While I agree some reviews that this movie could have been stronger, I disagree with panning it. Do not forget that the purpose of a movie is to entertain, not always win an Academy Award. The interaction between the two principles is the usual banter, but great when you need a pick-me-up when your down. Also, the scene at the end when her father reveals a secret to Fiona is heartwarming. Watch this one when up need a good story to make you realize what is important about family and love.
29 Reviews
Lovely heartwarming movie
joevmcd-8542116 July 2018
Well I liked it!
hmusol5 March 2020
nice
Kirpianuscus31 August 2019
A comfortable film. Romance, humor, apparences,Lacey Chambert reminding Jennifer Love Hewitt, nice couple, jealous boyfriend, syrup contest and what is real important dominating. And, sure, a lovely story in which the sad past becomes start point for happiness. So, far to be bad or to conventional, it is just a comfortable, nice film.
Spring moonlight
TheLittleSongbird9 December 2021
There were two main reasons for seeing 'Moonlight in Vermont', Hallmark film completest sake and Lacey Chabert. Have begun seeing fairly recently Hallmark's non-Christmas output and it's been an interesting endeavour, though like the Christmas quest it's been hit and miss with some good, some bad and some somewhere in between. Chabert is one of the most popular regular Hallmark actors and it is not hard to see why, while not all her films are great or even good perhaps she is always watchable.
And she is watchable here, more than that even. Despite not being all that wowed by the story when reading the synopsis, and even on film it is still not the most exceptional of stories, 'Moonlight in Vermont' is a very charming and easy to digest film as long as not too much is expected. Much better than the previous 2017 Spring Fever film 'Love at First Bark', which didn't do much for me despite liking the leads elsewhere.
'Moonlight in Vermont' isn't mind blowing. Story-wise, it is very formulaic, where most plot points are foreseeable well before they happen (due to Hallmark doing them a number of times before). And also on the lightweight side, meaning on the slightly thin side and also where it is all wonderfully pleasant and polite with lots of charm but also with not a lot of depth or goal.
Occasionally the dialogue is on the corny side and the ending is slightly too neat.
Having said all of that, 'Moonlight in Vermont' succeeds in many areas too. Chabert is immensely engaging in her roles, with a real expressive warmth and perkiness. Her character sounded neurotic and pushy on paper, but Chabert manages to not emphasise those negatives too much (almost at all even) and makes her likeable by the end. Carlo Marks is every bit as appealing and always looks relaxed and positive in energy. The chemistry between them is playful and charming. The supporting cast are solid.
Also thought that the scenery was beautiful to watch and that the photography complemented it nicely, never cheapening it. The music didn't come over as over-powering or used too much and the main song is sweet without being to sickly effect. The film is assuredly directed, while the script mostly flows well and has an appealing light-hearted-ness. The story is cute and heart-warming and even with the predictability being high there is also a cheerful energy that stops it from getting mundane. Characters that didn't sound like that they would be appealing conceptually did turn out to be a lot more interesting and easier to get behind than expected.
In summary, not great but a very pleasant watch. 7/10.
And she is watchable here, more than that even. Despite not being all that wowed by the story when reading the synopsis, and even on film it is still not the most exceptional of stories, 'Moonlight in Vermont' is a very charming and easy to digest film as long as not too much is expected. Much better than the previous 2017 Spring Fever film 'Love at First Bark', which didn't do much for me despite liking the leads elsewhere.
'Moonlight in Vermont' isn't mind blowing. Story-wise, it is very formulaic, where most plot points are foreseeable well before they happen (due to Hallmark doing them a number of times before). And also on the lightweight side, meaning on the slightly thin side and also where it is all wonderfully pleasant and polite with lots of charm but also with not a lot of depth or goal.
Occasionally the dialogue is on the corny side and the ending is slightly too neat.
Having said all of that, 'Moonlight in Vermont' succeeds in many areas too. Chabert is immensely engaging in her roles, with a real expressive warmth and perkiness. Her character sounded neurotic and pushy on paper, but Chabert manages to not emphasise those negatives too much (almost at all even) and makes her likeable by the end. Carlo Marks is every bit as appealing and always looks relaxed and positive in energy. The chemistry between them is playful and charming. The supporting cast are solid.
Also thought that the scenery was beautiful to watch and that the photography complemented it nicely, never cheapening it. The music didn't come over as over-powering or used too much and the main song is sweet without being to sickly effect. The film is assuredly directed, while the script mostly flows well and has an appealing light-hearted-ness. The story is cute and heart-warming and even with the predictability being high there is also a cheerful energy that stops it from getting mundane. Characters that didn't sound like that they would be appealing conceptually did turn out to be a lot more interesting and easier to get behind than expected.
In summary, not great but a very pleasant watch. 7/10.
Nothing special
rebekahrox18 April 2017
Moonlight in Vermont is your typical country good-city bad, pretend boyfriend to make old boyfriend jealous, issues with dad Hallmark fare. The only thing to set it apart is good production values, cute setting, and the always reliable Lacey Chabert. Unfortunately she is not given too much to work with here. Her love interest is pretty cute as well and her step mother was a nice smart woman and not the source of tension or conflict. Her rejection of city life for stop to smell the roses country living was too quick and not well supported.
Typical Lacey, Typical Hallmark
atlasmb29 August 2021
Hallmark romance stalwart Lacey Chabert stars as Fiona, a high-powered New York real estate dealer who goes to her father's Vermont Inn to momentarily escape the big city after her boyfriend dumps her. While there, she meets the Inn's chef, Derek (Carlo Marks), and they immediately fall in dislike.
It's a plot that is overdone, really. And the viewer sees the arc of the story as soon as Fiona rolls her eyes over Derek's apparent snobbishness. So, the film doesn't get high marks, but it does a good job with the story as it is.
Hallmark tends to rely on the big-city-bad, small-town-good scenario too frequently as well, and that premise is milked in Vermont's moonlight, too.
It's a plot that is overdone, really. And the viewer sees the arc of the story as soon as Fiona rolls her eyes over Derek's apparent snobbishness. So, the film doesn't get high marks, but it does a good job with the story as it is.
Hallmark tends to rely on the big-city-bad, small-town-good scenario too frequently as well, and that premise is milked in Vermont's moonlight, too.
Goof
fctcsarahcross23 May 2021
Cute movie. Love Lacey. At the beginning of the movie, her and her friend are in a restaurant and they're talking about how love is everywhere in Manhattan. The friend says, "Look around. There's love at the diner, love in Central PERK" (hello, are we watching Friends?).
Deceit leads to love?
kz917-116 February 2019
Won't you please pretend to be my boyfriend?
After a breakup girl goes home only to find her ex and his new beau are there as well. In a effort to make the ex jealous she conjures a pretend boyfriend.
Cute..but smarmy at times.
After a breakup girl goes home only to find her ex and his new beau are there as well. In a effort to make the ex jealous she conjures a pretend boyfriend.
Cute..but smarmy at times.
cute but not memorable
novagirl119 May 2020
Good film
dianamarinelli25 April 2021
Pretty standard romantic comedy.
evulone14 August 2022
Good for evenings when you are tired and can't concentrate on a movie, but not tired enough to sleep. All throughout the cast, the performance was good or better, but there wasn't exactly twists, so here's a movie for you who like those.
Some good elements, not nearly enough
eospaulding10 July 2017
Moonlight in Vermont has some charming moments, but too often the cast simply walks through scenes and delivers dialogue we've seen and heard 100 times before.
Nice backdrop for the story. No performances that stand out. Lacey Chabert has some talent: It's allowed to shine through in maybe three of her dozen or so scenes. This is a poorly written/directed part for an actress capable of much more.
The biggest negative is the so totally predictable story line. As soon as we're introduced to her character, and that of chef Carlo Marks, we know how the final scene will end.
The overall plot had a chance: Better writing and direction might have gotten it there.
Nice backdrop for the story. No performances that stand out. Lacey Chabert has some talent: It's allowed to shine through in maybe three of her dozen or so scenes. This is a poorly written/directed part for an actress capable of much more.
The biggest negative is the so totally predictable story line. As soon as we're introduced to her character, and that of chef Carlo Marks, we know how the final scene will end.
The overall plot had a chance: Better writing and direction might have gotten it there.
Such good chemistry!!
k_l_b_93715 April 2017
This movie was absolutely delightful. I am a big fan of Lacey Chabert and her heartfelt and sincere acting, and I watched this for mainly that reason, but boy was I surprised.
Sometimes Hallmark movies can get dull, the story line isn't developed enough, they can be slow, and worst of all, the main characters sometimes have no chemistry.
This was one of the best made for TV movies I have seen in such a long time! Good acting by absolutely everyone, with Lacey shining and even more natural acting abilities than the last time we saw her. It also had adventure, lessons about people changing, re- evaluating and mending strained relationships. No part of it was forced or too adolescent, just an all around enjoyable movie!
I will be watching this one every time it comes on :)
Sometimes Hallmark movies can get dull, the story line isn't developed enough, they can be slow, and worst of all, the main characters sometimes have no chemistry.
This was one of the best made for TV movies I have seen in such a long time! Good acting by absolutely everyone, with Lacey shining and even more natural acting abilities than the last time we saw her. It also had adventure, lessons about people changing, re- evaluating and mending strained relationships. No part of it was forced or too adolescent, just an all around enjoyable movie!
I will be watching this one every time it comes on :)
Moonlight in Vermont is Romantic and Well-Written
marciaoh16 April 2017
Warning: Spoilers
The title is what first attracted me to this Hallmark film because it seemed quaint, promising romance and fantasy. It delivered both and much more. Unlike some Hallmark movies, the narrative hung together with a cohesive story, conflict, setting and theme. I especially liked the interaction between Fiona and Nate starting as enemies and ending as lovers. My favorite scene was when Fiona and Nate had their first intimate contact when they slow-danced at the Maple Faire Dance-the twinkling lights and music set a beautiful, romantic scene and the song "Moonlight In Vermont" background soundtrack, sung by a Sinatra-like male, made the scene magical. I loved all the references to Vermont maple syrup and the old traditions like the food from the past being used as ambiance. The scenery is gorgeous in this movie. The inn, owned by Fiona's father, is so inviting, the viewer can't help but wish they could book a reservation for the holidays at this lovely hotel.
Unbelievably Bad
innocent_me-19 July 2022
Classic Hallmark movie recipe. Take a fish-out-of-water girl, make sure she's really stuck up and snooty, introduce her to a guy who is guaranteed to know everything better than her, do everything better than her, and all-around just be better than her, throw in a few scenes of him deciding he knows what's best for her, ignoring her wishes and boundaries, and you've got yourself a Hallmark movie. While the recipe here is the same, the chemistry between the actors is sub-par which earns this movie a well-deserved two stars. I know what to expect with Hallmark movies and I typically enjoy them. This one was just awful.
Moonlight in Vermont
studioAT23 October 2020
Lacey Chabert shines in this above average and just plain wonderful Hallmark movie.
With some great screwball comedy elements and a fun story being told, this was an awful lot of fun.
I can't recommend it highly enough.
With some great screwball comedy elements and a fun story being told, this was an awful lot of fun.
I can't recommend it highly enough.
Not good
LtlHippo5 September 2022
Warning: Spoilers
Just another movie by one of the Hallmark trio (Lacey, Danica and Candace) where Lacey does way too much giggling. She acted like a middle school kid in puppy love. A pretend boyfriend to make the other not so nice boyfriend jealous? What a horrible plot line. Even the scenery couldn't save this one. And now, I need 600 characters to post a review? That sucks almost as much as this movie did. I wish the message boards would come back. I really miss them. It was interesting to read other peoples opinions, like am I the only one who can't stand all the giggling Lacey does? Ok, still not 600 characters. OMG I did not like this movie.
Another nasty female lead
dtdenver-987-9255462 November 2018
Hallmark has this thing: A pretty, snotty 20-something flimsy as the lead who turns into a mature adult with a good attitude just from the love of a 20-something guy who will overlook her nastiness because of the smokin' bod. I guess this example of poor behavior is considered family entertainment for a certain type. If I were that girl's parent, I would have had her hustled home in a heartbeat for being so mean to everyone.
I always LOVE the movies with MOONLIGHT in the Title!
ginasharp21 January 2021
I'm not sure why but I always end up really loving the HMM with Moonlight in the title! I know wierd, right? Lol This "Moonlight" Title has a great storyline, cute banter, great main characters (always love this actress's movies), beautiful snow, and cooking! A great watch for the winter.
Favorite scene: The slow dance!
Favorite scene: The slow dance!
Goofs that aren't goofs
vendingdudes17 October 2021
Setting is mentioned as spring, not winter. Dialogue even mentions "late snow". Entirely possible maple trees could be giving up first sap.
Also, snow on ground in no way implies current ambient temperature is freezing. Cold, sure, but not necessarily freezing. Concrete will set just fine, just take a bit longer. Adding baking soda accelerates the hardening, btw.
Also, snow on ground in no way implies current ambient temperature is freezing. Cold, sure, but not necessarily freezing. Concrete will set just fine, just take a bit longer. Adding baking soda accelerates the hardening, btw.
Hit home for me, 8 STARS!! Very good job Hallmark & Lacey Chabert!
huggibear8 May 2017
I thought it was good and relative to my story here in Vermont as well. It's like I used to fit in here (when I was a child), but maybe I do and maybe I don't. Maybe I can find ways to fit in with the Vermont lifestyles, but I'm still a city girl at heart. They say you can take the girl out of the country, but you can't take the country out of the girl. But I've been city most of my life and I can live both the country and the city....in the city where I do believe I truly belong. The country is too boring. It's great for relaxation and laziness, but it doesn't have what a huge metropolitan area would have (liveliness). You definitely need transportation in a place like Vermont, otherwise you are DIW (dead in the water). How can I make this my home when it will never truly feel like where I belong? I have to find ways to live with it for now. But the movie was perfect to help me understand how to move myself in ways that develop inspirations, purpose and passion to make it home to the best of my ability. Thanks Hallmark!
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