This movie confirms what I’ve know for awhile – that Brandon Quinn is indeed Mr. Right. If Hallmark doesn’t start casting him as the lead, like yesterday, then really, what is the point? This gorgeous man (also a skinny Jimmy Kimmel lookalike according to my mom) deserves more than second fiddle parts, which is almost what his role amounts to in this movie. The protagonist spends most of her time oblivious to his character’s charms despite the fact that he’s a close high school friend and a handy landscaper with his own nursery.
Henry (Quinn) is not the number one guy in Annie Butler’s (Sarah Lancaster) life at the moment because George is taking up all her headspace. The man of her dreams and a piece of pure fiction, George is the subject of her new book about the search for the perfect man. He would have stayed a fantasy too were it not for her agent, Della (Vivica A. Fox), who accidentally pitches the book as a memoir. Since neither she nor Annie seems familiar with fake memoir disasters, or ethics, they do the obvious thing and scramble to find a guy willing to pose as George for the publicity tour.
To be fair, Annie’s hesitant to take part in this cockamamie scheme. While Della figures her slipup will boost sales, Annie’s not sure she can fake it with the hottest guy from the local improv group. It’s either that or tell the truth and get sued for breach of contract though, so she does what she has to do. That is until an actual George steps into her life. Like a bad spinoff of The Importance of Being Earnest, Annie thinks she can crawl her way out of this predicament by pursuing her mom’s real estate agent, conveniently named George (Kip Pardue). You know how these things go though; you finally met a handsome dude who ticks all the boxes and even has the right name, but is he as perfect as your dorky high school friend who has a piano in his garden and still calls your mom Mrs. Butler?
No, the answer is no. Never go for the square who probably color codes his keys for fun when the crumpled guy with the flowers is also an option. Quinn is effortlessly convincing as the boyfriend your whole family wants you to bring home, so it’s disappointing that we don’t see more of him. While Pardue makes an excellent George, the best one even, his character dampens the mood with his dry, humorless personality. I know that’s kind of the point, but it makes you long for more of Annie and Henry’s easygoing relationship. The film is better when it focuses on this couple and her family, which includes her sister and brother-in-law modeling a healthy marriage. I guess what I really want are these characters trying to sort through life and love without the far-fetched plot. Lancaster may have a way of making you forgive her character’s dumb decisions, but she’d be more relatable if she didn’t pursue a simply because of his name.
Alt Title: My George
Released: 2014
Dir: Kevin Connor
Writer: John Donovan, Debbie Gaughan, Jennifer Notas
Cast: Sarah Lancaster, Brandon Quinn, Vivica A. Fox, Kip Pardue, Katy Stoll, Marcia Strassman, Patrick Quinlan, Barry Livingston, Valentina Garcia, Oscar Nunez, Kim Hawthorne, Burt Grinstead
Time: 84 min
Lang: English
Country: United States
Network: Hallmark Channel
Reviewed: 2020
Fits of Fury 