Starring Erin Cahill and Wes Brown
***SPOILER ALERT***
Elise (Cahill) runs Apple Hill, a historical inn in Landover that her grandparents once owned. It’s falling apart; the roof leaks and guests sometimes need umbrellas indoors, and the electricity is dodgy. The number of guests is dwindling, and Elise can’t obtain a loan from Ted (Felix Montgomery), her bank manager, unless the business starts improving. Meanwhile, Luke (Brown), the workaholic CFO of a big-city hotel firm owned by his mother (Paula Boudreau), is forced by her to take a vacation. He heads for Apple Hill, where he and Elise immediately clash, and soon she suspects he’s aiming to acquire the inn. But after she realizes they went to school together, her attitude toward him softens. They grow close as they collaborate to save the inn by throwing a Halloween party. Then, just as their relationship is heating up, Luke is forced to return to the city.
PROS
Finally, a real autumn movie. Autumn at Apple Hill was set in a picturesque old house loaded with wood paneling and stuffed with antiques. There were scenes in an apple orchard and a pumpkin patch, and a fun-filled Halloween party. All this made it very autumnal, in sharp contrast to this fall’s other new movies, most of which had little to do with the season.
The turning point. Elise and Luke’s relationship had a rocky start (see Cons), but what flipped the switch was when Jared (Adam Hurtig), Luke’s old friend who owned a tavern, informed Elise that she and Luke knew each other in school (she hadn’t recognized him). Jared also said that he wouldn’t have had the tavern without Luke’s help. After thinking that Luke was on a mission to take over Apple Hill, she finally began trusting him and even offered him a “mea culpa pie.” From this point on, the movie took off.
Optimism mingled with nostalgia. Luke was convinced they could save the inn and revitalize the town through a Halloween party, and eventually Elise started believing it too. They threw themselves wholeheartedly into their task. And nostalgia permeated this movie, an aspect of it I really enjoyed. Elise honored her grandparents, who were glimpsed in the opening scene, by keeping the inn going. Luke longed for the idyllic town he’d grown up in and was saddened at the changes Apple Hill and Landover had undergone. His high school had been torn down, and boarded-up storefronts were everywhere. One of the movie’s sweetest moments occurred when Elise recognized what he was missing. She took him to a display of high school memorabilia, which included an old photo of him and Jared. She was determined to find something for him that hadn’t changed, she said, and Luke was touched by her gesture. And at the party, she gave him pumpkin ice cream, a flavor he missed from his youth. They also visited his childhood home, which was up for sale.
From heartbreak to joy. Elise was crushed to learn that the proceeds from the party were insufficient to secure the bank loan, and compounding her misery was Luke’s departure—he’d been called away to assist his mother with a business deal. Elise wasn’t convinced he’d return; after all, he’d said he intended to take over the business one day. It wasn’t how either of them wanted to leave. Though I can’t say Cahill and Brown had intense chemistry in this film, their performances were good and the goodbye was certainly poignant. Yet Luke’s mother, tough in business but sensitive enough to recognize that he belonged in Landover with Elise, urged him to return. And Ted was so thrilled by the Halloween party and its effect on the townspeople’s morale that he gave Elise the loan. The resolution felt very satisfying.
Sarah Luby. The actress played Nora, Elise’s assistant. Her performance was delightful. Nora had a crush on Chuck (Kristian Jordan), an electrician who seemed oblivious to her feelings, and she often grew tongue-tied and flustered around him. Her emotions were plainly visible; she didn’t need to say a word for you to know exactly how she felt.
CONS
Can we even call that a meet-cute? Elise and Luke got off on the wrong foot; he hogged a video game, and she muscled her way in and tried to push him away from it. He pushed back. I don’t think I’ve ever seen two Hallmark leads meet in such a way—through a spat that turned physical. The incident spawned much bickering and made Luke and Elise seem childish.
The bickering. Because of his fond memories of Apple Hill, Luke was determined to stay there, even though Elise was equally determined to ruin his stay. She gave him the worst possible room, one with no phone reception and leaky pipes. Disgusted at the inn’s condition, he fixed the pipes, but in the middle of the night, irking Elise. The quips they traded were mildly amusing at first, but the conflict went on for too long and grew tiresome. It started to stall the movie a bit; the pair seemed stuck in mutual hostility. I would have preferred it if the ill feeling had subsided earlier.
My grade for Autumn at Apple Hill: B+
Caroline Kaiser is a professional book editor who specializes in fiction and memoirs, and she’s been guiding writers toward publication since 2007. Caroline is also the author of two ghostly mystery novels, Virginia’s Ghost and The Spirits of South Drive. Before she embarked on an editing and writing career, she spent many years working in a Toronto auction house as an antiques appraiser. Apart from curling up on the couch and drinking tea as she watches Hallmark movies, Caroline enjoys baking and exploring London, Ontario, the picturesque city she now calls home. Her website is www.carolinekaisereditor.com.
