Autumn Dreams (2015 TV Movie) User Reviews

Above average Hallmark movie

[phd_travel · 7/10 · 12 October 2016]

This Hallmark movie is better than the usual over sweet romance they churn out.

A teenage couple in a farm in Iowa elope but her father breaks them up because they are too young. 15 years later the annulment was never filed so they meet up again. He's a success in NYC and she is still farming away. Of course you know what happens. It's nice that nobody is a villain here especially the other parties that are in love with the couple. The way the situation unfolds is quite well done without too many clichés or painful awkward moments. The 2 stars are fairly likable too - Jill Wagner and Colin Eggelsfield.

The only problem is where are they going to live after that? He can't give up Manhattan!

Easy Going movie

[Sergiodave · 5/10 · 25 September 2020]

A typical Hallmark Romantic Movie. Two Young kids fall in love, are forced into an annulment, and 15 years pass. Being a Hallmark presentation it won't be too hard to figure out the ending. The story is simple, the acting is okay (first time I've seen Jill Wagner, boy, she is stunning), but the feel good factor gives this TV movie another star.

Forever love

[TheLittleSongbird · 7/10 · 28 February 2023]

There were two main reasons for watching 'Autumn Dreams'. One was that it was part of my recently started quest to see as many Hallmark films as possible. The other was Jill Wagner, have seen her in a good number of Hallmark films and have always been impressed by her. The films themselves varied (as is the case with pretty much all actors and actresses), but Wagner has never been less than watchable and in her best Hallmark performances she is very good.

She does not disappoint here with 'Autumn Dreams', the film that kicks off the 2015 Fall Harvest seasonal block and a good way to begin probably the best and most consistent seasonal block that year. With it being the only seasonal block where this reviewer liked all three of the ones seen. 'Autumn Dreams' has one of the more mature subjects of Hallmark's 2015 output and handles it with sensitivity without being over-serious, even if it is not always realistic.

The story is not out of the ordinary and has slow spots. Everything with the misunderstanding with her father felt rather forced and too unlikely.

Did find the ending too neat and too hasty too.

'Autumn Dreams' succeeds in so many areas however. Wagner gives a very nuanced yet spirited performance, and is ideally matched in the subtle charm and easy going nature departments by Colin Egglesfield. Their chemistry is very understated and maybe could have been developed more, but they look natural together and it feels genuine. The supporting cast are solid, with Ken Tremblett's performance being deeply felt.

Liked too that the characters weren't too perfect or overly-negative, while not complex and quite cliched they also weren't ciphers. It's a beautifully filmed film too and the scenery captivates in beauty. The music at least fits and doesn't overbear. The script doesn't take itself too seriously, allowing some unforced light-hearted-ness, while also not getting too sentimental. It flowed naturally too. The story isn't exceptional and had imperfections, but it was moving, well meaning, didn't feel too predictable, nothing insulted the intelligence and while gentle in pace generally it wasn't dull.

Overall, not great but a lot to like. 7/10.

A nice gentle movie

[lillightjc-85500 · 7/10 · 4 January 2019]

A nice simple/easy to watch movie with nothing offensive in it. (For a pleased change! Thank you!) The acting was excellent, the story line was good and the photography was lovely. However, the continuity had some issues.... Annie's mother had 2 different hairstyles from one shot to the next. One moment she was wearing a ponytail and next her hair was down. Although the scene was different, the timing was meant to follow on. Also Annie broke off her engagement and returned the ring but in two different scenes after that she was wearing the engagement ring again! What a pity these errors weren't picked up before the film was released. Otherwise a lovely movie.

Jill Wagner is beautiful and magnetic in this very unlikely story of enduring true love.

[MichaelByTheSea · 7/10 · 4 August 2022]

The actor who plays Ben (Colin Egglesfield) is handsome, but a bit wooden. Jill Wagner, however, shines. She's luminous and has never looked better. And she's not just eye candy. She does a nice job playing the increasingly conflicted Annie. And Ben Dow plays a very likeable Hector (the driver).

I'm a sucker for stories where true love gets another chance. And so I enjoyed this movie. But there are plenty of problems that are difficult to ignore.

Other reviewers have fairly pointed out the utter implausibility of the story, so I won't repeat those valid comments here (except to note that Hallmark writers never seem to consult with lawyers and tend to dramatize legal issues without regard to what actually happens in the real world).

The biggest glaring error is the setting of an annulment hearing in New York City, in the State of New York, even though Ben and Annie were married in the State of Iowa. New York has no jurisdiction over an Iowa marriage. Therefore, the hearing should have been set in Iowa, and handled by Iowa lawyers. And an empty courtroom in NYC? With no other lawyers or cases? Please...

And why was the first marriage being kept as a secret from Giovanna? We're meant to hate her in the elevator, but she was actually quite nice (points to Hallmark writers who don't make the competition unrealistic caricatures). Giovanna is entitled to know there's a problem. If she's being asked to sign a prenup (the preparation of which is supposedly how Ben's lawyer "just" found out Ben was still married) there's a legal duty of disclosure of all material information. Further, no competent lawyer would try to get a prenup signed just days before a wedding. In fact, that prenup should have been prepared and circulated months before. And the "faux license scheme"? That's how you get suspended from practicing law.

And legal issues aside, what kind of man hides the fact that he's still married from his fiancé days before their wedding? And lies to her face outside court? Especially once it became clear nothing would change until after the scheduled wedding. If you can't be honest and share important information before the wedding with the woman you plan to live with the rest of your life, that's a bad sign for after the wedding. And a bad sign for anyone looking to replace Giovanna.

As Tony the lawyer put it, quoting Sir Walter Scott: "Oh, what a tangled web we weave when first we practice to deceive". I've always loved that quote and love it when Hallmark writers add great quotes to their scripts.

Deceiving Giovanna is pretty damning evidence that Ben isn't the "good guy" the movie tries to make him out to be. In fact, sneaking off with Annie to get married 15 years before was rather selfish and cowardly. Annie's mom and dad seemed like nice people and deserved to be part of the ceremony. It's not like Ben was rescuing Annie from some abusive environment.

And why didn't Ben have the courage of his convictions? He was spineless when Annie's dad showed up after the marriage. It's not like either of them were underage. They didn't need dad's permission, even though dad was probably right about them being too young. Still, if you're adult enough to selfishly sneak off and get married, be adult enough to stand up for what you believe. Have some backbone. I don't know how a guy like that could have ever succeeded in business.

Another thing that bugged me was the call to Annie that "there's a really big storm heading our way" (said by Joe in extremely high gusty winds back in Iowa) and "if the river rises, we could lose the crops". Uh, so? It's not like Annie has a magic wand and can just drive home from town. She's in NYC at a rehearsal dinner (??!!) and likely couldn't have made it back before the storm. Do the math on the logistics and travel time of getting a flight (into a storm), getting to the airport, through security, on to a flight (and probably a transfer to a 2nd flight), without any delays, into a storm impacted airport in Iowa, and then out to some farm in the middle of nowhere. And it's not like Annie is Wonder Woman who can save the crops by filling millions of sand bags.

I realize that's a long list of complaints for a movie that I rated as 7 stars, but Jill Wagner really was great and I'm biased in favor of Hallmark movies and movies about enduring true love. And I loved the use of Reba's "Forever Love" at the festival.

One thing

[dvesselsd · 7/10 · 10 October 2018]

The movie, overall, is everything I love about Hallmark. However, being from Indiana that flag gets me every time!

Very vanilla

[Jackbv123 · 5/10 · 22 September 2017]

First of all, I was not convinced that any of the eligible partners would make a fit match. Certainly not Jovanna and Ben, although Jovanna was not nearly the evil villain that is often the case in these stories. Not Joe and Annie, although there was nothing terribly wrong with their match - just nothing terribly right either. And although they were already married, even Annie and Ben didn't convince me.

The acting was decent, although I didn't see any fireworks between Annie and Ben.

The already married/ never divorced theme was weak. I suppose it could have happened in the first place, but being missed by everyone, including the IRS, for 15 years is lame.

Writers of these things never think about how much money things really cost since Annie has to fly across the country and the judge wanted it twice. Then she buys a wedding dress approved by Jovanna which had to cost at least 5 times what she would have bought (and been happy with) in Iowa. Then this farm owner, who is worried about both a grant and making quota, buys a high-fashion dress in NY. Lucky that Ben was putting her up in the corporate suite because it would have cost her several hundred a night anywhere in that district otherwise.

The story was very straight vanilla with no real surprises.

Don't listen to the reviews!

[Mysterylover-60198 · 8/10 · 1 May 2020]

My husband and I enjoyed this movie and found it very entertaining! Jill Wagner did a great job (as always) as the lead. It was a little different from most of the Hallmark movies which was refreshing.

Wrong note in classic song

[brittonwayne-287-425268 · 6/10 · 27 May 2020]

I love Jill Wagner and this was an ok Hallmark but during the movie the classic tune Beautiful Dreamer was played on a piano and the played a wrong note. I thought maybe it was just a thing to make the player appear rusty. However later another character plays the same tune and plays the exact same wrong note. I am wondering did they play the wrong note because they didn't have permission to use it? I don't think one note changes the tune enough to avoid copyright infringement. Or the person in charge of the music just doesn't know Beautiful Dreamer correctly.

Extremely unrealistic plot, and unlikely scenarios throughout

[lmgannon2 · 4/10 · 9 October 2015]

MAJOR SPOILERS! I don't understand how this movie is rated so highly, it was completely ridiculous and insults the intelligence of the audience.

This takes place in a farming community in Iowa. An 18yr old girl and 19yr old guy elope and have bus tickets to NYC, but her father shows up right at the end of the ceremony and talks his daughter into leaving her new husband and going back home with him, and says he plans on getting their marriage annulled. The husband still leaves for New York by himself.

Next scene is 15yrs later, both are marrying other people but find out the paperwork her father had filed for an annulment was never processed so they need to get divorced to be able to go through with their upcoming weddings. Meanwhile we find out that she thought he abandoned her and never contacted her, but he claims he tried to call and write but got no response, which she thinks her father had something to do with. This really makes no sense because she tells him that after he left, her father had a heart attack and "was never the same" so she just couldn't leave the farm, which indicates that she must have had some contact with him at some point in the beginning to plan to meet him in New York! Why didn't she write to him to tell him why she didn't leave to join him?

So, after this huge and extremely unlikely misunderstanding, her father manages to not only confiscate his letters to her but also somehow prevents her from getting his phone calls? No, that would be nearly impossible in this electronic age. She was a college student for goodness sakes, did she not have a computer?

No contact for fifteen years, no email or text messages, he doesn't ever visit home or have any contact with anyone there to find out how things are, doesn't find out about her father. Then we find out that she knows absolutely nothing about him either, even though he has become this hot shot rich NYC executive which any internet search would have revealed. On top of all of this nonsense, we've got two innocent, oblivious fiancées who are both lied to while these two reconnect.

I could go on and on with similar examples but won't take up any more of your time. They could have easily edited some sense into this movie but I guess they believe their target audience is dense and naive enough to not require anything to be a little bit believable!

A Believable Story!

[the_mora_family · 10/10 · 12 September 2018]

Loved it loved it loved it! Although I am a Hallmark fanatic, this is the best movie ever.

I liked it!!

[crystal-viola45 · 7/10 · 6 August 2023]

I liked this, and that's a rarity for Hallmark movies. Why did I like it? Choosing the cast is admirable and well thought of, which is also a rarity for Hallmark movies. The actors who played young Colin and Jill have some resemblance to the mature characters, even the actor who plays Jill's mother has some resemblance to "her daughter".

Colin Egglesfield's performance was also admirable, he's perfected playing the role of the country boy who wants to prove himself to his old flame, Jill Wagner is one of my favorite Hallmark actors, and she didn't disappoint here.

As a Hallmark movie, the usual cliches are present, but the story was sweet and interesting.

ship issue

[SnoopyStyle · 5/10 · 12 April 2020]

Annie Hancock was 18 when she married Iowa sweetheart Ben Lawson. Her father found out and forced them to get an annulment. It's 15 years later. Annie (Jill Wagner) receives divorce papers from Ben (Colin Egglesfield). It turns out that the annulment paperwork cannot be found. She heads off to NYC to settle the matter. Both are getting married but just not to each other.

In order for the movie to ship Annie and Ben, there needs to be definitive differences of good versus bad. The leads are perfectly acceptable. If they are single, they would be ready to mingle. The problem with the other halves is that both have to be bad in order for the audience to dump them overboard. I don't think they achieved that and there's no drive to ship this couple.

Meh ... watch if you have absolutely nothing else to do

[msarajoy · 2/10 · 15 July 2020]

I feel like the scriptwriter couldn't make up her or his mind about the main characters. Is Ben a nice guy or is he a jerk to kiss Annie when they are engaged to other people. Settle your relationship with shallower-than-a-puddle fiancé before you go kissing other girls Ben!

Is Annie a hillbilly (the wide eyed "wow there are so many people" amazed look from her as they drove through New York was so stupid a comment) or is she a soon to be PhD Annie who is a braniac? Also what woman lets a complete stranger dictate (yes dictate) to her which wedding gown is the one and which is not? Why make Annie appear to be so mindless and characterless?

And rude. She is so rude. She is invited to attend the rehearsal and doesn't even turn her phone to silent. Then she breaks Joe's heart by breaking up with him and then commandingly tells him "Don't you dare go out of my life." Gosh!

Seriously, why make the female lead so awful a character?

Is Ben's fiancé a witch to railroad him on every decision about his apartment and about the wedding or is she a nice girl who helps a hillbilly choose her wedding gown? And how can she invite Annie to the rehearsal (which is for intimate family and friends) without even talking to Ben about it?

And what chauffeur hangs out at his employer's home outside work hours? Bizarre.

I'm not crazy about skinny kid looking Colin Egglesfield (practically non-existent shoulders) though he does come across as rich charming well. Also not so crazy about the younger version of Jill Wagner who looks pretty hostile despite the constant smile. Her eyes are pretty stone cold so the chemistry between them is not really believable.

Also unbelievable - if you have ever planned a wedding for 400 people, you will know that you have no breathing time the days leading up to the wedding and yet the bride has time to go away and work and the groom has day (from his high powered job at that) and night to hang out with his current-wife-soon-to-be-ex-wife.

The amount of time these two spend together in intimate 'dates', how do neither of them feel like they are cheating on their current-soon-to-be-spouses?

And one person wiping something off the other person's face is really done to DEATH. Enough please with that. I've seen it happen in over 40 Hallmark movies and it is now contrived and utterly unimaginative.

Too bad. The main storyline on paper could have made for an amazing movie. Didn't come onto the screen that way. No heartstrings tugged until the last 5 minutes of the show and then it was probably the song.

Wait. Why are they getting married again if they are already married?? Well at least she got to use the wedding gown chosen for her by his bride-to-be-turned-ex-bride.

Finally, please don't litter the earth with torn paper. So incredibly un-eco friendly.

Great movie

[fairies-83624 · 8/10 · 30 November 2019]

I have watched it alot and it enjoyed the story and was done well. It captures a special sparkle

bland and empty

[mariesms · 3/10 · 17 June 2017]

God it was awful!!! I watched this because I was bored out of my wits and had some hope thinking it would be better than the other cheap hallmark movies these days. The main couple just didn't feel like they had a real connection, that they were truly in love?! The guy is so stiff and moves like a robot.It just felt so CHEAP and CHEESY and it was soooo PREDICTABLE. You could easily guess where it was all ending to and ughhh no, it just wasn't for me. The script sounded like something someone just threw together in 5 minutes. No personality or uniqueness to it. The godawful music certainly didn't help and altogether the movie was just FORGETTABLE.

That's why I watch Hallmark

[monkoftuscany · 9/10 · 6 February 2020]

The movie is very reminiscent of Pretty Woman for me. I don't agree with the bad reviews, I like both leads and the driver . I have seen it twice on Hallmark and enjoyed it enough to buy it. That is why I watch Hallmark, for romantic, soft love stories. It fits the bill.

Abrupt and predictable

[gurciullob · 3/10 · 20 October 2020]

My mom forces me to watch some of the cheesiest movies Hallmark can come up with and it definitely definitely made the list. The acting was good which is aways nice but the script was extremely abrubt throwing us into the story without any intros or details. This left us feeling wrongfooted right from the get-go, which would have been enough to get me to change movie but my mom is an idealist and she had the remote...

plain simple

[michicalvo-02122 · 3/10 · 30 June 2020]

The typical cheesy story but plain. Also if it was not for about two actors in the cast, i would believed we were in a white man's world. Like everything was SO white. The two protagonist are attractive as expected, but not a tempting performance... i will dare to say, that you wouldnt miss much if u decide to never watch it in your life.

I liked it

[jewhitmer25 · 9/10 · 28 November 2021]

Plot Childhood sweethearts elope, Her dad Steps in to annul the marriage. 18 years later both are engaged to be married to someone else. Oops!! The annulment was never finalized. Chaos ensues, but have faith, all is well in the end. Childhood Sweethearts are back together, the crops are safe and everything is rosy.

Not your average Hallmark movie.

My advice: Watch it's pretty good.

Fairly week script and not the best acting

[oliwiafalowska · 4/10 · 5 September 2019]

I am quite easy to please when it comes to films etc especially when I'm in the mood for romance but this has got to be one of the weakest romantic films I've seen.

Didn't bother checking the reviews or even rating when I read the description I was like ok sounds nice.

The acting was ok for most of the time but some moments iy was rather cringy... There was no sparks between literally anyone in the film. Jovana and Ben nothing at all - I know there can't be big fireworks cause he's in love with Anna but has to be at least a spark ... He completely contradicts himself in that relationship they dont match at all. They made her seem like a villan in a way the way they portrayed her but there was no use for it and she ended up being nice but bland and useless except for the fact she was there...

Joe and Anna well let's start off how weird it is that one got with Joe and one with Jovana? Both Jos? A little lack of imagination. Their relationship I kinda understand they are from a small village where everyone knows everyone etc but there was something missing ... It was realistic enough but don't think too convincing...

But to be fair even Ben and Anna didn't have anything it was so bland and just almost awkward to watch ..

The plot well I like the idea of it but the way they proceeded wasnt right... Flying to New York out of nowhere ? Buying a high end WEDDING dress and another designer dress? This girl is waiting for a grant cause she can't afford the studies highly doubtful she would be going on like this...

I love watching films but Jesus that was so not addicting it's so uninteresting it's hard to finish ... I usually can't take my eyes off the screen but I cought myself zoning out...

Right guess that's all I can say. It could've been worse but I wouldnt rewatch it.

Pulls at the heart strings

[kimkirstiuk · 8/10 · 11 October 2020]

Jill Wagner Colin Egglesfield have great chemistry in this Hallmark movie. It is one of my favourites - I watch it every year when the play it in the fall.

Worst movie ever!!!!!!!!!

[evelina-74281 · 1/10 · 5 November 2018]

Wrong couple ended up together. Annie should be with Joe, he is a much better person.

Horrible people

[r_m_griffiths · 1/10 · 31 October 2021]

My word what horrible protagonists in this story. In any other hallmark they would have been the reason for the lead moving back to their home town. Both have committed relationships and cheat on their partners constantly..because no-one can be that nieve . I was actually feeling sorry for the side charaters. And Joe was prob the most brain dead mam ever.. staying around in the farm after what she did to him.

It's as if the writer couldn't wrote bad partners but also had a one track mind on how the romance was going to flourish.. so just brushed them aside.

You are ment to go along with the leads and root for them to succeed. But all that happened was they came across as selfish...cheating and not very likeable.

I watch hallmark films and can overlook the flaws but this one had such unlikeable charaters. I kinda hope they have a sequal where the partners go and have their own hallmark movie.

This happened to me after 8 years ....

[mlmoyer-93036 · 10/10 · 5 November 2015]

Never doubt that love, true love can prevail. And anyone who believes that TRUE love does not stand up to the test of time,other loves, and miles of separation. Have never experienced it and can not imagine it. But it happened to me through most all of these circumstances. I have been married now, extremely happy for 30 years. So even though this is a movie it is a beautiful movie. Loved all the elements of this movie. I do believe that most everyone will love this movie because of the feelings of TRUE love. All the actors were great!!! Wish their could be a what happens next one!!!!l Colin and Jill had great chemistry and played their roles perfectly. The other cast members where amazing also.