User reviews

'Heart of the Matter' (2022)

Opening thoughts: The 2022 Hallmark Movies and Mysteries output has varied, most of the previous films in the block actually being very impressive (especially 'North to Home' and 'The Presence of Love') with the only big misfire being 'Cut, Color, Murder'. Also saw 'Heart of the Matter' because of the premise, being someone who did connect with it even reading about it. Hallmark has not always succeeded when it comes to tackling serious themes and personal dramas, but they did do this very well quite a lot.

On the most part, the serious and very personal subject, with the themes of grief and loss, is handled very well in 'Heart of the Matter'. It didn't start off too great, but once it got going and the less the lead character frustrated me the more relatable the film became. For me, it is definitely one of the best 2022 Hallmark films not just up to this point but overall and a fine example of how to tackle serious subjects in a way that was easy to connect with.

'Heart of the Matter' isn't perfect. It is a slow starter, with it taking time to get going and with some of the dialogue not flowing very well. It did take me time to get behind the lead character, being another person to have moments of really disliking her with the film really overdoing her self-absorbed and self-indulgent traits.

Also did feel that the ending was a little too on the wrapped up in a neat little bow-like considering the behaviour of the lead character.

Good things: With all that being said, there is a lot to like here in 'Heart of the Matter'. Aimee Teagarden's performance is very sincere and moving, continuing to grow as an actress. Gail O'Grady has the more interesting and relatable character, one where her point of view was completely understandable and how most would feel in that situation, and plays her with class and every bit as poignantly. The supporting cast are fine, if not up to the same level as the two leads.

It is very professionally filmed and the locations are simply beautiful. A lot of Hallmark's films suffer from being over-scored, meaning being too constantly used and too loud. That isn't so big a problem here. The script is a lot less cheesy and schmaltzy than most Hallmark films and did find it very sincere, very affecting and that it mostly did not awkward, apart from to begin with. The story is predictable, but is very mature and poignant without being sappy or too melodramatic.

Closing thoughts: Overall, good but not great.

7/10.

Probably one of the most dramatic movies on Hallmark Movies and Mysteries. Well cast. Aimee Teagarden is becoming one of my top favorite actresses on Hallmark channels. She plays a cardiologist, Andie, in tune with her patients, and personable. One of her patients was one of those "special" ones that she got to know. Tragedy strikes and Andie is having a challenging time dealing with it. Gail O'Grady plays the mother, and she's superb in the role. I encourage you to see the movie, as it ends teaching life lessons of love and forgiveness.

Adding: When you look at the whole picture, the mother was just as responsible for the outcome of the son driving. She could have told him to stay put and she would come and get him or call an ambulance. The mother should have known better, instead of blaming Andie. This is not brought out in the story.

Well, colour me completely and absolutely surprised! A deep, complex Hallmark movie where romance isn't the main plot? What is going on!

What's going on is Aimee Teegarden - one of my favourites, right back to her Friday Night Lights days - playing the role of a doctor who is responsible for the death of her patient. The decisions she made and the fallout deeply affect her life and she faces further complications when she approaches the dead patient's mother (well played by Gail O'Grady of NYPD Blue fame - remember the Rangers-obsessed receptionist Donna Abandando?) to try and apologise, leading to disciplinary action.

Don't watch Heart of the Matter if you want the usual family-friendly, tropey Hallmark movie. This definitely isn't one of those...but it is one of the best Hallmark films ever made.

Like others, I'd watch any story with Aimee Teagarden ever since I first saw her in "Once Upon A Christmas Miracle", and she'd done some work that would never air on Hallmark, yet this movie was quite different from what I expected from the previews. This was almost pure drama, and the romance was incidental to the story. The overriding message is how one can be one's own worst critic, and potentially forfeiting a promising future over tragic lapses in judgements, and yet one can rise above that by being open and honest with those who care, and even with those who have every right to hate them, if only they are brave enough to rise to the challenge. At the time of this writing, Hallmark is barely airing this story at all, and that seems like such a bad idea.

In my top ten hallmark Christmas movies Ms Teagarden has two. The Christmas miracle on, forget the name, and my Christmas Family Tree. She is great onscreen. This one misses a beat( pun intended).

I watch the other two over n over but will wait awhile before I watch this one again. It wasn't ad it was just kidding something always there in her previous movies.

Very happy hallmark signed her to a longer deal. Her movies and acting are usually spot on.

I too love Aimee Teagarden. Her facial expressions and her acting in general are very good. The surprise for me was that the whole cast were excellent. The story line breaks away from the traditional romance comedy sometimes silly Hallmark movies into a well written drama with true to life characters with very real and relatable emotions. There is romance, sadness, struggles and of course a happy ending. It will go down as one of my favorites from Hallmark. The other one that surprised me this year was Presence of Love with Eloise Mumford. Give them both a try.

This is a powerfully emotional movie. It is not a romance movie. The story of the main couple is totally secondary to the main thread of the movie which is about a doctor who breaks several conventions, and ignores common sense self-protection.

I love Aimee Teagarden. This is the fourth Hallmark movie I've seen her in and they all touched me. I would love to see her in many more.

It's true that Doctor Andie does some stupid things in response to her guilt. It is because for her, being a doctor is not a job. It's a responsibility and an honor. And she loves her patients. Toward the end of the movie, a lawyer of all people says that we need more doctors like her. That is partly gratuitous and totally true.

Some of the issues in the movie, especially the legal ones, pushed buttons for me that made it impossible to sit through, so I used the FF button, but I did watch most of the climax and end.

Portraying a 'great Dr' as a narcissistic, immature and non professional flake who does not have boundaries, seriously ignores both professional and legal advice - all to make herself feel better was beyond insulting to the profession and to the intelligence of the audience. Shame on you Hallmark!

The acting by every single person was absolutely outstanding. Seriously hallmark really did great. It feels like a Hall of Fame movie.

I watched it twice with my family.

We watch non-hallmark and hallmark and this is just a spectacular.

Hallmark should make more productions like this.

This is the film about a cardiologist who makes an error in not telling her developmentally disabled patient not to drive and he gets into a car accident which results in his death. Our cardiologist blames herself and grieves, gets blamed by her patients mother, deals with the legal ramifications as well as the medical review board.

I wish I could rave about this film...the acting was good and the story was good, but when I come home from the hospital the last thing I want to see is a sad real life story. They may have wrapped it up nicely in a hallmark way at the end (although a little rushed) but the story was a little sad for escapist television.

I created an account specifically to give this movie a review. No way the 9 star reviews are legit. Most infuriating, narcissistic, I know everything, ridiculously written character ever created by Hallmark. I feel terrible for Aimee Teagarden getting stuck with having to try and make this character redeemable. Impossible task. And this from someone who has watched A LOT of Hallmark movies. She never learned anything during this movie which makes sense for her character because she believes she doesn't need to listen to anyone else. As reflected by the fact she makes one bad decision after another despite the fact that everyone around her is giving her excellent advice.

Ridiculously frustrating. An exercise in self-indulgence. Ugh...what a ridiculous woman. Why does Hallmark consistently make their female characters so pathologically enfuriating. The omission committed by this doctor in question pales in comparison to the daisy chain of bad, hurtful decisions she proceeds to make, even harming a young boy, in her self-indulgence. Ugh. Pitty-pot time, anybody?

Had a hard time getting through this because the main character spends the ENTIRE movie feeling sorry FOR HERSELF! Hard to believe someone who has gotten to this level of medicine is this delicate to difficult times. She acts like she stabbed the patient to death. ENOUGH!!!!