Hallmark dives into spring with Falling in Love in Niagara, a romance that will leave you literally misty-eyed… because it’s… near a waterfall. Get it? Anyway — Jocelyn Hudon and Dan Jeanotte star in this romcom about a newly single Type-A lady learning how to embrace adventure from her too-cool-for-plans tour guide. Will the majesty of Niagara Falls bring these two closer together, or will one of them go over the edge in a barrel? That’s a thing that cartoons taught me happens at Niagara Falls.
The Gist: Jocelyn Hudon (Love in the Maldives) plays Madeline, an uptight career woman who puts all the other uptight career women in these movies to shame. Not only does she have her life planned out minute by minute, she’s also done the same for her fiancé. She knows that in exactly five weeks they’ll be on their honeymoon in Niagara Falls, visiting all the spots that her grandparents visited 70 years ago. These carefully constructed plans fall apart when the fiancé calls off the engagement, leaving Madeline a sweatpants-wearing, candy-eating mess.
Enter: Madeline’s big sister Harley (The Handmaid’s Tale’s Masa Lizdek). She knows what Madeline’s going through and she knows exactly what she needs: a sistermoon. That’s when you go on your honeymoon with your sister instead of the man who just called off your engagement. But just because Madeline lost her fiancé over her meticulous scheduling (he was also a jerk, let’s be honest) doesn’t mean she’s changed her ways. She wants to adhere to a very strict itinerary — and that doesn’t jive with their free-wheelin’, cool guy tour guide Mike (Sense & Sensibility). Oh — and Madeline and Mike had a meet-ugly the day before when she tossed a coin into his coffee cup, thinking that his sad guitar playing was him panhandling. Oops!
After getting off on the wrong foot, though, Mike comes up with a plan to get Madeline back together with her ex. If Madeline goes on his adventure tour (and also stops talking about her grandparents), then she can use those photos to convince her ex that she’s totally into spontaneity. It’s a solid plan as far as Hallmark movies go, but Mike and Madeline forget one tiny detail: they’re in a Hallmark movie. Of course they’re gonna fall in love! Also, Niagara Falls is beautiful. I challenge anyone to visit Niagara Falls and not fall in love. The question is, is Madeline and Mike’s sudden thing just a vacation fling or can it continue into the real world?
What Movies Will It Remind You Of?: The conceit of going on your honeymoon even after breaking off the engagement is one we’ve seen a few times already, and the plot to get her ex back made me think of the Amazon original movie I Want You Back. But really, I think Falling in Love in Niagara feels more like the ensemble Hallmark romances we’ve seen more recently, like The Santa Summit or Wedding Season.
Performance Worth Watching: Masa Lizdek actually gets to be more than just the super supportive bestie who pops in for exposition purposes and then leaves for a few acts. Harley has a character arc of her own, one that goes from subtle to poignant as the movie progresses. We’re rooting for Harley just as much as Madeline!
Memorable Dialogue: “I am the nutty honeymoon lady.”
Our Take: Falling in Love in Niagara is a great example of a certain kind of Hallmark movie: the location-first Hallmark movie. It’s like the network got the deal worked out to film in Niagara Falls and then, bam, what’s a script that goes with Niagara Falls? And what scenario can provide an excuse to show off all the scenery and attractions in Niagara Falls? Thus, Falling in Love in Niagara. None of this is bad! It’s maybe a little distracting, when whole sequences of the movie are merely “come zip-lining in Niagara!” But, as I have said with pretty much every one of these location-first movies, the on-location filming always ups the production value. Would this movie work if it was set in a nondescript small town in Canada, subbing in for a nondescript small town in Colorado? Absolutely. But setting it in Niagara — it’s like we, the viewer, get a little two-hour vacation.
All of that said — Falling in Love in Niagara didn’t have to go this hard. The scenery alone would be enough. The charming performances by Hudon, who brings a Jennifer Garner-esque brightness to the role, and the always on Jeanotte would be enough. But Falling in Love in Niagara dares to — have something to say about what it means to be alive??? The planner vs. adventurer dynamic that’s immediately evident between Madeline and Mike gradually expands to encompass most of the cast, as we learn that plenty of people are facing their own fears. Sure, these revelations can be ham-fisted at times; any significant character introduced in the back half of a Hallmark movie is usually there to very directly reiterate the movie’s theme directly at a lead character, usually via monologue. But I don’t mind that so much in Falling in Love in Niagara, because the script does a good job of making the theme feel urgent. There are stakes here!
It’s also great to see a Hallmark movie expand its cast to fill the runtime. I’m always a fan of Hallmark movies that give B-plots to supporting characters, especially when they reflect the A-plot as well as this one does. You know one of these movies has done its job when, by the end, you feel like you’ve been hanging out with a lively group of people for the last two hours. And if you can’t go on vacation to Niagara Falls with your besties this weekend, Hallmark’s got you covered.
Our Call: STREAM IT. Come for Falling in Love in Niagara’s lovely scenery, stay for the life lessons.
