Redemption in Cherry Springs doesn’t have much going for it, but it does have one of the most multicultural casts on Hallmark, so I guess that’s something. The bar remains pretty low though despite a noticeable effort by the channel in this past year to diversify. The movie itself deserves less praise. Melanie Abrams, played by a radiant Rochelle Aytes, has the makings of a smart TV detective. A former investigative reporter for the Boston Chronicle, she floats around town coaxing information out of people with ease, all while staying coy about her own past. Unfortunately, this movie lacks a unifying tone, one that would give it an appealing sense of character and place.
The story goes for an almost clinical mystery instead. Mel finds herself looking into the disappearance of her childhood friend, Tony Patel (Rajiv Sharma), while on hiatus from the paper. Tony’s wife, Rachel (Hanna Lee Sakakibara), another longtime friend, worries that it may be related to secretive phone calls and texts he’s been receiving, and so Mel does her best to support Rachel and find Tony before it’s too late. Newly arrived police detective Jake Collins (Keith D. Robinson) is less enthused about her initiative. He objects to Mel’s meddling, probably because she’s always a step ahead of him, but can’t deny her sharp instincts. They end up coming to the same conclusion about several suspects, including Tony’s own sister, Sarah Jane (Brinda Dixit), who needs money to open coffee shop and stands to gain a greater share of the inheritance with her brother out of the way. They also agree on Ryan Monroe, Tony’s young coworker and mentee at the auto shop, who may find his criminal past catching up with him. Tony’s recent behavior, on the other hand, suggests serious problems of his own making and that perhaps his disappearance was intentional rather than criminal.
The mystery holds up but, like the film itself, is pretty lackluster. Even when the writers sneak in red herrings and last-minute twists, they end up dropping the ball on crucial details. A major medical issue, for example, upends the investigation but is then completely ignored. Redemption fails because Tony’s disappearance is the only thing that makes an impression. The people of Cherry Springs are bland sketches, and as much as I like both actors, neither Aytes nor Robinson breath much life into their characters. I don’t fault them for their uninspired performances; the film simply lacks personality. The Martha’s Vineyard series, by contrast, leans into its unique locale and creates characters rooted in a time and place. You don’t get that looking at the world of Cherry Springs, which is so muted that it drains all color out of the town and its inhabitants. Even Mel and Jake’s backstories are dull. Mel is haunted by the fallout of a report she did in Boston – so much so that she’s batting away book deals – but the writers make her so evasive about her past that it’s difficult to judge her or her actions. Jake’s character development is similarly stunted; he comes with a standard sob story and nothing else, except a cute kid. There’s a lot of potential though, so I hope Hallmark gives this another shot.
**Spoilers at end of post
Released: 2021
Dir: Letia Clouston
Writer: John Bellina, Talia Gonzalez
Cast: Rochelle Aytes, Keith D. Robinson, Hanna Lee Sakakibara, Rajiv Sharma, Frankie Faison, Jace Bently, Scott Bryce, Hannah Barefoot, Keith Miller, Brinda Dixit, Eric T. Miller, Kent Moran, Tania Verafield, Matthew Johnson
Time: 84 min
Lang: English
Country: United States
Network: Hallmark Movies and Mysteries
Reviewed: 2021
** SPOILERS **
Spoilers: Andy’s pride led to the murders of his friend Tony Patel and community center owner Dan Birch. He was jealous that Tony was the one calling the shots at his own garage and decided to smuggle drugs so that he could earn enough money for another business. He easily convinced Dan, a gambling addict, to help him launder the money, but Dan took increasing risks with their cash. Tony eventually found out and pressured Andy to stop his side hustle, though not before taking a large chunk of money for himself. Knowing that he was dying from pancreatic cancer, Tony wanted some insurance for Rachel and hid thousands of dollars in the car seat. Andy sent Billy Dixon to ransack the Patel house and find it so that he wouldn’t be on the hook with the drug dealers, who actually committed the murders. After finding Dan shot to death, Andy then framed his young employee, Ryan, with a text from Dan’s phone.
Mel breaks the case after speaking with Ryan. She learns that Andy was always letting him leave work early, prompting both to wonder why. She sneaks into the garage and finds drugs hidden in a muffler. Andy appears and acts shocked when Mel updates him on Dan’s death. Mel confirms her suspicions about Andy when she dials the number for the burner phone found on the text implicating Ryan; of course Andy’s phone rings. He tries to shoot her but Ryan appears and tackles his boss before the police come and contain the situation. Rachel decides to give the shop to Ryan, and Mel agrees to write the book. It remains a mystery as to who cut Mel’s brakes.
Fits of Fury 