A Rip in Time Plot Summary
An organic farmer meets a man who claims to be from 1787, named Rip Van Winkle Jr., and she soon discovers old-fashioned romantic feelings.
Starring: Torrey DeVitto and Niall Matter
Image: Crown Media
Niall Matter Is Amazing in His Role
Niall Matter often plays the sweet guy-next-door who is gentle and laid-back with a keen sense of humor.
In his role as Rip Van Winkle Jr., Matter gets the chance to venture beyond the Hallmark leading man stereotype and demonstrate his versatility as an actor. He seems genuinely perplexed and amazed by 21st century life in America, and as he tries to adapt to the shocking changes from his own era, he hangs on to the gentlemanly customs of his period that makes him such an honorable man. He can't help but notice the stark contrast between his behavior and that of modern men and comments, "I have something that men of this era have long forgotten." He certainly does, making A Rip in Time a great tutorial for husbands everywhere!
Whether Rip is accidentally substituting the word shilling for dollar, examining how a carriage can operate without horses, dancing stiffly to rock music, or entertaining Sarah by turning a blade of grass into a musical instrument (if only kids today with all their gadgets could still make their own entertainment!), viewers are treated to a glimpse back into history.
Hallmark Blinds Us with Science!
Hallmark often is caught in the hamster wheel of making all of their characters writers when so many other occupations exist that are story worthy.
We learn some things about organic farming in this movie, like placing pennies near plants since the copper in them reacts to the chemicals in a slug's body, which keeps the pests at bay.
Physics also explains how Rip lands 250 years in the future. After being examined by doctors and psychologists who can't find anything wrong with Rip, they turn him over to a physics professor who explains how Quantum Theory must have created a wormhole for him to pass through. The cave in which Rip fell asleep was likely loaded with the right elements that, when struck by lightning, created a tear in time.
It doesn't matter if this theory is bologna in reality. When it comes to fictional story-telling, it's a logical explanation to make viewers "buy" the time travel premise.
A Wonderful Twist on a Classic Tale
Hallmark takes the classic story of Rip Van Winkle and makes it fresh--not an easy thing to do. We see it happen all the time with A Christmas Carol during the holidays, but a twist on Rip Van Winkle is something new.
When Rip learns of the tale by Washington Irving, he sets the record straight. He claims to be Irving's contemporary and surmises Irving must have heard Rip's father telling his made-up story at a bar and turned the story into a book.
According to Rip, his father and mother often argued, and one day, his father left. Rip dealt with abandonment issues his whole life, and the burden of the farm fell on his shoulders.
Twenty years later when Rip's father returns, he alleges he'd entered a cave during a powerful storm, found a bottle of brandy to drink, and fell into a deep sleep for 20 years. Naturally, Rip doesn't believe a word of his father's story--until he experiences the same fate.
Like Charles Whitley in Hallmark's A Timeless Christmas, Rip must decide whether it's best for him to return to his own time or learn to fit into the present.
Hallmark Can't Resist Inserting Progressivism
A Rip in Time is reminiscent of Hallmark of times past. The emphasis is centered more on the storytelling in this movie and less on identity politics and the progressive agenda, but Hallmark couldn't leave well enough alone. A few liberal bombs are dropped in this movie as well.
First, while it's funny that Rip has a hard time adjusting to a woman wearing pants, he's even more shocked to learn Sarah had a baby (Henry) out of wedlock and that the baby daddy skipped town and didn't marry her for the sake of honor. Sarah waves off his concern and lets him know how common the occurrence is now. In the past, Hallmark always dealt with single parents in one of two ways: 1) the other parent died, 2) the parents are divorced and either one isn't involved, or is involved in an amicable way.
In this movie, the underlying assumption is that Sarah was once promiscuous and that it's no biggie these days. Well, it is a biggie. Sin is still sin even if everyone is doing it. Under past leadership, Hallmark would have never "gone there" and given a green light to pre-marital sex.
If you're a patriot, hearing Rip talk about defending America from the British during the Revolutionary War will stir your heart with pride. They say it's hard to resist a man in uniform, and Niall Matter proves a uniform from ANY era will do the trick. Patriotism riles Leftists, however, so to appease them, Hallmark tweaks the script and has Rip saying that had Thomas Jefferson known Sarah when he was penning the Constitution, he would have written, "All men AND WOMEN are created equal." Give me a break! The implication in this statement is that women had been oppressed by the patriarchy during Rip's time. Our founding fathers weren't perfect, but they were Godly men of great genius and foresight who were innovators and built the best country in the world! Hallmark, stop parroting progressives who disrespect our history and the visionary men who made America great! You can't judge 19th century people by 21st century standards--it was a different time.
The movie is still refreshingly unique, Niall's hair is awesome, and his kiss with Torrey in the rain will make your toes curl.
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