THE WEEKEND EDIT HALLMARK HALL OF FAME
Last Sunday I caved and subscribed to the Hallmark streaming service. With my monthly subscription, I get a free Hallmark greeting card (every month). What I didn’t know when I signed up for the Hallmark channel was the money I would spend on Kleenex for all the tears!
Sunday night I searched through the content and landed on the library of the Hallmark Hall of Fame movies.
I clicked on the first movie, Fallen Angel.
I immediately recognized the narrator’s voice- Gary Sinise. In less than ten seconds Gary had me in tears. It is the cadence of his words that drew me into the movie. It was the way he communicated and set the tone of the movie.
How Does Hallmark do it?
If the Hallmark Hall of Fame Productions are not enough to tear at your heart the commercials will have you grabbing the Kleenex box for a hormone-induced cry session.
Just writing this blog post had me in tears. The Fed Ex guy who had a signature required delivery yesterday morning could not excuse himself from the front porch soon enough.
I bet his mom would understand my tears if she heard the words Hallmark Hall of Fame.
FAVORITE COMMERCIALS
My favorite commercial is the one with the little boy who, before leaving for the Christmas holiday break and after his classmates have left the room, , hands his teacher a Hallmark card.
Do you know which one I am talking about? The elementary-age boy thanks his teacher for staying after school to help him learn to read- how to communicate.
Grab me another tissue.
As I type this I have tears running down my face and my computer screen is a blur.
After ten words of Gary’s voice I pause the movie, Fallen Angel, and did a quick search on the history of the Hallmark Hall of Fame presentations.
The first Hallmark Hall of Fame presentation aired on December 24, 1951. I will have to ask my mom and dad if they remember watching these presentations in prime time.
As if it wasn’t enough to create family-friendly movies Hallmark captured our hearts with their commercials. I cannot say the word Folgers without belting out,
“The best part of waking up is Folgers in my cup.”
For us early morning risers one could argue Folger’s coffee helps some of us communicate in the morning.
Seriously, can you imagine if someone just started to sing the Folgers tagline when they round the corner at Costco?
And yes I drink Folgers with a Dunkin Donut caramel blend. I am not fancy and neither were the Hallmark Hall of Fame presentations.
They had amazing content (not that I am comparing my content to Hallmark) but I hope I leave you with a tear, a giggle, or a relatable moment.
As the chairman of Hallmark Cards said:
Hallmark is in the business of helping people communicate.
Think about that and the commercial with the younger brother who is scheduled to give the toast to his sister. He is the brother who is shown with awkward comments and questions. When he stands to deliver his toast the families in attendance mutter under their breath- anticipating what her brother is going to say.
Do you know the commercial I am referencing? You can watch it here.
And then the younger brother reads a preselected Hallmark card that communicates everything he wants to tell his sister and the entire wedding crowd is in tears…
just like I am as I remember this one.
Dang it Hallmark.
If I was ever on a movie set with the role of an empty nester and I had to fake cry all would have to do is think about a Hallmark commercial.
Seriously I have cried at least five times while writing this week’s The Weekend Edit. I think this entitles me to a free pass on the run-on sentences for this week.
QUESTION: Do you have a favorite Hallmark commercial?
READING, WATCHING + LOVING
- Did you see this week’s Tuesday Tip?
- My boys love these high-protein healthy snacks (me too). Delivered in bulk to my front door!
- The close family friend who I wrote about texted me with how much that gesture meant to her and her family. Our hearts are with them this weekend.
- Please share this idea with others to create cheer for someone else.
- I ordered this sweater on Amazon in white. It’s on sale.
- Any recommendations for a face moisturizer?
- My Oil of Olay does not have the same effect on my face as it did when I was nineteen!
- My blog friend Pat gave me so many ideas for our next NYC trip! If you live in Colorado visit Pat’s blog for her amazing day and weekend trips in Colorado.
- I
- Moving on to the blog …
I would love it if you subscribed to the Weekend Edit. You can sign up here for a Saturday morning easy-breezy newsletter. Thank you!
When my children were young, I used to iron school uniforms on Sunday night while watching The Hallmark Hall of Fame. When a commercial came on, I had to leave the room. I didn’t want anyone to see me sob! Did you see the one with the piano teacher? I can’t even think about it without getting emotional.
Vicki
Thank you for the “shout out,” for my blog, Laura.
Hallmark commercials are very touching!
We have finished watching The Pitt on HBO Max and Paradise on Hulu–both fascinating and well-written. Now we are watching White Lotus–the characters are beginning to draw us in.
I also buy Folgers or Dunkin Donuts coffee–both are favorites
I am not a Hallmark girl.. I am not too fancy with my skincare. I use Elf Holy Hydration during the summer and Eucerin Q10 Anti-Wrinkle in the winters.
Sadly, I have never watched a Hallmark movie! I should rectify that. I did watch a sweet movie in 4 parts on YouTube once that starred John Denver and was filmed in Georgetown, CO. The movie, called “The Christmas Gift,” called Georgetown the “world’s happiest place.” 🙂
I’m guessing it may have also been shown on Hallmark over the years?
Thanks for the “shout out” to NY blog! If you have any NYC questions be sure to ask!
Please tell me Gary S in NOT in the Hallmark movie….
Hallmark movie channel subscription?! Aren’t they on 24/7 from July through January on regular cable? Oy.
I have the snacks in my amazon cart! I have the sweater you bought on Amazon, but I got the khaki color. I love it!
i just got the sweater in white. I know I think the difference is the on demand versus three minutes left on regular Hallmark. xo
Oh my! Those Hallmark commercials. When my children were young, I use to iron on Sunday night. I enjoyed watching Hallmark Hall of Fame whenever it was on. But, after a while, I just had to leave the room until after the commercial was over. They made me cry my eyes out, especially the one about the little boy and the piano teacher. So sweet. Thank you for the reminder of how beautifully the stories were presented.
I cried the entire time I wrote the post thinking about my favorite commercials.
xo laura in Colorado
Laura,
What a wonderful idea…the snowman has to make you smile. He’s adorable. That’s so fun and thoughtful for your friends in their time of need of a little cheer.
Karen B.