Love on Safari (2018 Hallmark)
Stars: Lacey Chabert, Jon Cor and Brittany Bristow.
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Synopsis (via Hallmark)
After Kira inherits a wildlife reserve in South Africa, she travels there to meet the no-nonsense head ranger, Tom. When she learns the reserve is in financial jeopardy and she may have to sell it to her uncle’s competitor, Tom urges her to save it by taking her on a safari in hopes that she will fall in love with the land, the animals, and hopefully him.
Thoughts
Lacey Chabert is back! This time as “Kira” (but really, just Lacey in a non-Christmas Hallmark movie.) She works in a Chicago office and has a boyfriend in accounting. (Brad) After some slack expositions about a will, Lacey in on her way to South Africa. (You know, where white Africans live, like Charlize Theron.)
In South Africa, Lacey meets a handsome park ranger Tom. He is blonde and has a blonde lady friend too (Ally). The only POC people in this movie are, of course… the people working at the reserve. (Hallmark can’t event have black leads in a movie set in AFRICA?)
Lacey inherts the reserve from her deceased uncle and Tom is upset that he didn’t get it. Tom hatches a plan to make Lacey fall in love… WITH THE RESERVE, NOT WITH HIM, YOU GUYS!
As the movie goes on we see lots of safari shots. Terrifying Wild Dogs, Elephants, and of course Lions! While on safari Tom gives all the lots Wikipedia facts about animals. It’s like the writers just wanted to hammer home the fact that A) This movie is set in Africa and B) Animals are endangered.
It’s midmovie now, so Lacey and Tom are starting to really fall for each other, after we discover Tom isn’t dating his blonde friend, who is actually his sister. Brad the “practical boyfriend” shows up and just doesn’t get Africa or the resort. He is a total buzzkill, he pays more attention to his iwatch rather than the beautiful views. I can relate.
Lacey wants to keep the reserve running but doesn’t have the capital. She talks to some rich guy and tells him to invest into the resort and let her run it. More meetings happen and boyfriend Brad undermines her and then proposes to her, which Lacey turns down… not because she is in with Tom!! Shockingly she says the following:
“It’s because you didn’t respect me enough to speak to me first about what I wanted to do. I own (name of reserve, I can’t spell.) and I feel like you look at me as someone who needs to be protected, instead of a woman who is fully capable of making her own decisions. A partner. An equal.”
Snaps to YOU Lacey Chabert.
Thanks to a “viral video” the reserve is saved! Lacey and Tom work out the details with “the chief” while we get a montage of African villagers inter cut with African wildlife. (The details literally don’t matter.)
After the contract is signed, Lacey and Tom take a romantic stroll among the elephants and kiss while African music swells. Will they stay to work at the reserve? Will she move back to Chicago? Whocares!!! Look at more African elephants.
Side Note
I SWEAR that every POC in this movie was working at the resort or for someone. Hallmark you really let me down here, we couldn’t of had a POC romantic lead?
A rare Hallmark movie NOT filmed in Canada. The Scenery was beautifully shot.
I skipped June weddings, might also be skipping Summer Nights.
Overall rating
❤️ (1 Heart)
🍷🍷🍷🍷🍷 (5 glasses of wine required)
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*Photo Credit: © 2018 Crown Media United States, LLC
Really good review, Patrick! My family really enjoyed this movie! Personally, I think the plot was a little too simplistic to the point where it felt drawn out. I also was not a fan of the boyfriend-showing-up-at-the-exact-same-place-as-the-female-protagonist-because-he’s-insecure-about-the-relationship cliché. Despite these things, I not only thought this was a good movie, it was a good start to Hallmark’s “Summer Nights” line-up!
Love your insights! Thank you for sharing. Happy Hallmark summer!
“In South Africa, Lacey meets a handsome park ranger Tom. He is blonde and has a blonde lady friend too (Ally). The only POC people in this movie are, of course… the people working at the reserve. (Hallmark can’t event have black leads in a movie set in AFRICA?)”
Ugh, that’s exactly why I bypassed this one. It looked like it would go this way from the previews. Looks like I didn’t miss much! I also skipped June Weddings and darn near skipped Summer Nights save for like two movies.