Home by Spring (2018 Hallmark)

Home by Spring

Synopsis (via Hallmark)

When an ambitious event planner gets an opportunity she can’t refuse, she goes undercover as her boss and returns to her rural hometown. With the help of her family and the man she left behind, she pulls off the perfect spring retreat, but will she discover home is where her heart is?

Thoughts

We are in a VERY country part of Louisiana. Loretta is an event planner who is dating Wayne (who owns the Sundown Inn). She breaks the news to him that she has taken a job in LA as an Event Planner and he tells her to “do what she has to.”

Two years later, Loretta is in LA planning parties for 8 year olds. She is up for a big promotion and eats take out from a carton. (As do all single ladies who are too busy with work!) Her boss calls in sick leaving Loretta to run the kid’s birthday all by herself. While saving the bouncy castle from deflating (a sentence I never thought I’d need to write). Loretta gets mud on her outfit and goes to change into a nicer dress. She then meets Paul and Michelle, his “assistant,” who were SO IMPRESSED with her fixing the bouncy castle that they set up a meeting with her for an event they need planned. Only catch: they think Loretta is her boss, Amy Bennet.

At work the next day, just as Loretta is about to tell Amy that she was mistaken for her, Amy introduces her to Elizabeth, the new lead event planner. Loretta is fired up and takes the meeting with Paul. At the meeting, Paul reveals that might have lied to her. Michelle isn’t his assistant she is his girlfriend/daughter of a billionaire and they have some convoluted plan they need Loretta for. It is so convoluted that Loretta summarizes it after they tell her.

“You want me to plan a retreat to make Paul look like an outdoors man, so that your father will give him his blessing to marry you?”

Loretta agrees to help them because they promise to hire her for their wedding if she is successful.

So Loretta drives home for some reason… She tells the situation to her mom (who is obsessed with the Spring Festival) and Wayne (whose inn is not doing so well). At first Wayne is resistant but once he sees the check, he agrees to. They have “romantic banter” over things like coffee choices for the inn and who is better at fixing trucks. All this is underscored by a really generic country song with “Home by Spring.” in they lyrics.

Loretta also has a boyfriend, Howard (who I thought was her gay BFF, because he loved brunch and helped her pack her suitcase). She hasn’t told Wayne about him.

Paul and his potential father in law (Arthur) arrive an immediately start doing country-boy things. They hike, fly fish, eat Spam, and drink sweet tea. Wayne doesn’t approve and goes out of his way to undermine what Loretta/Amy is trying to accomplish.

While Loretta’s phone is left unattended, she receives a call from Amy Bennet which is discovered by Paul, who is not thrilled. He covers for Loretta and asks her to keep the charade going so Arthur won’t find out and embarrass Paul any further.

Next we get an extended bird watching scene??? Paul finds a rare woodpecker and impresses Arthur.

Howard (Loretta’s BF shows up) he is an actor and wants to work out his skillz by portraying a British art-gallery owner. Wayne is confused because she has been flirting with him this whole time. He tells her that she can have her life in LA and he will just live his life in St. Francisville, Louisiana.

While sitting around a fire in Adirondack chairs and listening to Arthur sing, Howard proposes and everyone is shocked. After the commercial break, Howard and Loretta agree that they shouldn’t get married and have the most amicable break up ever. Howard leave— but not before confirming my gay BFF suspicions with the line:

“We will always have brunch.”

At another dinner, Loretta can’t lie anymore and comes clean. Arthur is angry because everyone knew but him and he feels like they are trying to make a fool out of him. Loretta gets encouragement from Wayne and she gets an idea.

Loretta reintroduces herself to Arthur and then surprises him with Michelle. Michelle tells him that she loves Paul and is going to marry him with or without his blessing. Arthur eventually gives it and they all hug and shake hands. (Eyeroll!)

There is still the loose end of Loretta and her boss. She calls Amy and admits the whole thing. Amy is so impressed with Loretta that she promotes her to lead planner. (The other girl went to Oktoberfest, because she “loves her beer.”) Loretta accepts the positions and hops on the first flight back to LA.

In LA, Loretta has it all. She lands the big account and gets to plan Paul and Michelle’s wedding. Then she gets a knock at the door. It’s Wayne!!! He tells her that he wanted to see the ocean and tell her that he is crazy about her.

Goddamn it if she didn’t quit her job and move home to be with Wayne. They throw Paul’s and Michelle’s wedding at the Sundown Inn and then go to the dock to propose. “I want to show you the world,” he says. “As long as we always come back here,” she responds as they embrace….

Side Note

Movie was actually filmed in Louisiana, Baton Rouge

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Overall rating

❤️ ❤️ (2 Hearts)

🍷🍷🍷🍷 (4 glasses of wine required)