Hallmark's All's Fair in Love & Mahjong

Garry and Amy are pouring the wine and diving into Hallmark’s All’s Fair in Love & Mahjong on this episode of Pour The Wine, It’s Rom-Com Time. After her daughter heads off to college and an unexpected job loss turns her world upside down, Ronni (Fionna Gubelmann) finds herself searching for a new sense of purpose. Encouraged by her loyal circle of friends (Yan-Kay Crystal Lowe, Tamera Mowry-Housley, & Melissa Peterman), and a potential new romance (Paul Campbell), she discovers that teaching Mahjong may be the fresh start she never saw coming. Filled with friendship, community, romance, and second chances, this heartfelt story mirrors the game itself: you can’t always control the hand you’re dealt, but you can learn to pivot, trust the process, and embrace the journey ahead.

Pour yourself a glass, get cozy, and press play! Cheers! 

Send us an email to pourthewineitsromcomtime@gmail.com! We'd love to hear your thoughts!

Music from #Uppbeat

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

Transcript

Welcome And How To Support

SPEAKER_00 0:07

Welcome to Pour the Wine. It's romcom time, where we'll sift some wine and review all things rom com on the Hallmark channel. I'm Amy.

SPEAKER_01 0:15

And I'm Gary.

SPEAKER_00 0:18

And we would love for you to send us an email to PourTheWine. It's romcomtime at gmail.com and let us know your thoughts about May for Moms or the mysteries that are coming up. I'm not sure. Is that are those part of May for Moms?

SPEAKER_01 0:32

I believe so. So I don't know. Mystery May, I'm not really sure. We'll go with May for Mom.

SPEAKER_00 0:38

You can let us know about anything Hallmark related. We would love to hear from you.

SPEAKER_01 0:42

Yes, there is a ton of Hallmark stuff out there. And so far, 2026 has been really, really good. So tell us what you think. I agree. And if you'd like to support our podcast, the best way you could do that is to give us a five-star rating on Apple Podcasts or Spotify and leave us a review. But if you like to watch us, because we're so good, funny, handsome, and beautiful, you can hop on over YouTube for the Why That's Rive on time and click that like button and then click that subscribe button so you don't miss any of our new episodes.

Hallmark News And Fan Events

SPEAKER_00 1:20

There you go. Well, we have a few things in the news this week as we are recording. Heather Hemons got engaged. Yay! We love her. Congratulations to Heather.

SPEAKER_01 1:32

And she Oh, cheers.

SPEAKER_00 1:34

Oh, cheers. Yep. Cheers to Heather. She's going to be in one of the June movies. Okay. One of those summer nights, I think.

SPEAKER_01 1:42

I think so, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 1:43

Yeah, she's gonna she'll she'll be in one of those movies. So that's pretty exciting for her. So congratulations. And also, Hallmark has announced the Hallmark stars that are going to be at the Hallmark Christmas Experience in Kansas City, Missouri this year. And they've announced the stars and the weekends they're gonna be there. So if you are wanting to go or looking forward to going, go check that out and you will find out when everyone is going to be there.

SPEAKER_01 2:10

Or drop us an email and let us know which stars you're looking forward to seeing.

SPEAKER_00 2:16

Yes, we would love to hear from you. We'd love to live vicariously through you because we are not going this year.

SPEAKER_01 2:20

We can't go this year, but we're aiming for next year. So there you have it.

SPEAKER_00 2:25

Yep, yep. Maybe, maybe next year. Yes. But that's pretty exciting, pretty cool. It looks like a lot of fun. I know people have a great time when they go. It would just be it would be very, very cool to go.

SPEAKER_01 2:36

I think so. I would love to meet some of them. All of them.

Cast, Crew, And The Premise

SPEAKER_00 2:41

I know they're on our list, that's for sure. Well, today we're going to be reviewing the second May for Moms movie of 2026, All Spare and Love and Majong. It originally aired on the Homework Channel on Saturday, May 9th, 2026. And it stars Fiona Gubleman as Ronnie, the Majong teacher, and nurse, and Paul Campbell as Ben. He's kind of like a handyman in it.

SPEAKER_01 3:09

Yeah, he is. I agree with you. He is the handyman.

SPEAKER_00 3:14

Rounding out the all-star cast are Yankee Crystal Lowe. She plays Shelly. Tamara Mori Housley plays Carly. And Melissa Peterman is, wait for it, Melissa.

SPEAKER_02 3:26

Melissa in this.

SPEAKER_00 3:28

And they are the three best friends of Ronnie.

SPEAKER_01 3:31

Yeah, they are.

SPEAKER_00 3:32

Yeah. And I mean, how much do we love this group of actors?

SPEAKER_01 3:35

Oh my God. Can't say it enough. Christmas. Love them, love them, love, love, love them.

SPEAKER_00 3:40

Yeah. Well, their latest work, you know, alone, Fiona was in Countdown to Christmas 2025, A Royal Montana Christmas. Paul, of course, was in 2025, Countdown to Christmas, um, Christmas at the Catnip Cafe, and Three Wisest Men. We just saw Yankee Crystal Lowe in This Year's Nellie Knows Mysteries, All Manners of Murder. And Tamara was in Tidings for the Season during Countdown to Christmas of 2025. They were all busy, busy, busy. They were very, very busy. And and Tamara also, she has another May movie coming up. Um, The Haunted Harmony Mysteries Key to the Castle.

SPEAKER_01 4:23

Yeah. I think it's the last of the mysteries.

SPEAKER_00 4:27

Yeah, she's gonna be the last. I think you're right, the last weekend in May, correct? Yeah, yeah. And Melissa, of course, was it last in Haul Out the Halloween, which we love. She's so funny. Hysterical. She's so funny.

SPEAKER_01 4:41

Between her and uh, what's his name? I can't remember offhand what his name is. Uh Wes Brown? Yes. No, not with not Wes Brown. Yeah, her neighbor, the one guy with the glasses, volume.

SPEAKER_00 4:56

Stephen uh Tobowski.

SPEAKER_01 4:59

Yeah. The character that's like.

SPEAKER_00 5:01

Yes, they are really funny. The banter between them two is funny. And all the Hollot movies, really.

SPEAKER_01 5:06

Yes. All right. Jessica Harmon is the director. She just directed I'll Be Seeing You. Oh, that was so good. Which was the final Spring Into Love movie in April of 2026. The writers are Betsy Morris and Nina Weinman. Betsy's latest Hallmark writing credit is the 2026 Spring Into Love movie Two for T. And Nina's is the 2025 countdown to Christmas movie We Met in December. And both we recommend that you watch.

SPEAKER_00 5:39

Yes, we do. We really, really recommend. We really thoroughly enjoyed both of those.

SPEAKER_01 5:45

All right, so let's drop the sun.

SPEAKER_00 5:48

Oh boy. Okay, we've added a little. We've added a little something to that. Okay. Caught me off guard. When her daughter leaves for college and her life begins to unravel, beloved school nurse Ronnie discovers an unexpected talent for teaching mahjong and an unexpected connection with Ben Campbell, a charming contractor helping his own family heal. Whew.

unknown 6:13

Man.

SPEAKER_01 6:14

That's a long time. Sounds a mouthful, right?

SPEAKER_00 6:16

As the game brings new people into her life, Ronnie learns that sometimes the right hand can change everything if she's willing to bet on herself and on love.

SPEAKER_01 6:27

Love.

Spoilers Start And First Reactions

SPEAKER_00 6:28

Love.

SPEAKER_01 6:29

Yes. And this is the part of the podcast where we tell you we're going to drop some spoilers. So if you haven't seen the movie yet, we suggest that you pause our podcast, go watch the movie, come back, start us back up, and listen and let us know what you think. Send us an email.

SPEAKER_00 6:46

Yes.

SPEAKER_01 6:47

Drop us a five-star rating.

unknown 6:48

Do that.

SPEAKER_01 6:49

Give us a review.

SPEAKER_00 6:50

All right, let's carry on.

SPEAKER_01 6:54

Okay, so what did you think?

SPEAKER_00 6:57

What did I think? I thought this movie was just thoroughly charming and adorable. I loved, I love that we got, you know, I feel like the romance was sort of um a side story almost. I really think it was more about friendship, about community, about finding, you know, discovering what you want to do with your life when things change. And that's for both of the main characters, you know, both um Ronnie and Ben. So I just, and the pacing of the film was so good. There were funny moments. There were, it's just a light, fun, great escape movie that I thought totally worked. And I loved, I loved Paul Campbell in this. He just and and Fiona too.

SPEAKER_02 7:47

Yes.

SPEAKER_00 7:47

They're both just so great. They just had this like quiet, understated, effortless acting in this. Right. And I thought it just it worked really, really well. The writing was good. Um, I just I really enjoyed it. What about you?

SPEAKER_01 8:02

I I totally agree, but let me say this before I get into why. Okay, I just the three wise men, right? So we had Tyler Hines. Yes. Then we had Andrew Walker, and now we have Paul. And let me tell you, they did not disappoint. So cheers to Hallmark and those three wise men. Beautiful.

SPEAKER_00 8:26

The Brenner brothers.

SPEAKER_01 8:28

I love this movie. I loved how it just dove right into the game. Um, with you know, you have Ronnie, Carly, Shelly, and Melissa playing the game, you know, bonding, they're friends, they're talking, they're having a conversation. It's something that's real life. I really enjoyed how they started that off because that right there drew me right on in, and that's where I stayed. Um, I thought it was.

SPEAKER_00 8:57

The beginning is so important, right? The hook that gets you in. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 9:00

It is. And you know, the connections, the reinventing of oneself, you know, the the community. I just I just really, really took to this movie. Yeah. So there you have it. I love it.

SPEAKER_00 9:16

All right. So let's let's go on to the you want to talk about the meat cute? Yeah, yeah. The meat cute, our meat cute eater.

SPEAKER_01 9:25

The chaos.

SPEAKER_00 9:26

All right. So we do rate it based on our whinage. Uh top shelf, middle shelf, bottom shelf. So what would you what would you rate the meat cute?

SPEAKER_01 9:40

Um I think I'm gonna give this one probably mid to top shelf.

SPEAKER_00 9:49

Mid to top. Okay. Yeah. Okay. Yeah. I'd be right at probably middle shelf, I think, for this one. I thought it was good. So you have Ben, he sees uh Ronnie. Um, she's struggling with a card table. And I just felt like the way she was carrying it at first was awkward. And it's kind of her first time teaching. She's going to a fundraiser, she's going to teach the game, you know, to Xinjiang. And um just the way she's carrying it. And and it is kind of cute because she can't see really. And so he's like, what he's like directing her.

SPEAKER_01 10:23

Yeah, he's guiding her through the crowd.

SPEAKER_00 10:25

Yeah, he's guiding her, you know, until she like drops the table or bumps into something or whatever. And then um, you know, so that was, I mean, it was cute, it was enjoyable. I thought it worked for the moment, you know. And she's like, Thank you for not helping me, jokingly.

SPEAKER_02 10:40

Right.

SPEAKER_00 10:40

And he says it was not my pleasure. So, like, you know, the writing is really good there. And so I I thought it worked. Why would you do top or middle to top? Like you were just probably above where I was.

SPEAKER_01 10:51

It was probably it's probably middle, you know.

SPEAKER_00 10:54

Oh, yeah. I talked you out of it.

SPEAKER_01 10:56

No, I said it would be somewhere in between there. So I would say middle.

SPEAKER_00 11:01

Middle. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 11:02

I mean, it was it was an interesting meet cute, you know. She was struggling, she was taking the the table out of uh out of her back or out of her trunk. Yeah. Um, he goes up to offer, and of course, her being independent uh didn't want to help. So he kind of guides her through, like you said, through kids and through things on the ground. And yeah, she finally drops the table, and they see each other for the first time, and the banter back and forth. I thought it was cute. So I I'll give it a I'll give it a middle show.

SPEAKER_00 11:34

Well, and I think it sort of sets the stage for their characters too, in terms of their chemistry and their they're just so natural in this movie. It just nothing felt forced. It didn't feel, you know, corny like some Hallmark movies can be, you know. And we do, when we talk about these movies and we rate them, we do rate them as Hallmark movies, you know.

SPEAKER_02 11:58

Right.

SPEAKER_00 11:59

Um, you know, we keep them in that context, but I do think it was just so natural between the two of them.

SPEAKER_01 12:03

Yeah, it was effortless. That's what I appreciated also.

Favorite Scenes And Fun Banter

SPEAKER_00 12:06

Yeah, yeah. All right, so let's go into some favorite scenes.

SPEAKER_01 12:11

Okay.

SPEAKER_00 12:11

What were a few of your favorite scenes?

SPEAKER_01 12:14

So my first one would be the scene right after the Meet Cute, where she sets up inside the the school, the gymnasium, and she's kind of trying to get people to play. So she's talking out to the crowd. Come and play Mahjong, you'll enjoy it. It's a community, it's you know, it's fun, it's it's chaos, whatever. And Ron our Ben's mom comes up, Bertie, and you know, she starts talking to Ronnie, and Ronnie gets her to sit down. And I thought the funny part was that Ben he didn't want to play. He's like, I gotta go see my nephew play baseball. And Ronnie's like, no, you can't use that excuse because you still have an hour, so sit down and play. So he ends up sitting down and play. And I I love how Ronnie explains the game, and it's like so like she's been doing this for years and years and years, right? And she she says this one thing that Mahjong is 50% uh strategy and then 80% luck. And then look on Ben's face, he's like, that doesn't add up to 100%.

SPEAKER_00 13:27

Because that's more, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 13:29

So I just thought that was a cute right off the bat scene.

SPEAKER_00 13:34

I agree. I I agree. And you know, it's worth noting here, too, that um this film is um inspired by Ronnie Rice, who um, if you look her up, she's the marvelous Mrs. Maj, which I just love the name, love the name, which they come around to in the film at some point. And, you know, her husband is the producer on the movie. Yeah. So he did this movie as sort of an homage to her and his love for her, and it's inspired by her. And I would love to know like how much of it really mirrors or parallels what actually happened in her life, but she does teach it. She lives out in California, and I understand she will go, you know, to people's homes to teach them. So I think it's pretty cool. And like you said, you know, if she had anything to do with input to the writers, uh, the explanations and the way, you know, Fiona, the actress, delivers them is so good throughout the whole movie. Yes, I just couldn't. It really is. And the parallels that they make to life, like you never know what you're gonna get, just like in life, right? Like tiles, and sometimes you have to um pivot. I saw an interview where Fiona said that, like, you know, a lot of the movie they talked about pivoting, and that's what you have to do in life sometimes.

SPEAKER_01 14:48

No, definitely.

SPEAKER_00 14:49

Yeah, yeah. So I I agree. That was a really cute scene. And and Ben, um Paul Campbell in it, he doesn't he say something like, I don't want to show you up. I'll be so good, you know, or something. He's so funny in that moment. It's cute, it's really cute.

SPEAKER_01 15:03

But he's like, Yeah, uh, you know, I'm really good at this. And he's like, No, I'm not. No, I'm not. Yeah, so it was it was it was a great scene. It was a great scene. So, what about you? What was one of yours?

SPEAKER_00 15:14

I would say one of mine was when so the four women, um, so you have Ronnie, Shelly, Melissa, and Carly. Carly. They're playing Mahjong at Ronnie's house because she hosts and they get together and they play. And I just love these scenes of friendship. And we do, you know, uh some of some of my favorite scenes, most of my favorite scenes are the friend groups, going to coffee, going to I just I loved the way they portrayed that in this film. It was so, so good. But um, but so they're at her house, they're playing, and Ben is there doing some repairs on her house because she's getting it ready to sell.

SPEAKER_02 15:53

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 15:54

And, you know, he the women, he kind of walks in the room, and you know, Melissa Peterman, um, her character is like, Hello, you know, and then just the way the girlfriends reacted and the way they're chatting in that moment and they're teasing Ronnie, you know, and Melissa, and and I I forget who says, I'm sorry, that is who you hired, like because she doesn't tell them that it's a good looking guy, and you know, and just the way they act, they're gonna get it. That was Crystal Lay that said that. Is it was it Crystal Lowe? Okay, yeah. So um, you know, and then they they kind of shut up when he walks back in the room and then they kind of grill him a little bit, yeah. You know, like, are you on dating apps? And then he says something about, well, you know, since my divorce, and he goes on, and you see um Melissa say kind of mouth divorced to the group, like, oh, she she honed in on that. Like, he's divorced. She's like, it's just like she clocked it, you know. It was just it was so cute in that moment. You know, it was just it was just so cool to see the friends are kind of trying to set Ronnie up, and and you know, Ben is so great in that moment too, because he's kind of like, okay, I'm moving on, you know, and he leaves.

SPEAKER_01 17:06

So I thought it was cute.

SPEAKER_00 17:07

And then they say something about the thermostats.

SPEAKER_01 17:09

Yeah, it's getting hot in here.

SPEAKER_00 17:10

I think that's Melissa. Amen. She needs a thermostat fix too. So I just thought it was just a really great scene that was played out by all of them, all five of them.

SPEAKER_01 17:20

I agree with you. The four women it was and they they all delivered on that scene.

SPEAKER_00 17:25

Yes, they did truly do.

SPEAKER_01 17:27

That was one of my best scenes, too. So you took that one from me.

SPEAKER_00 17:30

Oh, sorry. Okay, well, it gives you another one to talk about.

SPEAKER_01 17:32

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 17:33

All right, what's another one for you?

SPEAKER_01 17:34

Um, I I really enjoyed how they it's about mahjong, but they didn't always have those four together at a table playing the game, right? They were sometimes walking down the street drinking coffee. They they were at um what was the uh karaoke night?

SPEAKER_00 17:56

They went to the karaoke night, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 17:58

And and this is where um Crystal Lowe, she gets she meets her man, right? I can't remember his name, but she meets him. And I just enjoyed all of their scenes together because I thought they their conversations, their their their interaction with each other. I just thought that it was effortless, it was on cue, it was like they've been best friends forever.

Reinvention, Healing, And Asking For Help

SPEAKER_00 18:27

Well, yeah, and it really shows it really shines a spotlight on, you know, there can be true friendships among women. We see all these reality shows. Now we are, you know, heavy into the secret lives of Mormon wise right now. Oh my gosh. Which is, you know, really good. But anyway, but that's an aside. That's you know, yeah, you have to be into that. But um, but you know, it there's so much drama, and yeah, there can be fights and stuff, but I love that they didn't make any of them jealous of one another. They're all rooting each other on, especially Ronnie. They're they're you know, cheering her on to date. They're, you know, because she's she's gotta sell her house. And she's been divorced for several years, but they're they're kind of encouraging her and and you know, getting her to move on. And you know, something else we haven't really discussed yet is that it's also about asking for help when you need it.

SPEAKER_01 19:16

Right.

SPEAKER_00 19:17

Knowing that you can be independent, you can learn to do a lot of things, but if you need help, you need to ask. Yeah. I mean, it's no shame, it's not a failure. It's not, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 19:30

We all need help. We all do.

SPEAKER_00 19:33

So and Ronnie's daughter has gone off to college. We forgot to mention that. So she leaves. Which by the way, she drove herself, which I guess, you know, like usually in the movies, I kind of like that too, because usually in these movies you see them all moving them in and they're lugging this stuff in and everything. And I kind of like how they, you know, Ronnie's sad and and her ex is there to say goodbye to the daughter, and then the daughter just kind of is like, I'm driving bye. Right.

SPEAKER_01 19:57

Right. So Yeah, that that that's true, you know. And I can understand, like, if you have multiple kids and you went and dropped, you know, two or three of them off to college, and then you're down to the last one. Sometimes it it it touches your heart strings, yeah, because it's the last one, and you're like, you know, but they they want to be independent too, so they're like, just I'll just drop myself. So, you know.

SPEAKER_00 20:21

Or sometimes it's the first one, and then once the first one goes and you got more, and you're like, you know, one leave-in wasn't so bad.

SPEAKER_01 20:28

Bye, empty nesting. Bye.

SPEAKER_00 20:30

You can come back anytime, but you know, we're ready for the empty nest. Yeah. So I thought that was interesting.

SPEAKER_01 20:35

It was all right. So, what was another one of yours favorite scenes?

SPEAKER_00 20:38

Another one I I would choose where just when Ronnie and Ben are getting to know each other and they're sitting on a bench near the water.

SPEAKER_02 20:47

Mm-hmm.

SPEAKER_00 20:48

And they're just they're just talking about things. They're talking about marriage, you know. He he asked her if she was always, you know, this independent, and she's kind of like, Yes, you know, she kind of had to be, right? Because her her ex was whatever, climbing up, you know, during his career. And so she knew a lot of things were gonna fall on her, so she just started doing them.

SPEAKER_02 21:07

Right.

SPEAKER_00 21:08

And then they're kind of talking about, and he's divorced also, and they sort of talk about how they get through the divorce, like books and podcasts, and then they both say at the same time, a lot of therapy, you know, and then they both laugh. And she, Fiona in that moment has such a natural reaction, yeah. Yeah, I I just I thought that moment was so cute. It was so so cute, and they're getting to know each other, you know, and it's not and their chemistry is just so smooth, and you know, it's not like lighting the screen on fire, but it's more natural.

SPEAKER_01 21:42

Yeah, I I agree with you. I loved how it it just the pace was perfect with their relationship and their growth as a as a couple, and and it really seemed natural. It wasn't one of those right away, you know, she was and it's funny because Her friends would always joke her every time there was a scene with all four of them. And you could see she was blushing, she was like, No, I don't think so. But and and it just seemed natural. I mean, that's how relationships grow, right?

SPEAKER_00 22:13

Right. And evolve. And right. And I I also really loved how he was he they boosted each other up.

SPEAKER_01 22:21

Right.

SPEAKER_00 22:22

You know, he was like a big cheerleader for her. And you know, and his little cracks, like, you know, when she's considering teaching Mahjong and she asks him for advice and like when did he know he wanted his own business? Because she's trying to figure it all out. She's trying to figure out when she should do it, when she should pull the trigger, when she, you know, she should go for it. And and then he's like, you know, you can call the person because someone had asked her about the game and she kind of answered them but didn't say she taught it. So he's encouraging her, call the person, see if they're interested in being taught. And, you know, she does. And the person's like, Yeah, send me your rate sheet. And she looks at Ben and she's like, What's a rate sheet? And he's like, Oh, I see. She finally needs my help. You know, and I just thought that was so there were just so many cute moments like that that I adored. And that's the writing, that's the acting, that's the directing, that's the delivery of those moments. And I I thought they just were so well done throughout the entire movie.

SPEAKER_01 23:18

Yep, I agree with you 100%. That was an awesome scene.

SPEAKER_00 23:21

Yep.

SPEAKER_01 23:21

All right. My last one um was so you know, she's trying to sell her house because she doesn't, she can't get a bank loan yet. So Ben is is fixing up her house to be to be sold. And on one of her daughter's walls, the accent wall, was one of those height growth, whatever you want to call them, like a growth chart. When the growth turned up, yeah. And in Ben notices how important this is to her. So he ends up painting the wall. And there's a scene where um they're in the room after he had painted the painted the wall, and you can see the look on uh Ronnie's face. Like she was like, Oh my god, it's gone, right? But in this in my favorite scene, he actually cut out that portion of the wall and put it in like a shadow box. Yeah. And he gave it to her, and the look on her face, and she is so good at those facial expressions. Like she is genuine, genuinely happy and surprised that he was thoughtful enough to save that. But it's funny because and we we had mentioned this, he didn't need to cut cut it out because she kept the house.

SPEAKER_00 24:40

Oh, right. She ends up keeping the house. You and I mentioned that.

SPEAKER_01 24:43

Yeah, yeah, you you mentioned that. I was like, oh yeah, that's right. He didn't have to cut it out, but right it was such a uh lovely gesture, yeah. And so that's why it's probably my best scene.

SPEAKER_00 24:56

So we gotta give a shout out to the red dress when he goes to pick her up.

SPEAKER_01 25:00

Oh my gosh.

SPEAKER_00 25:01

Oh, he goes, they're gonna go to where are they going? Oh, yeah, he was looking good too. Yeah, but she show, you know, and he opens the door. I just thought that that was really great because that's right before they go to Chinatown to Shelly's event. Right.

SPEAKER_01 25:16

Right, where she's talking about Mahjong and yeah, the history of the history of Chinese culture.

SPEAKER_00 25:20

And I didn't know there were 40 versions of that game.

SPEAKER_01 25:23

Oh my gosh. And and like the first set were like bamboo and um what does she call it? Bone or something. Right. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 25:31

So have you ever played it?

SPEAKER_01 25:33

No, no. I'd love to, but it looks complicated.

SPEAKER_00 25:36

Well, you know, I well, you know, I did I a group of friends of mine, what like I don't know, four or five years ago. We got we were gonna play because one of the one of the friends in the friend group played it with another group she had been playing, and she's like, Oh, we should get together and we should all, you know, so we all kind of agreed we were gonna do it. And we went once and I learned it. And um, I mean, I don't know if I, you know, I didn't learn it totally in that one time, but we did, and and she kind of walked us through it and it was fun. And then we just after that, you know, I had something major happen health-wise. So I couldn't be a participate for several months, and the group just kind of fell apart, not because of me, because I was the dude, but it just was one of those scheduling things. And I always kind of wanted to get back to it because it was fun, but I remember we had to order a card. Remember, I remember that. Yeah, so I don't, you know, and I don't, and that tells you what you need to get. I don't know, I don't know all the rules or anything, but it was fun. So this after seeing this movie, it's kind of made me think maybe you know, we should find a group or something and try to learn how to do it, you know.

SPEAKER_01 26:37

Yeah, I'd have to watch a lot of YouTube videos.

SPEAKER_00 26:40

Oh, yeah, you would watch the YouTube videos. I need someone to show me, I need hands-on right. All right, so let's get into some cheers. I mean, we've sort of talked about them this whole time, but right. Um, what what's a cheer from you?

SPEAKER_01 26:54

Um, just the way that it was really well written, really well directed. I loved every scene of them playing Mahjong. Um, I love the community aspect, the friendship, you know, the the uh just the reinvention of of the characters throughout the movie. I just I mean, overall, it just it was and I love how his character would lift her up and then she would lift him up when they need it. I love the fact that the rub didn't it was it wasn't really yeah. I mean, it it to me it was realistic because when things don't go your way, you kind of do get a little frustrated and a little upset. And unfortunately, Ben was there to to take the brunt of that, but it didn't last long and thank goodness.

SPEAKER_00 27:54

Well, so what about you? I think it just showed maturity in adults where you know he was kind of she she kind of yeah, she takes it out on him a little bit, but not over the top. It wasn't over the drum over dramatic. It was just she was upset in that moment and she was feeling frustrated and she's kind of like, I just this is you know, I just need a minute, you know. And he I don't think she says that, but you know, but and he realizes that because everybody goes through that, like you said, and then he's like, I'm I'm gonna leave. He's not like I'm leaving you forever. He just says, I'm gonna leave now, basically, and we'll chat later, you know. You know, so and I thought that was such a I I like it when they handle those things in a more realistic way.

SPEAKER_01 28:36

Right.

SPEAKER_00 28:36

Me too, you know. Yeah, yeah. So I I agree. The rub was uh a rub for a minute amount of time, and they quickly got over it. So it was good.

SPEAKER_01 28:47

Yes, I agree. Do you have any more cheers or well?

SPEAKER_00 28:51

I didn't say any yet, but you just overall we've talked about it. You you what everything you said, I totally agree with. I I thought the movie was just adorable. I thought it was charming. I really enjoyed what we got from the friendship aspect. You know, I liked how they related everything, you know, the there were life lessons in the game, right? About community, believing in things you can't necessarily see.

SPEAKER_02 29:19

Right.

SPEAKER_00 29:19

Um, you know, trusting what you can't see, trust the journey. If you get dealt a hand that you're not exactly happy with, how do you handle it? I mean, right all of these things are so relatable to real life.

SPEAKER_01 29:30

Metaphors, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 29:31

Yeah, they're all, yeah, they're all they were all great metaphors. And I just loved Fiona and Paul, I thought were fantastic in it, really. I think this is probably the most effortless I've seen them, the most um, you know, like just down to earth and genuine, and not that they're disingenuous in other roles, but just this one was just so so great, you know.

SPEAKER_01 29:56

I know. And if and I feel like the the these three movies were all about that. We're all about like life and and struggles and you know, things being real and what do you do when you are dealt that? I I mean, wow, Homer just brought it.

SPEAKER_00 30:17

They really did. And I, you know, and we have to talk about the wine. They always had some wine at that table. And so if that's what Mahjong is about, let's go.

SPEAKER_01 30:25

I think they need I think they need to invite wine, they had retrofit. They need to invite us to some of them games.

SPEAKER_00 30:30

Well, we'll go. You know what? I'll learn. I'll just sit back and drink wine and watch.

SPEAKER_01 30:34

There you go. Can I do that?

SPEAKER_00 30:36

Yes.

SPEAKER_01 30:37

In the words of the kids that also played in the movie, it was fire.

Why Comfort Movies Matter And Final Rating

SPEAKER_00 30:42

Oh, yes. The voice that she taught. That was pretty funny, too. Yeah, that was good. That was good. But yeah, and you know, I have to mention before we rate it that I watched an interview with um with Paul Fiona and Crystal.

SPEAKER_01 31:00

Right.

SPEAKER_00 31:00

And it was interesting because uh they were talking about that they were asked, um, and I'll I'll link the it was a podcaster. It was and it's a brief interview, like 15 minutes or something with the three of them, and it's a Chicago podcaster.

SPEAKER_01 31:14

Uh oh. Chicago goes.

SPEAKER_00 31:15

Go cubs. Anyway. Um that wasn't on purpose. I just found it. But it was really interesting because you know, he had kind of asked them what it's like to do these movies, these hallmark, you know, the hallmark genre of movies. And, you know, Crystal Lowe, she was in treatment when she filmed this.

SPEAKER_02 31:31

Oh yeah.

SPEAKER_00 31:32

And she talked about how, you know, she's in um the sign sealed and delivered movies. And she said people would always, you know, write to her or tell her, you know, oh, I watched this when I was going through chemo, or oh, I watched this when I was really sick with chemo, or oh, you know, I had cancer, and this really, you know, watching these films really helped me get through that terrible time. And then I know it makes me tear off a little bit. And then she said when she and then when she was going through treatment, she was thinking about all of that and how it's just, and she described it as, and I don't know if someone said this to her or if this has always been her thing that Hallmark movies are like a warm towel fresh out of the dryer.

SPEAKER_01 32:11

Oh, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 32:11

You just wrap up in a such a good description.

SPEAKER_01 32:16

It is, it is, man.

SPEAKER_00 32:17

So, and you know, and good for her. She's through that treatment. She um at the time of that interview had just started radiation. You can follow her on social media as well as everybody else. But um, you know, she she documents, she's documenting her um, you know, I'm calling it a journey. I know people don't like to call it that, but you know, like her journey through cancer and she's being real and honest, and there's no sugarcoating it. Like she is telling you what it's like, which is great and will help somebody. So, but I just thought that that was such a good way, you know. And then she said she would see people watching Hallmark movies while they were getting chemo, and I'm like, that's so sweet.

SPEAKER_01 32:54

Yeah, that would make me cry.

SPEAKER_00 32:55

Yeah, yeah. So just thought I'd throw that in there. All right, so let's get to the rating.

SPEAKER_01 33:02

Yeah, let's do you have any jeers?

SPEAKER_00 33:04

I do not have any jeers.

SPEAKER_01 33:06

Okay, all right. Then we're gonna move on to no, um, no, I did not. So out of five tiles, how many would you give this?

SPEAKER_00 33:18

I would give it a four and a half. Eh, me too. I really, really enjoyed it. I I I thought, like you said, this sort of rounds, it doesn't round out May for Moms because Tyler Hines movie was spring into love and then you know. Right, right. But the three Brenner brothers, you know, Paul Campbell's the last to go in this particular lineup. And um, and I think all three were really great. And this one did not disappoint. Nope. So I would definitely go four and a half. And you said the same?

SPEAKER_01 33:45

Four and a half. Yep.

SPEAKER_00 33:46

Four and a half.

SPEAKER_01 33:47

I'm laying my tiles down. Four and down.

SPEAKER_00 33:49

Laying them down, laying them down, whatever. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 33:51

I'm getting my mahjong on.

SPEAKER_00 33:54

Getting your mahjong on. Isn't that what she said? Get your mahjong on. Wasn't that one of the titles? They were trying to come up with a name for her company or business or whatever. But it is the marvelous Maj. And you can find her um online as well. What I say, Ronnie, Ronnie Rice is her name.

SPEAKER_01 34:11

Didn't she have a cameo in this?

SPEAKER_00 34:14

She said on Instagram that she was going to, um, but I, you know, I didn't see her, so I don't know where she was.

SPEAKER_01 34:22

Yeah. Maybe I was just too into watching the movie.

SPEAKER_00 34:25

So yeah, maybe I would have to believe during she was probably playing during one of the groups.

SPEAKER_01 34:31

She was probably one of the people playing, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 34:32

One of the game, yeah, when um when Ronnie, the character, is is teaching it somewhere. Maybe she was one of the the people. Yeah, I don't know for sure. I'm sure I could Google it, but yeah. Pretty cool, pretty cool stuff.

SPEAKER_01 34:47

All right, so is that a wrap?

SPEAKER_00 34:49

That's a wrap.

SPEAKER_01 34:50

All right. Well, again, if you would like to support our pack podcast, the best. You can like to say it at the end. Yes. You could leave us a five-star rating over on Apple Podcast or Spotify and also leave us a review. But if you really enjoyed watching us, head on over to YouTube at Pour the Wine is Romcom Time. Click that like button, hit the subscribe button so you don't miss any of our episodes.

SPEAKER_00 35:16

Yes, we would love to hear from you too. Send us an email to porthewine is romcomtime at gmail.com and let us know your thoughts about anything homework related. Yeah. Make sure you follow us wherever you get your podcasts and on social media, especially Instagram.

SPEAKER_01 35:31

Yes, please.

SPEAKER_00 35:31

Especially Instagram.

SPEAKER_01 35:32

What did we do? We reached our 300.

SPEAKER_00 35:34

We reached our we reached our goal that we set at the beginning of the year. Um, but we're still moving on up. Now we have another goal.

SPEAKER_01 35:40

Now we want 500.

SPEAKER_00 35:42

Now we want 500 by the end of the year. Yes. That might be a little loftier, but we're at 300. So there you go. Until next time. Oh gosh, I got a frog on my throat. Until next time. Cheers.

SPEAKER_02 35:54

Cheers.