‘LOVE BY CHANCE’ (2016)

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Though the newest of Hallmark’s campaigns has been dubbed “Spring Fling,” this is complimentary of the upcoming Mother’s Day holiday. Love By Chance, is, a story that has a strong theme of the bond between mothers and daughters.   

Love by Chance (2016) Hallmark TV Film Review

Think Because I Said So (minus the humor that is meant to be funny and really isn’t) if you want an idea of a plot rundown. But before moving on, let’s meet the characters. Since her daughter is busy trying to make a go of her fledgling bakery, Helen Michaels (Brenda Strong) becomes something of a meddling mother. She worries that her daughter is leaving herself no time for a personal life. This is why she takes an active role and creates profiles on dating websites while posing as Claire (Beau Garrett).  

‘LOVE BY CHANCE’ (2016). A kind of "mother knows best" chick flick about a woman who meddles in her daughter's dating life. Text © Rissi JC

Claire is something of a romantic who believes love cannot be dictated and instead, is all about chance. Despite Claire’s insistence that her mother stay out of her love life, Helen persists until, quite by chance, she meets Dr. Eric Carlton (Ben Ayres). With a little nudge, Eric agrees to fake a serendipitous meeting with Claire. With reluctance, he plays along on their first meeting until, as he begins to see more and more of Claire he falls in love with her… and his guilty conscious begins to question the lies leading to this. 

From the moment the first strains of pop star Rachel Platten’s smash hit, “Stand by You” begins to play, I knew I was going to love this fun flick. As it gets into the story, I was all the more convinced of this. Everything about Love by Chance sparkles with sweetness despite the fact that, its script is, familiar. If you like the idea of Because I Said So, but not its brand of humor, this is a delightful alternative. 

As is the usual standard of Hallmark, the casting is spot-on great with its easy-going and talented group. Beau is wonderful in the leading lady role, and Brenda plays the overbearing mother equally well (not to mention, they actually look as if they could be mother and daughter). Though unfamiliar (he has a string of Canadian credits to his name), Ben was also well cast; his character is an ideal gentleman who. He knows from the start that he’s in error, and yet he fights to remedy this. In short, he wasn’t going to give up which only ups the “aww…” reaction the romantics among us are sure to have.  

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‘LOVE BY CHANCE’ (2016). A kind of "mother knows best" chick flick about a woman who meddles in her daughter's dating life. Text © Rissi JC

Repeating all I’ve said about prior Hallmark productions could be written verbatim in this review. Everything about this inspires smiles. There’s a cute subplot involving Claire and her business partner, and of course, the yummy baked goods will make us wish we could create something so fine. The messages of fighting for a love “meant to be” is charming. Basically, fans of romantic comedies will discover another great flick in Love by Chance.  

Photos: Hallmark Channel

About Rissi JC

amateur graphic designer. confirmed bookaholic. bubbl’r enthusiast. critical thinker. miswesterner. social media coordinator. writer.

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