Hilarie Burton is “Surprised By Love”

The Hallmark Channel kicks off six brand new romance movies which will air each Saturday night during the long winter months after the hectic holidays. The first of these is “Surprised By Love”, starring Hilarie Burton (White Collar), Paul Campbell (Battlestar Galactica) and the incomparable Tim Conway (The Carol Burnett Show).

Hilarie Burton plays Josie Mayfield, a successful and organized businesswoman working at her father’s company which produces cookware. Her boyfriend, Richard (Aaron Craven), is her equal but her father doesn’t like him, even though Richard meets the requirements for a boyfriend of  Joseph Mayfield’s (Malcom Stewart) daughter. There’s just something about him that Mr. M doesn’t like. I can’t really blame him though. Richard is a boring, snooty suck-up trying to land a business deal with Josie’s father.

Photo: Paul Campbell, Hilarie Burton Photo Credit: Copyright 2014 Crown Media United States LLC/Photographer: Eike Schroter

As Hilarie is steeped in plans for her parent’s 40th wedding anniversary, she runs into an old high school flame, Gridley (Campbell), who creates art from driftwood. He’s sort of a driftwood himself, never staying in one place for very long, and never settling on one particular career. Gridley is quite a contrast to Josie’s well-ordered life.

When Joseph Mayfield and his wife, Claire (Wanda Cannon), refuse to allow Josie to bring Richard to their anniversary party weekend, Richard suggests a plan to make him look better in their eyes. He proposes that Gridley accompany Josie to the weekend party in an attempt to make the Mayfield’s see that she could do much worse than himself. This doesn’t sit well with Josie but Gridley agrees to do it.

This is where the fun begins. Gridley already has marks against him for taking Josie to their prom wearing a green suit. The Mayfield’s are snobs and they never forgot Gridley making their daughter look foolish. So when Josie arrives with Gridley and informs the parents he is staying for the weekend as her Plus 1, you can imagine how the news was received.

Gridley comes bearing gifts for all the Mayfields to sort of break the ice. A calendar with pictures of dogs in it sends Claire to tears as the cover photo is exactly like her beloved dog who had recently passed away. Joseph gets a Slinky. He has no use for it in the least and puts it aside. Grandad (Conway) get a singing bass which is hilarious in the hands of Tim Conway. Little sister, Mindy gets a green hat, which after a mishap caused by Gridley, gets wet and turns her hair green.

Photo: Paul Campbell, Hilarie Burton Photo Credit: Copyright 2014 Crown Media United States LLC/Photographer: Eike Schroter

As the movie progresses Josie and Gridley find themselves running down memory lane and recalling a time when they used to have fun. There are incidents and accidents whenever Gridley is around and the Mayfield’s finally do see that Richard is much better for Josie than Gridley, but by then Josie may be having second thoughts about Richard.

This movie is so much fun, not just for the accidents that happen, which is mild slapstick comedy, but there’s so much talent involved. Hilarie Burton is a Nice Girl’s favorite anyway, and we love her in anything she does. Paul Campbell is so charming and handsome that we’re pulling for him almost from the time we first meet Gridley. Aaron Craven is deliciously annoying; Malcom Stewart and Wanda Cannon are wonderful to watch as they transform from ice cold hoity-toities to playful almost newly weds.

Photo: Tim Conway Photo Credit: Copyright 2014 Crown Media United States LLC/Photographer: Eike Schroter

But the best part of watching “Surprised By Love” is watching the great Tim Conway in action once again. We’re treated to some of the old Carol Burnett routines which endeared him to us, including a fall over a couch which we’ve seen so many times before. He’s pretty much in his Mr, Tudball character from that show. Sheer delight!

The holidays are over and for some that’s a welcome relief. But if you’re like me and you have a case of the post-holiday blues, tune in tonight and watch this movie. You won’t regret it and you may even come back here and thank me!

“Surprised By Love” airs tonight at 9/8c on The Hallmark Channel.