[Warning: General spoilers ahead.]
On the heels of the Season 8 premiere of When Calls the Heart, Erin Krakow is on Hallmark Channel both nights this weekend. Saturday, she stars in the premiere of It Was Always You, directed by Michael Robison and adapted by Kathy Kloves from Marian Thurm’s short story, “Today Is Not Your Day,” from a collection by the same name.
In the film, Krakow is Elizabeth, a dentist who’s happily engaged to George (Giles Panton), her dental practice partner and a childhood friend with whom she reconnected in dental school. When they make the trip home to his family’s ocean-side (we’re just going to call it) estate to commence wedding planning and celebrate his mom’s birthday, things go a little sideways.
George’s younger brother, David (Tyler Hynes) arrives for the party, and there’s some leftover adolescent friction (for reasons that aren’t ever completely clear) that make Elizabeth and David oil and water whenever they’re together. After George goes back into Seattle for a patient emergency, a storm takes out the only bridge back.
Suddenly, Elizabeth is left to plan her wedding on her own. Or, she would be, if David didn’t keep inserting himself, initially a most unwelcome interloper, and then later, not so much. Which makes wedding planning a little awkward.
When I chatted with Krakow about WCTH (that interview is here), we also talked about the film. “It is one of my favorite, favorite Hallmark Channel scripts that I’ve read and participated in. Kathy Kloves is a genius. And I’m just so excited for people to get to see it,” she says.
Krakow appreciated that the film isn’t just a romantic love story, but also story about loving the family you find and loving yourself. As a girl, Elizabeth found solace with George and David’s family after her parents’ split. “The connection that Elizabeth has with this family has just always been so special to her. And I think, growing up, she looked to them as what she wanted to recreate in her adult life,” she explains.
“I think because she and George were so similar, it just seems like the most natural fit. And that’s kind of the way she’s lived her life. She has this checklist and she follows it and she does the things that seem sensible. I think when she has this opportunity to spend all this one-on-one time with David, and has a little space away from George, she realizes, through David’s gentle prodding and challenging, that she really isn’t the person that she’s been trying so hard to be all these years. There are deeper layers to her.”
“There are things that she used to want to do, and she’s completely neglected that side of herself. It isn’t really a movie about Elizabeth falling in love with David so much as it is a movie about Elizabeth really discovering who she really is. And it’s through that self discovery that she finds love with David.”
Those shifting feelings then cascade across the extended family of George and David’s sister, Louise (Elysia Rotaru), Mom Diana (Frances Flanagan), and Grandma, Vivien (Paula Shaw), who are all still very much present. (Look for Louise to have her own sweet arc with local postman, Eugene, played by Hallmark regular Nelson Wong. Note to Hallmark: I’d watch a spinoff film just about them.)
It Was Always You premieres Saturday at 9 pm/8c on Hallmark Channel in the US and W Network in Canada. Here’s a sneak peek.
Photos and Video Courtesy of Crown Media.
Heather M
Related posts
Classics
Dennis Heaton Talks The Imperfects
Longtime readers at TV Goodness will know that Motive is one of my ride-or-die series, and as such, I am fiercely loyal to its creator, Dennis Heaton. He followed up that fantastic reverse procedural with Netflix’s The Order and is back on our streaming screens with The Imperfects, which dropped…
Kelly McCormack Talks Favorite Moments in A League of Their Own
[Warning: Mild spoilers for season 1.] Now that you’ve had a chance to watch A League of Their Own, here’s the rest of my chat with Kelly McCormack about her favorite moments of the season. Seeing the iconic Peaches uniforms for the first time wasn’t just a goosebump moment for…
John Griffin and Harold Perrineau Talk From on EPIX Season 1 Finale
[Warning: General spoilers ahead.] How are we doing, #FROMily? In case you missed it this morning, the very good news is that that cliffhanger will be followed by a second season, which was gifted this morning ahead of the linear broadcast of the finale. I always legitimately appreciate when we…
Elizabeth Saunders Talks EPIX’s From
[Warning: General spoilers ahead.] One of the things that makes EPIX’s From such a fun ride is the abundance of Canadian cast members. Elizabeth Saunders, who plays Donna, is a favorite from her turn on the third season of Mary Kills People [streaming on Global TV in Canada and Roku…
Corteon Moore Talks From “Broken Windows, Open Doors”
[Warning: Spoilers for tonight’s episode.] Tonight’s episode of From had us all in our feels as we learned through flashbacks about the Sophie’s Choice Boyd had to make to save his son, and back in the present as Boyd said his piece with Ellis before heading into the woods with…
Pegah Ghafoori Talks From “All Good Things…”
[Warning: Spoilers for tonight’s episode] Tonight on From, Fatima’s anniversary celebration turned into a Colony House of horrors when a misguided Kevin let his monster bae in and she promptly killed him and left the window open for her crew. While the party devolved into terror and sent everyone running,…
Shaun Majumder Talks From “Book 74”
[Warning: Spoilers for tonight’s episode.] Tonight on EPIX’s From, Father Khatri made a bold move, kidnapping Sara instead of turning her in, and then recognizing her as a vessel for some big messages. That startling realization speaks to him on multiple levels–as a man of faith, a man trapped in…
Avery Konrad Talks About Sara’s Struggle in From “Silhouettes”
[Warning: Spoilers for tonight’s episode.] Over the course of the season so far on From, we’ve witnessed Sara’s battle against the voices telling her to to do terrible things, and tonight we saw her unravel further, threatening the Matthews and lashing out in a moment of terror with horrifying results….
Hannah Cheramy Talks From “Choosing Day”
[Warning: Spoilers for tonight’s episode.] Tonight, on EPIX’s From, the Matthews participate in the show’s version of the sorting hat, choosing where to call home–the town or Colony House. At the end of the episode, Julie makes the decision to split from her family and instead settle in with Fatima…
Ricky He Talks From “The Way Things Are Now”
[Warning: Spoilers for episode 102 of EPIX’s From.] Epix’s new series From is two episodes in and it’s already laying the groundwork for a seriously spooky season. Tonight’s episode demonstrated the careful balance of relief and horror that the show hits, with our characters’ worst fears realized, just not when…
What They Said: Three Revealing Conversations from Survivor’s Remorse “Closure”
WARNING: Spoilers for Survivor’s Remorse “Closure” The latest episode of Starz’s Survivor’s Remorse featured conversations that showed characters really digging deep into their thoughts, emotions and motivations.
Two Takes: The Catch “The Knock-Off”
Who can you trust? If this episode of The Catch was any indication, the answer is just about nobody. Betrayal was running rampant as Felicity (Shivani Ghai) arose from the dead to seduce-con Margot, Gretchen (Maria Thayer, Gotham, The Mindy Project) played gold-hearted Alice 2.0 before swindling Ethan, Tessa jumped…
What They Said: Top 3 Quotable Moments from Preacher “El Valero”
Both Quincannon and Jesse refuse to give up on what they each think is rightfully theirs. While Jesse is struggling to face the consequences of his actions, Quincannon has laid his past demons to rest and is hellbent on moving forward and putting Annville on the map again. Despite a…
What They Said: Favorite Quotes from Supergirl “Worlds Finest”
Oh, Supergirl. That ending was cold. But I can’t hate on you because the latest episode has quickly become one of my favorites.
What They Said: Top 4 Quotable Moments from Black Sails “XXIII”
The dialogue in “XXIII” is phenomenal. It’s always a fun ride when Black Sails carries its viewers along without giving them the chance to catch their breath. When an episode moves at this unforgiving pace, there is no chance for a breather nor is there a respite from the information…
What Lucifer Said: Favorite quotes from Supernatural “O Brother, Where Art Thou?”
Supernatural episodes are almost always funny but thanks to the dialogue and a certain man speaking said dialogue, I laughed a lot during “O Brother, Where Art Thou?” You know, when I wasn’t busy fearing for Sam’s life or wondering what in the world was going on with Dean and…
What They Said: The Flash, “Legends Of Today” and Arrow, “Legends Of Yesterday”
Two nights of Arrow + The Flash = what more could we ask for?! I don’t know what it is about blending these shows, but I can’t help but feel that every time they come together, they somehow become greater than the sum of their parts. And that’s saying a lot…
What they Said: Top 4 Quotable Moments from Graceland “Little Bo Bleep”
Shoot outs. Fake outs. And long-awaited revelations. “Little Bo Bleep” was a jam-packed episode that wrapped up some loose ends and totally frayed others. Â It finally gave us one Sarkissian in jail and pulled back the curtain on Briggs’ master plan, but it also set up Jakes for a world…
What They Said: Favorite Quotes from Poldark “Part 4”
“What have I told you, I don’t require my wife to crochet and sip tea, but I do require her to remember she’s not a beast of burden.†No, I’m not talking about The Rolling Stones! I have to admit though, just for a second, the lyrics popped into my…
3 Moments of Goodness from Brooklyn Nine-Nine “Johnny and Dora”
The most satisfying part of this season’s finale has to the Jake and Amy kiss. Well, they kiss three times but the last one is the best one — and it means something. The Charles and Rosa dynamic was also great. I love how she’s convinced he doesn’t know anything…