source: Autumn in the City

7.6 stars. The theme is a simple one: never give up. Piper (Teegarden) is a woman who breaks off from her parents' dream for her to work the family business the rest of her life. She has ideas for finding her own path, but the catch is she has no idea where to start. This is the a peculiar film for Hallmark. The main character has no specific aspirations, no goals, no skills that she is aware of. She blindly goes to NYC and sublets an apartment, basically for free. She tries a dozen or so jobs and finally settles on a dream that was always right in front of her face. I like this movie for the acting and the cityscape. The chemistry is nice, although I'd prefer something more to sink my teeth into. There are several unlikely circumstances that I will choose to ignore for the sake of enjoyment, but I must mention them. 1) The apartment would be so expensive she would need ten roommates to afford it. 2) Her art is just doodling? Nobody just doodles like that. Someone would have pointed out her talent years ago. 3) She lands so many jobs that anyone would basically give up an arm and leg for, and yet she just quits each on a whim. 4) Woke. Hallmark has gone headlong into wokeness, there is no turning back at this point. I think 2022 is the year they will look back and see this was the turning point that led to their decline and eventual ruin. 'Autumn in the City' is entertaining and has a good message. I like Teegarden a lot, and she is solid in this film.

This movie spoke to me on a personal level, as a creative professional, both with Piper's sketching and Austin's writing. It was predictable, of course you knew they would end up collaborating together. The movie was moving along just fine until the culmination of Piper's dreams dashed. Bursting into a publisher's office and demanding she look at your work? Not realistic. Austin's declaration of telling the publisher he wouldn't let them publish his book(s) without Piper's illustrations should have come much earlier -- like when the publisher told him. As the author, he had absolute power -- it would have been a matter of negotiation between he and the publisher. Loved the diversity slipped in with Will and Toby -- nicely done, they were a part of the story, rather than something shoved in there to check a box. Overall, it's a fun watch, but the ending was a bit disappointing and rushed.

I am very surprised at the overall low ratings! Hallmark movies have a special part in my life, in the sense that they are the go-to movies I will turn on when I am feeling overwhelmed, and just need a bit of a lift. Also, if I want nothing complicated. Almost all of the Hallmark movies I have encountered have pretty much, the same idea, but with a bit of a different storyline. For example, all Christmas movies have a tree lighting, a Christmas market, somebody who hasn't been home for Christmas in a very long time, but finds themselves there. You get the idea. But even when it's not Christmas themed, somebody ends up usually in a very small town and are either getting away from something or have a strong purpose and meet up with someone who is the very person who is trying to stop them from achieving their goal. Of course, these are the two that end up together in the end, but not without a misunderstanding right before the final few minutes. Then it ends in a kiss which pans out quickly. The end. But surprisingly this movie takes place in New York City, far from a small town! And even though you get the idea who's gonna end up with whom, it's still fun to be along for the ride. Also, there is no misunderstanding or a big fight, and even though things work out in the end, they don't have a random kiss out of nowhere, and then the movie is immediately over. Rather they skip to the following year, even briefly, so you feel that there is an actual ending to the movie that doesn't come out of nowhere. I thought the female lead was wonderful in her role, and I believed the growth of the relationship. A nice treat!

On its face this seems to be a nice bit of romcom. Piper moves to NYC for two months during which she 'must' discover and embark upon her proper career path. Her handsome neighbor Austin is a fine love interest if dare I say their was a speck of love interest shown on the screen prior to the final scenes of the film. They go from being neighbors to Piper doing illustrations for the kids book series Austin is seeking to have published. Through 98% of he film the two never do as much as hold hands. Aside from trope smiles here and their there is only a working relationship with zero physical contact, no kissing just their work collaboration. Here is where the screen writers went off the rails. In a final scene, after book related obstacles are overcome, Piper and Austin admit they are in love and want to be together forever. But flash back to the preceding scene where Piper has not met her two month goal and we see Piper leaving her apartment with her luggage and heading to the airport. She later says 'I'm not good with good byes' as the reason she was leaving Austin forever without so much talking to him about it. Absurd! So, at this point their unspoken love is DOA because Piper's two month job plan had failed. Like, what about the option of staying in NYC with the love of your life? Maybe even discussing this with the 'love of your life.' Maybe Austin, knowing Piper's two month sub let is up would have discussed this with Piper since he is head over heels (unspoken) in love with her. Are we to believe love can not survive the expiration of a sublet:? Here the end of an eight weeks meant the end of love. To recap: For 98% of the film the two are 'silently' falling madly in love BUT there is zero on screen evidence of any romantic relationship. Then, when her sublet is up Piper is leaving without a word of discussion with Austin, the love of her ilfe. The screen writers toss two bones in the final scenes. Piper's career quest comes through and hence the two are permitted to now declare their love. Title should have been: Love DOA if the job hunt fails!

This Hallmark romance takes place in New York City. Piper (Aimee Teegarden) moves from the Midwest to NYC to find herself. She doesn't know what career path to follow (though viewers can discern her eventual career immediately), so she temps at various jobs. When she meets her neighbor, Austin (Evan Roderick), things are not very cordial, but we know where this is going. Austin's dream is to write children's books, but he has put that option on a back burner. The problem with this film is the script. The dialogue is stilted and unrealistic, particularly in the early going. If you can get past that, the rest of the story is endurable. Just don't expect any great plot twists.

Piper is about to turn 30 and she wants to make her own path, figure out what she wants to do. So, she moves to NYC and tries a few different temp jobs. There she meets her handsome neigbour Austin, a wanna be writer whose mom insists follows her path. It's realistic in a way that a 30 year old doesn't know what to do with life and also in a way in which a parent wants them to follow their same path. I kind of sympathise with both. I thought Aimee was amazing and there was chemistry with Evan. I personally thought Evan's character Austin could show more excitement and a fun, silly scene was missing from this as well. This is clearly not a Hallmark production even if it was shown there. I'm not sure if a few of the NYC shots were real but they looked like it (The Manhattan skyline and Washington Square Park). The streets certainly weren't and that's okay. I had big expectations about this. It's definitely not a 10 but this tv film certainly delivers what's promised.

To be young in the city...Aimee Teegarden breathes life into this New York City romance that is equally about finding your calling. Aimee plays Piper who is on the verge of turning thirty and has given herself that as a deadline to find her career or true calling. She bravely signs up at a New York temp agency and tells the agent to throw everything at her. She quickly meets her grumpy neighbor Austin, a wealthy quintessential New Yorker who is trying to buck the family reporting business of his famous reporter mother because he wants to write children's stories. Piper also meets another transplant to New York, Will and his romantic partner Toby, who own a corner coffee shop and bakery. Piper, Will and Toby become fast friends. Will and Toby seem to think that Piper and Austin would be good together and they set about doing a little matchmaking like a picnic in the park. Great cast, fun working through career ideas and good chemistry between the leads. This is like a very sweet fall postcard to New York. If you love New York, romance and the idea of finding yourself...you will enjoy this movie.

NYC is definitely experiencing a long-term autumn after the shutdowns of COVID in the early 2020s. That said, this film has some wonderfully real life NYC experiences (and funny lines). For added fun while watching, down a shot of your favorite drink or edible every time you see a yellow taxi. (I wondered if it was the same cab in every scene. When I watch this movie again, I'll be checking out the license plate.) The Washington Square arch and the Brooklyn Bridge Park views were perfection. (There was even a hint of a real taste of NYC fast food, i.e., Nathan's Coney Island hot dogs.) The script is a love story to the Big Apple, some of its locals, and the people who flee to live there without a plan. Surprisingly enjoyable, despite having little to do with the autumn (and metaphorically more like spring); truly one of the better "new style Hallmark" flicks.

A beautiful setting - New York City in the fall, when that great metropolis is at its vivid best - and a great lead character (ably played by the stunning Aimee Teegarden) who leaves her small hometown in Nebraska to figure out what she wants to do with her life. Inevitably, because it's a Hallmark movie, she meets a guy and they start to fall in love, helped along by a picnic in Central Park and a visit to what I think is Pier 35 across the East River in Brooklyn. It's a nice story, hard to hate if you go into it with the right frame of mind. Definitely one of Hallmark's better efforts this year, and another great showcase for Aimee Teegarden, who, happily, has signed a long-term contract with Hallmark. I believe this might be the first film as part of her new contract.