Meet My Valentine
When Tom learns that he has terminal brain cancer, he decides to find a replacement husband for his wife and a father to his daughter, before it is too late. Unbeknownst to his wife Valentine, Tom sets up an on-line dating profile for her, and realizes that he doesn't know much about her anymore. Tom endeavors to get to know Valentine, and learns why he fell in love with her all those years ago... just in time to say goodbye.
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- Cast:
- Scott Wolf , Courtney Ford , Brady Smith , Tim Bagley , Audrey Casson , Anthony Starke
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Reviews
Terrible acting, screenplay and direction.
Sorry, this movie sucks
A story that's too fascinating to pass by...
This is a coming of age storyline that you've seen in one form or another for decades. It takes a truly unique voice to make yet another one worth watching.
It is hard to comment about this movie without giving away the plot, but this was an incredibly moving story. Scott Wolf's and Courtney Ford's performances were beautiful, raw, and real. Jay Black, as Tom's best friend, pulled off the very difficult role of a comedian within a tragic plot with amazing skill and sensitivity. His character could easily have been portrayed as a two-dimensional buffoon, and spoiled the movie for me. But, he managed to make me laugh and believe his awkward way of showing affection for his buddy and for the girl he liked. The family and friends around the two main characters maintained just the right balance of seriousness and humor to keep the weighty subject matter from getting schmaltzy. The director, Brian Herzlinger, struck just the right tone, and brought out the best in his cast. The only fault I can find in the whole thing is the main character's course of action introduced toward the beginning. Once I hesitantly agreed to suspend my disbelief and go along with it, however, I was richly rewarded with what I think will remain one of my favorite Hallmark movies, ever.
Most everyone has seen the clichéd versions of the dying loved one. It's been done so many times, that one has to wonder if there is any other creative way to do it. The writers of "Meet My Valentine" feel that they've come up with one. Unfortunately, it's a movie that barely delivers. While I applaud the writers for trying something new and different, they don't quite pull it off.Tom Bishop is a married man who finds out that he's terminally ill. It's clear that he loves his wife, Val (Valentine) and daughter, Phoebe. However, instead of telling his wife about his illness, he conceals it from her. He doesn't want emotion, and it's obvious that he believes he's sparing his family the physical suffering he will endure. The writers don't realize, that had they stuck to this premise, the movie would have worked. Instead, they take it a step further.With the realization that he's going to die in about a year's time, Tom decides that he needs to find a new husband/father for his family. This is where the movie spends too much time dealing with Tom screening potential men. It borders on the ludicrous, which is why it fails. And instead of feeling sympathy toward Tom, we actually find ourselves amazed at his cowardice and selfishness. While Tom believes he's doing it for his family, the truth is, he's only doing it for himself. He hasn't the emotional maturity to actually talk to his wife and daughter about what he's going through. Again, had the writers focused on this, the movie would have worked. The climax of the film comes much too late (at about an hour and fifteen minutes), and the conclusion much too quick, contrived, and easy to be believed.I really wanted this movie to be more than it was. It had so much potential, especially with stellar performances by the cast. But ultimately, the movie just doesn't work very well. At this point, I'd much rather watch a clichéd movie on this subject. Or better yet, give me a "Highway to Heaven" episode instead. Michael Landon was a master with stories like these.
To be completely honest, when I scrolled past this move on Netflix, I thought it would be some cheaply made, easy movie that someone could make a lame excuse to watch on Valentines Day. To be frank: I was dead wrong. Tom is a middle aged artist with a fading marriage and a life sentence of 9 months to a year. Val,his wife, is a chef with her own blossoming career ahead of her. With their marriage placed on the back burner, Tom and Val are falling out of like and their lives are leading on without much of a fight. When Tom gets the news that he has a brain tumor, he decides on his own to find his replacement via Singles.net with the help of his goofy (friend?/brother?) Mac. When the box labeled "Interests" are left open for Tom to fill, he sets out to find out more about his wife and in the process of this, falls in love again. I really enjoyed just watching the relationship kind of "re-bud" after a clearly long dry period. The actors and actresses were engaging to watch and the movie in and of itself did grow. Audiences were not stuck watching someone continually mourn the sickness. I was genuinely impressed and authentically surprised. The movie had it's moments, yet in the long run it was really quite good.
Thank you so much for making this movie! It really showed how someone with a terminal illness can be concerned about the loved ones in their life. Dealing with a terminal illness is hard; but not accepting loved one's love and concern while you are going through it is NOT good for the patient and/or the loved ones. My husband has NOT reached out to his loved ones but it was GREAT to see how it could have been.I REALLY would like to purchase this movie if/when it comes out on DVD. I do HOPE it will come out on DVD SOON. Many others can be blessed by this movie! Please put this movie out soon.