I really enjoyed this movie; in fact I wish it was longer (or that the characters - all of them- would be brought back for a sequel). The movie isn't perfect (for example, I think the daughters and husbands issues were settled a little too easily, but I guess you have to expect that in a 2 hour movie). The best thing about this movie was the cast; terrific to a person. But for me, Wendy Crewson was exceptional. Her performance resonated with such emotional honesty I was really touched by it. I frankly think I liked the movie as much as I did because of her performance.
36 Reviews
Give Lesbian Movies a Mulligan
jcan28284 October 2005
Listen, guys and gals, gay and straight, this movie at the very least presents a situation that is not uncommon, despite majority opinion or majority's tendency to be in denial of this situation. The movie is compelling and the emotions are real enough. The characters and the script are not shallow. Finally, the direction is not on par with Steven Spielberg, but it's not about the direction, it's about the story and the main characters, and about presenting an out-of-mainstream situation into mainstream culture. Many people who throw Lifetime under the bus are people who'd rather watch The Andy Griffith Show and live in the '50s: white, straight, comfortable, static, ignorant.
Middle Ground
lynnsalcambrodted17 June 2022
Warning: Spoilers
Kate (Leslie Hope) has not been happy in her marriage for a long time. So in one of the first scenes of the film she tells her husband Jack that she wants to separate from him. He agrees. But now, from one moment to the next, after being a housewife and mother for over 15 years, Kate is faced with the task of building a life for herself. The first thing she wants to do is to look for a job, but this turns out to be quite difficult. But then, just as she is about to give up, she is picked up by Maggie (Margo Martindale) in front of a real estate agency and introduced to her boss McNelly "Mac" Hays (Wendy Crewson). Right from the spot, she offers Kate a job as a receptionist at her small business. Kate, delighted to get a job without any references at all, agrees. Soon she settles in and even aims for a job as a saleswoman in Mac's business. And she also gets closer to the boss herself one evening ...
An unexpected love was a difficult film to judge. On one hand, it is a brave attempt to adequately portray the difficulty of coming out late as a mother with children and in a rather conservative environment. On the other hand, the acting performance and also some of the dialogue have the charm of a second-class TV drama. The characters seem quite authentic in their conception, but they display their feelings and ideas so openly and abruptly that it seems very intentional and unnatural, just as the dramatic turning points of the story seem intentional.
Go to bestlesbianmoviesever dot com for the rest of the review.
An unexpected love was a difficult film to judge. On one hand, it is a brave attempt to adequately portray the difficulty of coming out late as a mother with children and in a rather conservative environment. On the other hand, the acting performance and also some of the dialogue have the charm of a second-class TV drama. The characters seem quite authentic in their conception, but they display their feelings and ideas so openly and abruptly that it seems very intentional and unnatural, just as the dramatic turning points of the story seem intentional.
Go to bestlesbianmoviesever dot com for the rest of the review.
Pretty tepid stuff
barrowmarks200025 March 2003
Why do all movies on Lifetime have such anemic titles? "An Unexpected Love" - ooh, how provocative!! "This Much I know" would have been better. The film is nothing special. Real people don't really talk like these characters do and the situations are really hackneyed. The straight woman who "turns" lesbian seemed more butch than the lesbian character. If you wanna watch two hot women kiss in a very discreet fashion, you might enjoy this. Although it seems like it was written by someone who doesn't really get out in the world to observe people. Why am I wasting my time writing about it?
Laughable
BellaDarvi25 March 2003
I laughed all the way through this rotten movie. It's so unbelievable. A woman leaves her husband after many years of marriage, has a breakdown in front of a real estate office. What happens? The office manager comes outside and offers her a job!!! Hilarious! Next thing you know the two women are going at it. Yep, they're lesbians! Nothing rings true in this "Lifetime for Women with nothing better to do" movie. Clunky dialogue like "I don't want to spend the rest of my life feeling like I had a chance to be happy and didn't take it" doesn't help. There's a wealthy, distant mother who disapproves of her daughter's new relationship. A sassy black maid - unbelievable that in the year 2003, a film gets made in which there's a sassy black maid. Hattie McDaniel must be turning in her grave. The woman has a husband who freaks out and wants custody of the snotty teenage kids. Sheesh! No cliche is left unturned.
Deep Reverence for Wendy Crewson's range as an actress
moonfire78418 October 2003
When I was introduced to McNally 'Mac' Hays due to Wendy Crewson's powerful portrayal of her character in "An Unexpected Love", I now have the image of EXACTLY what kind of woman I hope to someday share my life with. Wendy's ability to create a character that is incredibly human, kind, in touch with and secure in the fact that she is gay, and yet incredibly vulnerable as she entertains the possibilities of a new relationship while still recovering from past hurts is the stuff that life is made of... what we all struggle with every day, regardless of our sexual orientation. To watch Mac second-guess herself while simultaneously following her heart has given me a mirror to look into that is so incredibly reflective of my own life, I could do little but press the rewind button and watch this movie over and over again.
Thank you, Wendy, from the bottom of my heart. Your talents as an actress have healed a place in me I thought would never awaken.
Susan
Thank you, Wendy, from the bottom of my heart. Your talents as an actress have healed a place in me I thought would never awaken.
Susan
A truly amazing movie
Angie9548 April 2003
This movie is totally worth watching over and over again. Lee Rose did a wonderful job as always. Wendy Crewson just Shines, what an amazing actress. Leslie Hope also does a remarkable job. To see this movie is to love this movie.
This is AWFUL!!!
kmartquigley24 March 2003
They changed the title of this atrocity to An Unexpected Love. The only thing worse is the film itself. The script contains dialogue that would be laughed out of a third grade play recital. At one point when the wife leaves the husband, a bad cover of All by Myself plays over the soundtrack! No kidding. The actors try but are defeated by the inept, unbelievably terrible script. Direction is staggeringly bad. No wonder Lifetime has such a bad reputation. How do things like this get made. I'm turning off the television before it's over!
By far One of Wendy Crewson's best movies.
chris-hallmark22 May 2003
Outstanding movie. Done in good taste. Believable for todays generation. Superb one liners. Wendy Crewson has outdone herself. I thought this was a fresh approach to a subject line that society is now accepting more and more each day.
Very unrealistic and intolerant movie
poecmajor9 June 2006
Warning: Spoilers
This movie was okay, but it certainly defeats the claim that homosexuals are "born that way," especially when a woman can exit out of an unhappy marriage and just fall into the arms of another woman. It almost seems as if Kate's gender preferences turned on and off like a switch, making this film seem a little simplistic.
Also, as is common with films that are trying to push an agenda, it was unfortunate that those characters in the film who had questions or disapproval over the gay lifestyle were labeled as "bigots." And there was no happy medium. It was either Kate's friends and relatives totally embraced her or they totally shunned her. This is not typical of interactions between gay and non-gay relatives and friends. It is usually a mixture of emotions and values that come into play. It is possible to love people and treat them with respect while not necessarily condoning the choices they make. Sadly, the movie showed none of these types of interactions. For a movie trying to portray tolerance and acceptance, it struck me as very intolerant movie! Then at the end, Kate apparently decides after all these years she wants to be with Mac and everything is hunky dory - is that what being gay is really all about? Come on!
Also, as is common with films that are trying to push an agenda, it was unfortunate that those characters in the film who had questions or disapproval over the gay lifestyle were labeled as "bigots." And there was no happy medium. It was either Kate's friends and relatives totally embraced her or they totally shunned her. This is not typical of interactions between gay and non-gay relatives and friends. It is usually a mixture of emotions and values that come into play. It is possible to love people and treat them with respect while not necessarily condoning the choices they make. Sadly, the movie showed none of these types of interactions. For a movie trying to portray tolerance and acceptance, it struck me as very intolerant movie! Then at the end, Kate apparently decides after all these years she wants to be with Mac and everything is hunky dory - is that what being gay is really all about? Come on!
A strong message delivered by a very weak drama
poomyatta3 April 2003
Warning: Spoilers
***SPOILERS*** ***SPOILERS*** I really wanted to like this movie about a mother and former wife named Kate (Leslie Hope) who falls in love with her female employer Mac (Wendy Crewson), forcing her to face her true emotions as well as the less than supportive reactions of family and friends. The film's message of tolerance is certainly timely and the production seemed to have a lot going for it. When the show aired on the Lifetime Channel (under the title AN UNEXPECTED LOVE), advertisements prominently mentioned Writer and Director Lee Rose, who is apparently highly respected from previous projects, though I haven't seen them. I have seen some of Ms. Crewson other films, though, and I think she's one of the most vastly underrated actresses in the business. I figured it would be a treat seeing her play a character so different from her typical roles and sure enough, she shines as usual. I had no problem seeing how anyone, male or female, could fall in love with the spunky but soft-hearted Mac. The problem is that it takes two to Tango, as they say. No story about any serious relationship can work without two characters we can believe in and identify with equally. Unfortunately, THIS MUCH I KNOW gives us only one. The character Kate, who carries the all important burden of making us feel what it's like to experience a homosexual attraction for the first time, is so poorly and unappealingly drawn nobody could possibly relate to her as a human being, let alone as a lesbian.
Sadly, the script utterly scuttles any empathy we might have felt for Kate long before the relationship even begins. Barely five minutes into the film, she announces to her husband that she wants a divorce. Though a few earlier scenes revealed him to be the standard stereotypical workaholic who never devotes enough time to his family, the couple seem to be on amiable terms. Because the script fails to show us any of the tension between the two or even a single attempt on Kate's part to work out the problems with her husband, we're left feeling her decision to end the marriage is impulsive and premature.
Though Kate briefly expresses concern for her two children, without hardly a pause she entrusts them by day to her stern mother who is so obnoxiously caustic we could easily imagine the plot evolving into a very different sort of message movie about abused children. Meanwhile, Kate concentrates on finding employment. We see her apply for two jobs, one in a fashion shop, the other in a beauty salon. Each time she's turned down for the unfortunate but perfectly understandable reason that she's got no experience, and each time she responds by personally insulting her interviewer. Finally, while sulking outside of a real estate office, a concerned employee approaches her, which triggers Kate to verbally assault her with an angry tirade about how she gave up so much to raise a family and is now unfairly being denied the chance to start a career. Instead of telling her to go sob on someone else's shoulder, the patient employee amazingly invites her in for a cup of coffee. Then even more incredibly, the office manager Mac offers her a job as a receptionist on the spot. Kate expresses her suspicion that she's being offered the job out of sympathy, but Mac insists that she really needed to hire a receptionist. Mere minutes later, though, we find out that big hearted Mac has been putting up with an obviously incompetent employee for years simply because he's the brother of a former lover who died. In other words, yes, Kate probably did get the job purely out of sympathy! Later, while Mac is trying to close a deal on a piece of property, Kate persuades the reluctant customers by making a vague comment about the house's inferior foundation, something she later says she picked up watching Bob Villa. This essentially underhanded tactic impresses Mac so much she insists that Kate complete a real estate exam then promptly promotes her to a full-time agent. So far, then, we've seen that our protagonist is shallow, self-pitying, and anxious to blame the entire world for her problems, yet she's not too proud to take advantage of a kind hearted soul who offers her a job out of pity and is perfectly willing to use deceptive techniques to advance her career - not exactly the most admirable heroine.
We finally get to the meat of the plot when Kate becomes depressed one evening as her children spend their first night away from home with her ex. She turns up on Mac's doorstep looking for moral support but suddenly becomes passionate. Up until this point in the film, Kate has expressed nothing but mild curiosity about Mac's sexual preference and her abrupt display of affection comes completely out of the blue. Even Mac seems to find the unexpected change of attitude unbelievable - she tries to convince Kate that she's simply upset and mistakenly confusing a need for compassion for genuine passion. Eventually, though, Kate convinces her boss that she's sincere and the two finally become lovers. The rest of the plot focuses on her attempts to deal with all the expected obstacles: the negative reaction of her friends, the confusion of her daughter, the frustration of her ex-husband, and the outspoken disapproval of her mother when they learn of the relationship. The ex even threatens legal action to take custody of the children away from her and the mother practically disowns her. These developments would have been powerfully disturbing if the script had succeeded in establishing Kate as a likeable, sympathetic character. As it stands, though, the obstacles she faces are only frustrating in principle. They don't resonate with the viewer emotionally because the character failed to make any emotional connections.
********SPOLIER ALERT*********
The script makes one last misstep by superficially resolving the problems just in time for a happy ending. The ex-husband suddenly has a change of heart and drops his legal actions, the daughter works out her confusion and accepts Kate's decision, and even the frigid mother grudgingly comes around, at least a bit. Too bad real life isn't like the movies, where everybody always lives happily ever after. On the other hand, maybe it's more of a shame that films claiming to deal seriously with socially difficult issues ultimately cop out and paint a rosy but false picture of the situation.
Much of the problem with the film, I'm sorry to say, is an extremely uneven performance by Leslie Hope. She's fairly convincing when the script requires her to boldly express defiance or rebellion, as during the angry speech outside the realty office. But in the scenes that require some sensitivity or passion, she projects all the warmth and intimacy of a box of frozen fish sticks. It's almost as if somebody told Ms. Hope she was making a socially important film and she responded by focusing exclusively on the message while neglecting to get in touch with or understand her character as a human being. I never believed for a moment that Kate really felt anything for Mac, or even her children, or anyone else for that matter. She comes across as a walking, talking billboard for gay and women's rights but fails to give us any reason to care about her character in the least.
There's no question THIS MUCH I KNOW delivers a message society needs to hear. But good drama should do more than just make people think about an important issue. It should also make them feel the issue. With a better written script and a more sensitive leading lady, the film could have made a real and lasting impact on the viewer. Instead, I suspect the lesson of THIS MUCH I KNOW will be forgotten as quickly as the movie itself.
Sadly, the script utterly scuttles any empathy we might have felt for Kate long before the relationship even begins. Barely five minutes into the film, she announces to her husband that she wants a divorce. Though a few earlier scenes revealed him to be the standard stereotypical workaholic who never devotes enough time to his family, the couple seem to be on amiable terms. Because the script fails to show us any of the tension between the two or even a single attempt on Kate's part to work out the problems with her husband, we're left feeling her decision to end the marriage is impulsive and premature.
Though Kate briefly expresses concern for her two children, without hardly a pause she entrusts them by day to her stern mother who is so obnoxiously caustic we could easily imagine the plot evolving into a very different sort of message movie about abused children. Meanwhile, Kate concentrates on finding employment. We see her apply for two jobs, one in a fashion shop, the other in a beauty salon. Each time she's turned down for the unfortunate but perfectly understandable reason that she's got no experience, and each time she responds by personally insulting her interviewer. Finally, while sulking outside of a real estate office, a concerned employee approaches her, which triggers Kate to verbally assault her with an angry tirade about how she gave up so much to raise a family and is now unfairly being denied the chance to start a career. Instead of telling her to go sob on someone else's shoulder, the patient employee amazingly invites her in for a cup of coffee. Then even more incredibly, the office manager Mac offers her a job as a receptionist on the spot. Kate expresses her suspicion that she's being offered the job out of sympathy, but Mac insists that she really needed to hire a receptionist. Mere minutes later, though, we find out that big hearted Mac has been putting up with an obviously incompetent employee for years simply because he's the brother of a former lover who died. In other words, yes, Kate probably did get the job purely out of sympathy! Later, while Mac is trying to close a deal on a piece of property, Kate persuades the reluctant customers by making a vague comment about the house's inferior foundation, something she later says she picked up watching Bob Villa. This essentially underhanded tactic impresses Mac so much she insists that Kate complete a real estate exam then promptly promotes her to a full-time agent. So far, then, we've seen that our protagonist is shallow, self-pitying, and anxious to blame the entire world for her problems, yet she's not too proud to take advantage of a kind hearted soul who offers her a job out of pity and is perfectly willing to use deceptive techniques to advance her career - not exactly the most admirable heroine.
We finally get to the meat of the plot when Kate becomes depressed one evening as her children spend their first night away from home with her ex. She turns up on Mac's doorstep looking for moral support but suddenly becomes passionate. Up until this point in the film, Kate has expressed nothing but mild curiosity about Mac's sexual preference and her abrupt display of affection comes completely out of the blue. Even Mac seems to find the unexpected change of attitude unbelievable - she tries to convince Kate that she's simply upset and mistakenly confusing a need for compassion for genuine passion. Eventually, though, Kate convinces her boss that she's sincere and the two finally become lovers. The rest of the plot focuses on her attempts to deal with all the expected obstacles: the negative reaction of her friends, the confusion of her daughter, the frustration of her ex-husband, and the outspoken disapproval of her mother when they learn of the relationship. The ex even threatens legal action to take custody of the children away from her and the mother practically disowns her. These developments would have been powerfully disturbing if the script had succeeded in establishing Kate as a likeable, sympathetic character. As it stands, though, the obstacles she faces are only frustrating in principle. They don't resonate with the viewer emotionally because the character failed to make any emotional connections.
********SPOLIER ALERT*********
The script makes one last misstep by superficially resolving the problems just in time for a happy ending. The ex-husband suddenly has a change of heart and drops his legal actions, the daughter works out her confusion and accepts Kate's decision, and even the frigid mother grudgingly comes around, at least a bit. Too bad real life isn't like the movies, where everybody always lives happily ever after. On the other hand, maybe it's more of a shame that films claiming to deal seriously with socially difficult issues ultimately cop out and paint a rosy but false picture of the situation.
Much of the problem with the film, I'm sorry to say, is an extremely uneven performance by Leslie Hope. She's fairly convincing when the script requires her to boldly express defiance or rebellion, as during the angry speech outside the realty office. But in the scenes that require some sensitivity or passion, she projects all the warmth and intimacy of a box of frozen fish sticks. It's almost as if somebody told Ms. Hope she was making a socially important film and she responded by focusing exclusively on the message while neglecting to get in touch with or understand her character as a human being. I never believed for a moment that Kate really felt anything for Mac, or even her children, or anyone else for that matter. She comes across as a walking, talking billboard for gay and women's rights but fails to give us any reason to care about her character in the least.
There's no question THIS MUCH I KNOW delivers a message society needs to hear. But good drama should do more than just make people think about an important issue. It should also make them feel the issue. With a better written script and a more sensitive leading lady, the film could have made a real and lasting impact on the viewer. Instead, I suspect the lesson of THIS MUCH I KNOW will be forgotten as quickly as the movie itself.
Too namby pamby
HerbertRousch1 October 2003
I've read some of the comments about this film and can only surmise that some people are easily entertained. This movie is nothing. It's so badly written, directed and acted that it barely makes an impression. The characters speak in cliche-ridden dialogue and the situations are completely implausible. While that might make this campy and fun, it doesn't because everything is so lifeless the film becomes dull. It's as if Lee Rose decided to write a drama about a woman struggling with her sexuality but then she either wasn't allowed by studio execs to give the story some true-to-life gusto or didn't have the cojones. This movie could go in the enyclopedia as the standard-issue bad Lifetime TV movie.
A Missed Opportunity
westsubman1 February 2015
A real missed opportunity here.
This movie has two huge flaws: first, the heroine, Kate, develops an attraction for her female boss after going through a bad marriage and a messy divorce. Naturally, we wonder if her attraction is a result of her recovering from the break-up, maybe just a phase, or does she have true feelings for her boss? The writers should have started the story about two years after her divorce.
The second flaw is that three, four characters are so anti-gay (particularly the character of her mother)that they become almost cartoonish parodies. They look absolutely foolish. This is a real cop out by the writers.
The film makers could have gotten an intelligent discussion here, but it becomes too simple, too black-and-white.
This movie has two huge flaws: first, the heroine, Kate, develops an attraction for her female boss after going through a bad marriage and a messy divorce. Naturally, we wonder if her attraction is a result of her recovering from the break-up, maybe just a phase, or does she have true feelings for her boss? The writers should have started the story about two years after her divorce.
The second flaw is that three, four characters are so anti-gay (particularly the character of her mother)that they become almost cartoonish parodies. They look absolutely foolish. This is a real cop out by the writers.
The film makers could have gotten an intelligent discussion here, but it becomes too simple, too black-and-white.
A lovely realistic mature movie, with a fabulous Wendy Crewson as Mac.
glasmild29 January 2003
I think Wendy Crewson is absolutely fantastic in" This much I know". She takes the lead in her own easy way. You almost don´t notice, but you sit back with this warm feeling, just knowing Mac is there for Kate (Leslie Hope), supporting and encouraging her. Mac seems strong, independent, as happy as anyone can be after loosing the love of her life and with a great sense of humour. But somehow Wendy Crewson is able to show us Mac´s vulnerability. The sensitive, warm and fragile person underneath and she does it so well. Wendy Crewson is very beautiful of course, but with simple means, she creates this caring and very sensual person, and reveals an insight and understanding of what being different is all about. She has a lovely natural and relaxed attitude in relation to being gay. The way we all wish it could be.
Run of the mill
mendozalouie27 March 2003
I had to do a search on the actresses to find the board of this film because the title is now An Unexpected Love. It's not really worth looking for but I was unfamiliar with both leads and wondered why they were headlining a lesbian flick on Lifetime. Everything's pretty restrained and you don't really get an idea of who these characters are so, as a viewer, I wasn't able to become emotionally invested in the storyline. I guess I'm not the target audience for this but I'm not sure who is. Everything's muted and soft focus and earth tones...nothing's very interesting. I had a prurient interest in seeing two women make out but it's handled so discreetly that I was disappointed. Rent Personal Best instead.
"It Scares the Hell Out of Me!"
lavatch1 November 2020
Warning: Spoilers
When Kate Mayer met McNally "Mac" Hays, there was instant chemistry. But little did the two women realize at that moment that they were destined for one another.
"An Unexpected Love" hits all the right notes for the surprising romance that unfolds between the mom who is separating from her husband and the realtor who is still grieving the death of her long-time partner, Lauren.
It is the character of Kate that is the focal point for the drama. She faces courageously the daunting task of informing her husband, her children, her friends, and her formidable mother that she is now romantically involved with a woman. As Kate says to Mac, "It scares the hell out of me!"
Kate was such a dear person that it was impossible not to empathize with her situation. She received good support from Mac and from Maggie, the kind soul working at the Hays Realty office.
The film avoided the pitfalls of a superficial narrative about two horny women. Instead, the focus was the emotional challenge of their lives and the hurdles they had to overcome. The film's ending was especially touching with a curtain call taken by one and all at young Samantha's graduation ceremony.
"An Unexpected Love" hits all the right notes for the surprising romance that unfolds between the mom who is separating from her husband and the realtor who is still grieving the death of her long-time partner, Lauren.
It is the character of Kate that is the focal point for the drama. She faces courageously the daunting task of informing her husband, her children, her friends, and her formidable mother that she is now romantically involved with a woman. As Kate says to Mac, "It scares the hell out of me!"
Kate was such a dear person that it was impossible not to empathize with her situation. She received good support from Mac and from Maggie, the kind soul working at the Hays Realty office.
The film avoided the pitfalls of a superficial narrative about two horny women. Instead, the focus was the emotional challenge of their lives and the hurdles they had to overcome. The film's ending was especially touching with a curtain call taken by one and all at young Samantha's graduation ceremony.
Dialog from cliches of Hollywood no original thought required
johnanthonymazzei14 April 2019
Warning: Spoilers
The dialog from the coming of age parody " Not another teen movie" flowed better than this film. Lee Rose (writer. director) your portrayal of men in this movie is laughable. The Brad character is and insult to two dimensional characters. The ex-husband was a lawyer, they tend to be type-A personalities. Your Jack character would make Richard Simmons look manly. Kate was unlikable from the start of the film. The way she treated her son would fit well into a movie about children that kill their parents. The daughter Sam, played by--at the time 17 year old Allison Pill, wouldn't refer to being at a friends house as a "Play Date." ---Yes, you actually wrote that into the film. The discussions / romantic scenes between Mac and Kate seemed forced. The only scenes that were believable involved Mac and her dog Bob. They actually seems to care for one another, unlike every other character in this film. I understand that movies have to do a great deal in a short amount of time but, Lee Rose you failed. I will give you credit for not going full Mel Gibson. He usually writes, directs, produces and stars in his films.
This Much I Know: This is a great movie!!!
dreba25 March 2003
The subject matter in this movie is handled with great sensitivity and taste. A marriage breaks up and the wife becomes involved with her boss, who is a woman. Lifetime keeps making excellent movies that are timely, touching and entertaining. Wendy Crewson is absolutely fabulous in this movie!
Awesome Movie!!!!!!!
lizzypuuh29 October 2005
This was one of the best movies that i have ever seen, in fact if i could buy it i would. I've been trying to buy it for a while, but i guess it's not out yet, but i guarantee you that as soon as it comes out i will be one of the first people to buy it. Although many people might believe that it gives a false illusion of the way a same sex relationship can catalyze and grow, i believe that it gives hope to those people who would otherwise only think negatively about the whole situation. Love stories are written and turned into movies everyday, and most of us know that love does not start or grow that fast, therefore they piece together a little story to give hope to the hopeless romantics out there. i am not a lesbian, but i am a hopeless romantic no matter what form it comes in. This is an awesome movie, one for the history books if you ask me.
This is a spectacular Lifetime movie!
zmarilyn25 May 2003
This special Lifetime movie has changed many lives for the better. Lee Rose, the writer/director/producer, took a considerable risk in making this for tv movie about a controversial topic, and has set a new benchmark for all who seek to follow. The cast is headed by two gifted actors, Leslie Hope and Wendy Crewson, and are surrounded by a very professional supporting cast. I love this movie! Hope you will also.
SPOILER: An Unexpected and Unnecessary Love
johngreenink4 January 2008
Warning: Spoilers
For those who love the color brown and all its muted shades of beige, sand and taupe, you'll find this film riveting. From one exotic Canadian location to another, an unexpected viewing of Unexpected Love (UL) was a whirlwind of static delight for this viewer. Never before had I seen a romance born out of the most mundane, sparse and cheerless interiors, which so accurately reflected the characters that we are asked to take to our hearts. As Kate (Leslie Hope) says in the film, 'my heart, which I gave to you,' we are robotically drawn in to the strange awakening of Kate VERY DORMANT homosexuality. As she begins to find her attraction to her boss Mack (Wendy Crewson) we find ourselves looking for the scotch, or the door, or some way to escape what has to be one of the most boring and strange depictions of modern 'attraction' yet on film. I can't stress enough how mechanical this love (and its fruits) display themselves. In a cycle of one-sided conversations between the three primary figures which always take place in the middle of an open door, the director has chosen to temporarily infect his actors with an acute inability to speak. These soliloquies that touch upon the essence of attraction are no more than high-school essay stock copy that reads as warmly as a cup of coffee left outside in February in Maine. Yes, there is some sex - hot, steamy, girls kissing and touching each other with candles in the background. These sensual moments are subversive: they would teach would-be gay women that sex is little more than being Good Friends with another woman with... candles. And maybe a kiss.
I'm not even touching the true high points of this film. There are so many, which leave so many questions unanswered, questions that are too dull to even consider: why does Mac's former lover's brother work at the real estate firm with Mac and Kate? Why does he show up, late in the film, to tell Mac that his dead sister (the former lover of his boss) 'would have liked Kate'? and who could possibly care? We have NO information about this alleged previous lover with which to make any comparison... it's somewhat like someone saying 'Lauren would have really liked this cheese.'
In short, 'An Unexpected Love' is a film about - love - or shall I say, temporary attraction that explodes into full-blown coming-out vignettes that serve (again) to mislead questioning young gay people into thinking that a little crush is akin to announcing a conversion to a new and radical religion. Why does a kiss equal marriage? Kate and Mac, strong women that they are, cannot seem to just enjoy life as it is. Life in this film, aside from being Canadian, is one confession after another.
I'm not even touching the true high points of this film. There are so many, which leave so many questions unanswered, questions that are too dull to even consider: why does Mac's former lover's brother work at the real estate firm with Mac and Kate? Why does he show up, late in the film, to tell Mac that his dead sister (the former lover of his boss) 'would have liked Kate'? and who could possibly care? We have NO information about this alleged previous lover with which to make any comparison... it's somewhat like someone saying 'Lauren would have really liked this cheese.'
In short, 'An Unexpected Love' is a film about - love - or shall I say, temporary attraction that explodes into full-blown coming-out vignettes that serve (again) to mislead questioning young gay people into thinking that a little crush is akin to announcing a conversion to a new and radical religion. Why does a kiss equal marriage? Kate and Mac, strong women that they are, cannot seem to just enjoy life as it is. Life in this film, aside from being Canadian, is one confession after another.
Outstanding..
mmdeclue13 September 2006
I would have liked the move to be longer and without interruption. This is my kind of movie. This one really hit home. I just wish that life was really seen more like it was in this movie. I was just very drawn to this film and would like to see a lot more like it. I feel that Mac (Wendy Crewson) did a wonderful job. I would love to see her in more movies like this. She does a wonderful job of showing us the hard side of love and life when you love differently and have loved before. I found myself understanding exactly how she felt the moment that she met Kate (Leslie Hope). I happen to be a person in a very similar situation and have found such comfort in this movie that I just can't sleep without watching it. It makes me feel that I can some day move on.
It was one of the best lifetime movies I've seen.
RebaChick137 April 2003
this movie was really good it had a great story behind it. and I can relate to it, so it was actully surprising to see a movie on tv that had to do w/ gay situchations. The other movie that was along the same lines was "The truth about jane" that too was a good movie. But all in all "An Unexpected Love" was a great movie.
I loved this Movie
Saille23421 June 2003
"An Unexpected Love" was a great movie for about everyone (gay,bisexual, and straight)women around the world. It showed some of the trials that we go through when deciding to come out or even to persue woman at all. I enjoyed it, although some would say that the idea of a woman who is married to a man with two kids would leave the husband for a woman. The point that most forget or don't know is that bisexual and gay women when they are in relationships its not because of the sex of the person but how they feel about them as a person not their sex. The movie touched my heart because I had gone through many of those bad experiences although I have to say I had support to. Like Kat she had Mac to support her, I had a close friend who did and many other people. This movie showed even in the kiss how someone who has never kissed someone of the same sex on the lips would kiss. I being one person who has tried it once in my life can say that most of us take it slow and are kind of shy with the first kiss. So I hope my review helps give a point of view from another perspective.
Loved it!
tfnmal3 June 2008
I loved this movie. The lady actresses played this very well and made it very real to me. I believe I read where someone didn't want it to end. I didn't either. It is sad that I just saw this now and it was made in 2003. I do think it is very possible for anyone to be attracted to someone of the same sex and it not necessary mean they are gay. I think in society we are so willing to put ourselves in a box. I have never been much of a person that likes to follow the crowd and I love to be different. Actually the mother really went out there to risk it all because she felt something so powerful. I believe that is real love. It doesn't have anything to do with being straight or gay. She fell in love with the person and I feel that same way. Whether it be woman or man, I want to know that kind of love and I believe it is possible for everyone.
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