Hallmark's "Where Your Heart Belongs" Not the Best Role for Jen Lilley Plus a Movie QUIZ!

Where Your Heart Belongs Plot Summary 

When a New York marketing executive returns home to help with her best friend's wedding, she learns the hard way that the love and support of family and friends means more than she'd ever imagined.

Starring:  Jen Lilley and Christopher Russell

Mackenize Finds Her Heart Belongs at Home

Where Your Heart Belongs proves what we rural folk have known all along--big city living corrupts good morals!

Mackenzie Sullivan is from the small town of Sweet Grove, but pursuing a marketing career in New York City for years while trying to stay ahead of her competition has blurred her boundaries between right and wrong.

It takes spending time with friends and family to open her eyes to the person she has become, and she doesn't like what she finds.  She's a small-town girl at heart, and home is where she needs to stay in order to be truly happy.  It also helps that a drop-dead gorgeous man from her past lives there too.

Jen Lilley's Character Isn't Very Likeable

Jasmine, the latest social media sensation, is racking up clients who once patronized Mackenzie.  While planning her best friend's wedding back in her hometown, Mackenzie tries to kill two birds with one stone by using Olivia's wedding as the bait to earn back the customers she has lost.

Olivia wants a simple and sentimental affair, but Mackenzie insists on making it an epic event.  The flowers, cake, DJ, and even the wedding dress she pushes on Olivia aren't what Olivia wants at all.

Sure, the scene where Mackenzie cajoles Olivia into trying on couture wedding dresses is pretty funny.  It's hard to imagine elite crowds find such high-end dresses fashionable when they are actually quite hideous, and Olivia is a hoot at making fun of each one. 

Eventually, it dawns on Olivia she is being used to help further Mackenzie's career.  Somehow, Mackenzie has made Olivia's wedding all about her without giving a thought to Olivia's preferences, and it almost ruins their life-long friendship.

Here's the biggest problem with the movie--when characters act like jerks, they always redeem themselves in the end, and we viewers forgive them.  In Where Your Heart Belongs, however, Mackenzie seems to come to her senses and shift the focus back where it belongs, onto Olivia and Stuart, but then she grabs the spotlight when it matters most--during the bridal dance on her BFF's wedding day!

After delivering the ceremonial speech required of the maid of honor, Mackenzie and Dylan make quite a spectacle.   They declare their love for each other in front of all the wedding guests and then put on a show for those following along on social media.  Dylan and Mackenzie share a hot kiss, and then he dramatically dips her on the dance floor.  

Once again, Mackenzie makes it all about her.  Just when you think she's learned her lesson, she and  Dylan totally overshadow the bride and groom.  With a friend like that, who needs enemies?  It leaves viewers wrinkling their noses in disgust because this isn't a "Hallmark-y" ending.

Another Hallmark Movie Focused on Checking All the Right Boxes

This is yet another Hallmark movie pandering to a progressive agenda because such a huge focus is on diversity and inclusion rather than quality script writing.  So many characters and scenes need included to keep the liberal mob happy that it affects the overall movie vibe.  Viewers see the politics instead of the story.

Bi-racial couple?  Check!

Asian friend?  Check!

At least two black characters?  Check!

Ambiguously gay character(s)?  Check!

Fat girl?  Check!  

While plenty of Hallmark fans are happy for any new movie regardless of the obvious identity politics included in the storylines, there are a growing number of fans who aren't afraid to voice their disgruntlement that Hallmark isn't what it used to be and are turning the channel.  Wake up, Hallmark!