Hallmark's "Hidden Gems:" Thoughts, Golden South Sea Pearls, & a Trivia Quiz

Hidden Gems Plot Summary

While prepping for her sister's wedding in Hawaii, Addie loses her grandmother's ring in the bay.  She hires sailor Jack to scuba dive with her to find it and rediscovers her love for the sea.

Starring:  Hunter King and Beau Mirchoff

Image:  Crown Media

Filming Location for Hidden Gems

Hidden Gems was filmed in Honolulu, Hawaii, at the same resort featured in You Had Me at Aloha--the Kahala Hotel & Resort.

As part of their Summer Nights 2022 promotion, Hallmark is giving a away a dream vacation for two at the same resort during their Summer Nights in Paradise Sweepstakes.  You can enter to win from now through June 30, 2022.  

The Most Enjoyable Aspects of Hidden Gems

The scenery in Hidden Gems is spectacular.  The gorgeous waters, a glimpse at marine life beneath the surface, dolphins, sailing, opulent grounds, and the beaches will have you longing for a trip to paradise.

A Hallmark wedding with a gorgeous backdrop isn't a unique plot, but searching for a lost ring on the ocean floor is.  Based on Hallmark's typical formula, the viewer might assume Jack will eventually find the lost golden pearl, but the story takes a slight twist involving an unscrupulous character.

Hidden Gems Is Still Only a So-So Movie

Some Hallmark fans adore this movie, saying it reminds them of the older, classic style of Hallmark before the network took a progressive bent.

I disagree.

Classic Hallmark movies incorporated elements of faith and hope and sometimes a little "magic," but not magic in a mystical sense.   Hidden Gems has a very New Age feel.  Unlike Jack and her family, Addie shies away from making wishes because she doesn't believe in magic, though she is swayed by the end of the movie.  Words like Karma, positive energy, and vibes are tossed around, and Jack often refers to the ocean as if it's a being.  He tells her the ocean will choose whether or not to reveal her lost ring, and when it does wash ashore, he believes the ocean decided to give it back to her.  His comments border on the nature worshipping edicts of neopaganism--a far cry from faith-filled undertones of older Hallmark movies.

Addie is characterized by her selfless dedication to her family.  She's the glue who holds everything together, even though it's meant sacrificing her dreams of pursuing a career in marine biology.  Yet, this same person doesn't bat an eye when Jack forks over what is probably thousands of dollars to a scammer to get back her ring, thereby draining his stash he planned to use to finance a sail-around-the-world trip.  She shrugs her shoulders and acts like she wishes there was something she could do.  If she initially could offer Jack $2,000 up front to start his search for her ring with the promise of another $2,000 if he finds it, why doesn't she simply reimburse him the $4,000 she originally planned to give him?  Who invests thousands into a person they've only known for less than a week?  Only a sucker.  

Speaking of money, Addie leaves the family business to finish her degree.  After her summer program, she plans to join Jack on his sailing trip around the globe.  Where is she getting the money to do all of this?  She no longer has a job. 

As for Addie and Jack's world-wide sailing trip together, Hallmark once again departs from past policies that allowed no insinuation of impropriety in their movies.  Viewers hungry for family-friendly, clean entertainment once flocked to the network to escape sexual overtones, but Hallmark continues to advance a progressive agenda that condones promiscuity. 

Finally, neither Hunter King nor Beau Mirchoff has a commanding onscreen presence. There is nothing wrong with their acting, but they are both forgettable.  

Interesting Facts About Golden South Sea Pearls

When the scavenger finds Addie's pearl and strikes a deal with Jack on his compensation, he writes down a figure for which the ring has been appraised and then cites his desired finder's fee.  Viewers aren't privy to these figures. 

Just how unique and valuable are golden South Sea pearls?

• The pearls are scarce, so a strand of them can cost $100,000 or more.

• They are grown primarily in the Philippines and Indonesia.

• They come from the gold-lip variety of the Pinctada maxima, which is the South Sea pearl oyster.

• The growth period is 2-4 years, which is longer than other pearl-producing oysters.

• The deeper the gold color, the more valuable the pearl. The deepest color is considered 24-karat and is the most valuable.

• The pearls are much larger than other varieties.  The average size is 10-13 mm, though ones as large as 20 mm have been found.

Hidden Gems takes viewers on a trip to Hawaii for some beautiful sights.  Though the content is average, it's worth watching at least once.