The Hallmark Channel closes out its Loveuary programming with the New Mexico-set movie, Romance at Hope Ranch. This title stars Alison Sweeney as a single mother looking to start a new chapter of her life by fulfilling her childhood dreams of running her own ranch in Ruidoso, NM. There, she tries to singlehandedly revive a beloved local event all while an ex-boyfriend (Gabriel Hogan) unexpectedly reenters the picture, shaking up her life (and heart) in the process. Keep reading to find out whether it’s worth a watch!
The Gist: Hope Morgan (Alison Sweeney) is a single mother dropping her daughter, Maggie (Megan Sweeney), off at college for the first time. Now, as an official empty nester, Hope plans to use her free time wisely by leaving her old life in Denver behind to move to Ruidoso, New Mexico, and buy a ranch. The site of Hope’s Ranch used to be where Ruidoso held their famous annual Giddy Up Gala, which Hope has fond memories of attending both as a young girl with her grandparents and as an adult with her daughter. Since the ranch was sold a few years ago, there hasn’t been a Gala, but Hope wants to pick up the slack and bring it back. She’s got the passion, but it’s another matter entirely whether or not she has the time, finances, and manpower to pull it off.
Luckily, Hope’s neighbor from just a mile up the road stops by to introduce himself as Tom Grayson (Scott Martin), and he offers to help with anything she might need. Hope has long struggled to accept assistance of any kind, but increasingly realizes that she can’t possibly complete all of the inspections, remodeling, decoration, and additional preparations all on her own as the tasks and costs continue to pile up. Further adding to Hope’s stress is the reappearance of her best friend Lori’s (Stephanie Beran) older brother and her own former flame, Jack Bennett (Gabriel Hogan), who has specifically moved to the town and purchased a horse supply store there so he can win her back.
Hope is reluctant to get involved with Jack, especially since they’ve already gotten together and broken up on two separate occasions and haven’t seen or heard from each other in a decade. She’s busy enough with the ranch as it is, and doesn’t know if she has it in her to open up her heart again. Through this personal struggle, she continues to try racing against the clock to get everything ready for the Giddy Up Gala within just a few weeks’ time, trying to get it all done herself, even while Tom, Jack, Lori, and even Ruidoso Mayor Winona (Dodie Montgomery) offer aid. Before she knows it, the days fly by, and the fate of the Gala, as well as Hope’s own happiness, rests on whether or not she can learn to let others in and ask for what she wants.
What Movies Will It Remind You Of? Romance at Hope Ranch might remind you of other ranch-set romance movies like Romance on the Ranch, Love in Paradise, Holidays at the Ranch, and Love at the Ranch.
Performance Worth Watching: I truly appreciate that Alison Sweeney is game for anything. She’s riding horses, she’s picking up wayward chickens, she’s saying the words “Giddy Up Gala” a million times. She’s fully committed, and the end result is a generally charming performance that carries the film.
Memorable Dialogue: Jack to Hope: “You know I do realize that moving to your ex’s new town and buying a business just to try to win her back can come off a little, uh… unhinged. But I’m for real about this, Hope.” Well, I would’ve used “creepy” over “unhinged,” but at least he’s kind of self-aware.
Our Take: I keep going back and forth on how I feel about Romance at Hope Ranch. Initially, I felt put off by Jack’s seeming stalking as he moved from New York City to Ruidoso unannounced in order to get back with a woman he hadn’t spoken to in a decade, and I didn’t want them to end up together. And yet, over the course of the movie, I found that Gabriel Hogan was able to deliver enough good humor and chemistry with Alison Sweeney for me to feel more or less satisfied with Jack and Hope ending up together by the end of the story. The movie sort of tries to throw in Tom as an additional potential love interest, but seems to just as quickly pass him off to Lori so the main characters can all have their own neat little happily ever afters.
The plot and characters are a bit threadbare and lacking in depth, but the movie is ultimately saved by the picturesque New Mexican setting and Alison Sweeney’s Hope. More than a romance, the core of Romance at Hope Ranch seems to be Hope’s personal journey of growth and self-actualization as she grows to trust, ask for help, and communicate better than ever before. Sure, the whole “it’s important to ask for help” thing becomes a bit on the nose and (along with the “Giddy Up Gala”) probably said a few too many times, but we don’t watch Hallmark movies for nuance or subtlety anyway. So even if it’s not the best movie around, it still makes for some sweet, mindless fun.
Our Call: Romance at Hope Ranch might not have the strongest story or character writing overall, but the gorgeous New Mexico landscapes, majestic horses, decent romantic chemistry, and committed performances from the cast make this an overall pleasant experience for some entertaining, easy viewing. If Hallmark movies are your jam, then you’ll probably want to STREAM IT.
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Maddy Casale is a Chicago-based writer and comedian who covers everything from animated series to Hallmark movies. Follow her on Duolingo @MCasale.
