An Unexpected Valentine Hits All of the Sweet Spots

Breanna Tillie

Hallmark movies have a reputation of being charming, predictable and incredibly corny. They are the movies that the audience can predict will end happily, where beautiful romance can be found by sharing an elevator with the right person or standing behind someone in line at a coffee shop. Hallmark’s newest Valentine’s Day movie, An Unexpected Valentine, offers the perfect sickly-sweet story about two strangers who fall in love while sharing a cab ride together.
 

Viewers are introduced to Hannah, a chocolate designer played by Lacey Chabert, and Finn, a photographer played by Robert Buckley. Finn also drives a cab for additional income, and during a taxi ride, Finn and Hannah meet and have their first conversation filled with playful banter. When Hannah finds an engagement ring in the backseat of the cab, they set off on an adventure fueled by the spirit of Valentine’s Day as they hunt for the owner of the ring to return it.
 

The entire story unfolds over the course of one night, which emboldens the romantic feel because of the temporal setting. This storytelling technique is what makes Valentine’s Day feel like a magical night where chance encounters like this are destined to happen. As serendipitous as this is, it is also what viewers love about Hallmark romance movies. It is nice to see individuals who are not looking for love be able to find it just by living their everyday lives. The search for love can feel exhausting and lonely, but Hallmark romances display individuals doing other things and eventually finding love along the way. This may not happen everyday in real life, but the hope of an effortless romance and the joy of seeing this play out on screen is inspiring and beautiful.
 

It is also interesting to see this story play out in a big city like New York City. This city has a way of drawing people in with endless possibilities, and the craziest, most unexpected coincidences can occur. It also assists the urgent pace of the story quite well. Hannah and Finn are already on this race against time to return the engagement ring, the hustle and bustle of the city worked quite well for a plot like this.
 

Ultimately, this story is a tale about how the best things in life can occur at the most unexpected times. Throughout their mission to return the lost engagement ring, the chemistry between Hannah and Finn continues to radiate through the screen, making them an easy couple to root for. Because it is a Hallmark movie, it is already known by the viewer that Hannah and Finn will end up together. Still, this does not make the ending any less satisfying.