. One of the stops is to pick up the balloons and then deliver them, and the amount of balloons that are in the car are just ridiculous.

Garry:

It's hilarious.

Amy:

It almost covers up Lacey Chabert, and it just reminded me when our kids graduated, before one of the parties, we went to pick up balloons and we had my sister in the car.

Amy:

Oh yes, parties we went to pick up balloons and we had my sister in the car, so it was just you and me and my sister and she was in the back seat and you could barely see her face because all the balloons were around. It was almost exactly like that scene, so that's probably why that was one of my favorite scenes because that was real life. Yeah, we do have a picture that was real life.

Garry:

Maybe, if we can find that, we'll post it on our social media site.

Amy:

Maybe yeah, I have to find it that's funny. How about you?

Garry:

Do you have any others that you want to talk about? I think my last favorite scene was when they actually found the person who had lost the ring.

Amy:

Oh yeah.

Garry:

Yeah, they were having dinner and they were waiting for the fireworks and he had. The guy had just at that moment realized he didn't have the ring Right, and that's when Lacey and Robert walked in and they were trying to get his attention and Lacey was like like fake coughing, which was Trying to get his attention, that's right, trying to get his attention, which was so bad, but it was funny, but it was good yeah.

Garry:

And then they got his attention, they went into the bar area, they gave him the ring and he was so thankful. He went back to the table and right before the fireworks he had proposed he got on one knee and he proposed to her and that kind of hit home, because when I proposed to you I actually kind of did the same thing. We went to Disney down in Florida Magic Kingdom and right before the fireworks started I got down on one knee and I proposed to you.

Amy:

Yeah, it's very, very similar, Except you didn't lose the ring.

Garry:

I didn't lose the ring, but let me tell you, the whole day walking around that park with that ring in my pocket, afraid that if we got on a ride I was going to lose it, I was terrified.

Amy:

I was impressed. I was impressed that you kept that thing. I was very, very terrified.

Garry:

But if I had lost it, I would have still done the proposal.

Amy:

And I might not have said yes without the ring.

Garry:

You're like like, where's the ring are you? Are you serious dude right now? Where's?

Amy:

the ring and then I would have told you and you would have laughed and it would have been a, would have been part of our story, like happy ever after but what about you?

Garry:

did you have another scene that you liked?

Amy:

nope, that was it no, let's, let's move on to easter eggs, easter eggs?

Garry:

no, you know, I tried to look for them. I tried to look for that cameo shot. Yeah, I couldn't find any.

Amy:

I'm terrible at finding those in movies. I know so many people are really good at finding those and I'm terrible. I notice little things sometimes.

Garry:

Yeah.

Amy:

You know, like we talked about the serendipity references, there was some music that reminded me of serendipity. Certainly it wasn't from serendipity, but it reminded me of it. There was a part where Lacey says of all the cars I could have gotten into.

Garry:

Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah.

Amy:

Yeah, that's very reminiscent of another quote from a very famous movie. Do you know?

Garry:

No, I don't what the movie is, but you're very good at that kind of stuff.

Amy:

Of all the gin joints in all the towns and all the world. That quote no.

Garry:

Casablanca Still no, yes. Do you know who said?

Amy:

it the actor.

Garry:

Humphrey Bogart.

Amy:

Yes, ooh, look at me.

Garry:

I'm impressed.

Amy:

You usually don't get those Ding Chicken dinner chicken dinner, so that would be an Easter egg. I guess it's not really a Hallmark Easter egg, but for me it was something kind of cool. Yeah, I picked up on that right away.

Garry:

Yeah, I didn't find any. I was kind of sad because a lot of the movies that we had been watching they had a lot of cameos from other actors Right. But that's okay, we didn't find any, yeah, so let's move on to cheers and jeers.

Amy:

So what was your biggest cheer? The whole thing.

Garry:

The whole thing.

Amy:

I just loved the whole thing. It goes back to what I talked about the first take. I just think between Hallmark and, you know, lacey and Robert I mean they just crushed it with their wit and their playful banter I think it's going to rank up there as one of the best Hallmark movies. I just really thoroughly enjoyed it.

Garry:

Yeah.

Amy:

From start to finish. The scavenger hunt aspect. Yes, that was fun All throughout New York City. You can't beat New York City as a backdrop.

Garry:

Yeah.

Amy:

Really. Oh, and I also really liked. Another cheer for me would be the role reversal during the car scene, when the car broke down or the battery light came on.

Garry:

Yes, oh yes, yes, the battery scene where, yeah, and he didn't really know anything, but she did. Yes.

Amy:

She knew something and that reminded me of, you know, my cousin Vinny.

Garry:

Oh yes.

Amy:

Where Marissa Tomei's character. She knows everything about cars and that helps, you know, win the case really. And so I just, I just really, yeah, I just really enjoyed the whole thing and that little tidbit of the car scene I liked that the female knew what she was doing and talking about Cause it does happen.

Garry:

Yes, it does, and it's funny you mentioned my cousin, vinny, because you always go around and go imagine your dear.

Amy:

Dear. Yeah, that's like the famous quote in that movie right. Yes, one of them. Yeah yeah, so what was your biggest cheer?

Garry:

Like you, I really loved the whole concept of them driving around on a scavenger hunt and in between, stopping off to get some flowers, stopping off to get some blooms oh yeah, the flowers were huge they were so big they like covered all of uh lacy. It was so funny. Um, and the chemistry inside, inside the side of the car. I thought they just did an excellent job and it was almost like they have done 100 movies together. Yes, you know, it was, they just jived that well.

Amy:

The flow was just so great, so great.

Garry:

So what was your biggest jeer?

Amy:

I don't really have. I didn't really have a big jeer. The only thing that I noticed and this is just a little bit little tiny thing when she first got the ride share and she went out to it and she said you know, are you Finn?

Garry:

Yeah, oh, yeah, yeah.

Amy:

You know and that, and they tell you for safety reasons, let the driver address you. And I mean it was cute. There were other people in the car, so obviously it was a ride share, but that would be by if I had to choose a jeer. Obviously it was a ride share, but that would be if I had to choose a jeer, that would be the only one.

Garry:

Oh wow. Well, you know.

Amy:

Yeah, what about you? Did you have any jeers?

Garry:

Yes, I did, yes, you did. I call it the hallmark weather.

Amy:

Oh yes.

Garry:

Yes, it starts during the holidays, during Christmas time. You know the Hallmark snow, you know how it's always snowing but it's not accumulating. The actors don't get it on their clothes. Well, I think Hallmark just created Hallmark Rain, hallmark Rain. Yes, that was in this movie. Because throughout the whole movie it's raining, and then some of the scenes there was when they did the cookie truck for her sister.

Amy:

Oh right, yes, yes.

Garry:

They were walking up it's raining, but then when they get there, they're not wet, they're not, you know, in the rain. There's a couple other ones.

Amy:

There's a scene where they pull up in the loading zone.

Garry:

Oh yes, I forget which loading zone that is, but it's raining all around them and they get out and there's no rain and it's so clear. Yeah, because they get out and they go behind the car and he opens up the back of the car. Yes, and there's like they're not wet at all and there's no rain where they are. But you can see in the background it is like pouring down rain. So that's my jeer. But you know what? I still love the movie.

Amy:

Oh, so, so, so great yeah. So out of we will rate movies and shows out of corks. Yes, corks Out of five corks.

Garry:

I wonder why I don't know why, why?

Amy:

So how many corks would you give this?

Garry:

movie. I'm going to give it drum roll, five corks.

Amy:

Same. Same, same and it shouldn't be surprising after listening to the review.

Garry:

Yes, I just really loved it. Our first review.

Amy:

Yes, and we'll be honest yeah.

Garry:

And even though the Hallmark rain, I still got to give it five corks. Despite the rain, despite the Hallmark weather, you're giving it five quarks.

Amy:

Same, Same. They knocked it out of the park with this one really so it's going to be interesting to see how the rest of Love you Wary goes.

Garry:

Love you, wary. Well, that's a wrap for our very first episode. Yay, thanks for listening. Be sure to subscribe to the podcast. Follow us on social media and if you really really like the show, leave a five-star review. And if you didn't really really like the show, leave a five-star review.

Amy:

Join us next week when we review the Wish Swap which airs Saturday, February 8th. Until then, fill up your glasses and push play. Thanks for listening, Cheers.