I came across this movie by accident one day and am pleased to say that I actually liked it. Sarah McAllister(played by Kathleen Quinlan)is finding it hard to deal with her husband's sudden death and is encouraged by friends to change her environment. After having a strange dream about a castle located in Scotland that she saw in a real estate ad, she decides to buy the castle( Uhh, how many people actually have enough money to buy a castle). When she gets herself settled, she is invited to a costume party where she meets Ross. The lovers have to overcome a lot of obstacles before they can be together(Sara's mistrust, a ghost, jealous woman). There were A LOT of clichés in this movie, but if you like harlequin books, this should be no surprise to you.
6 Reviews
Almost too torn to comment
suessis2 December 1999
I wanted to hate this film because it was a Harlequin Romance movie and at some moments it was actually bad. I have to give it some credit though because the actors really try in the face of a cliched and impossible script.
There is no really stand out performance here except, perhaps, the lovely Kathleen Quinlan. She also has interesting chemistry with David Robb, and that is what keeps the film engaging. Her interactions with him particularly when they are getting to know one another are sweet and charming. Sarah MacAllister is obviously someone very different than Ross Flemming has ever met.
It is in the end, though, another implausible Harlequin Romance, even if it does have its better moments.
There is no really stand out performance here except, perhaps, the lovely Kathleen Quinlan. She also has interesting chemistry with David Robb, and that is what keeps the film engaging. Her interactions with him particularly when they are getting to know one another are sweet and charming. Sarah MacAllister is obviously someone very different than Ross Flemming has ever met.
It is in the end, though, another implausible Harlequin Romance, even if it does have its better moments.
romantic and kinda entertaining
tardusty24 February 2008
Warning: Spoilers
I was lucky enough to catch this movie on Encore instead of paying massive amounts of money since it is out of print. I loved reading Harlequin novels and romance novels in general so I always want to watch the film adaptations.
I'm 28 years old so naturally I'm accustomed to watching more modern and fast paced movies. However, I already knew what to expect since this was a 1987 movie.
Let me say that despite it being old, I enjoyed the movie and I'm glad I woke up 6am in the morning just to catch it. It had a medium pace, not as fast but not slow either. The acting was good. The relationship and chemistry were believable as well as the scenery. And of course, I always love happy endings, hahaha.
When I watched it at first, I was a little dismayed to see the heroine having short hair. I like my heroines to have long hair because they seem more feminine, womanly, etc. Shorter hair feels like the woman is a feminist/independent/etc. However as I analyzed the movie even though its not really a deep movie to think about for all this analysis, I realized maybe the short hair was a good idea. Even though you think the heroine seems independent and strong, inside she is actually scared and weak (at first anyway regarding men and love, etc.) Anyhoo, thats my analysis for the heroine. Otherwise the actress did a great job in portraying her character.
On to the hero - well, I usually prefer my heroes, with dark hair. Blondes just doesn't do it for me, they don't seem as manly or hunky. Although this hero had that deep voice and rather big body, if they colored his hair it would have been cool. However, despite my soso-ness on his hair color, the hero did an EXCELLENT job. He was pretty attractive and manly despite being a blonde and yep, I believed his character. At first, he was sort of arrogant and a player, but I believed it when he kinda fell for the heroine and I thought it sweet and AWWWWW when he barged in and just demanded the heroine that he has to take her home no ifs and buts hahaha...!! Then of course the fact that later on he carries that other woman on his shoulder and dumps her outside, I was like, right on!! And of course when he was trying to find the heroine and then later they meet and super kissed, it was sweet ^_^
Now the scenes with the horses, it was a little clichéd/cheesy - the whole hero riding horseback for the heroine through the waters, but I guess those scenes had their own charm. Oh yes, i was shocked that the heroine could afford a castle, but maybe it was discounted because of the ghost? -_-
As for the story itself, at first I was worried it would be lots of ghosts rattling, ghosts appearing kinda movie, but thankfully it wasn't. After a few ghost scariness (not even that much) the story definitely focused on the characters, how they fell in love, the ghost story past and the present, etc. Oh yah, and lets not forget the heroines' past marriage situation and sister situation.
Anyway bottomline is this movie was definitely cute and entertained me. I am glad I watched it.
I'm 28 years old so naturally I'm accustomed to watching more modern and fast paced movies. However, I already knew what to expect since this was a 1987 movie.
Let me say that despite it being old, I enjoyed the movie and I'm glad I woke up 6am in the morning just to catch it. It had a medium pace, not as fast but not slow either. The acting was good. The relationship and chemistry were believable as well as the scenery. And of course, I always love happy endings, hahaha.
When I watched it at first, I was a little dismayed to see the heroine having short hair. I like my heroines to have long hair because they seem more feminine, womanly, etc. Shorter hair feels like the woman is a feminist/independent/etc. However as I analyzed the movie even though its not really a deep movie to think about for all this analysis, I realized maybe the short hair was a good idea. Even though you think the heroine seems independent and strong, inside she is actually scared and weak (at first anyway regarding men and love, etc.) Anyhoo, thats my analysis for the heroine. Otherwise the actress did a great job in portraying her character.
On to the hero - well, I usually prefer my heroes, with dark hair. Blondes just doesn't do it for me, they don't seem as manly or hunky. Although this hero had that deep voice and rather big body, if they colored his hair it would have been cool. However, despite my soso-ness on his hair color, the hero did an EXCELLENT job. He was pretty attractive and manly despite being a blonde and yep, I believed his character. At first, he was sort of arrogant and a player, but I believed it when he kinda fell for the heroine and I thought it sweet and AWWWWW when he barged in and just demanded the heroine that he has to take her home no ifs and buts hahaha...!! Then of course the fact that later on he carries that other woman on his shoulder and dumps her outside, I was like, right on!! And of course when he was trying to find the heroine and then later they meet and super kissed, it was sweet ^_^
Now the scenes with the horses, it was a little clichéd/cheesy - the whole hero riding horseback for the heroine through the waters, but I guess those scenes had their own charm. Oh yes, i was shocked that the heroine could afford a castle, but maybe it was discounted because of the ghost? -_-
As for the story itself, at first I was worried it would be lots of ghosts rattling, ghosts appearing kinda movie, but thankfully it wasn't. After a few ghost scariness (not even that much) the story definitely focused on the characters, how they fell in love, the ghost story past and the present, etc. Oh yah, and lets not forget the heroines' past marriage situation and sister situation.
Anyway bottomline is this movie was definitely cute and entertained me. I am glad I watched it.
Surprisingly good movie
Cubby-617 April 2011
Don't be fooled because this is a Harlequin Romance, I was going to pass it by for that reason. I am glad to say I took a chance on this charming tale of love and intrigue. Kathleen Quinlan and David Robb do an excellent job of bringing the script together and making it believable. If you are a product of anything newer than 1990, you may not find this old fashioned love story to your liking. The contrast to todays explicit scenes, makes this a viewing pleasure. I enjoyed this movie thoroughly and have watched it several times. Take a chance you may find yourself enjoying the time you spend watching. There are several good solid performances in the supporting cast. The Scottish scenery and the chance to be taken into a real Scottish Castle are worth the watch alone.
Wonderful story very good acting
rufuslaw6 November 2000
I just loved this movie. It was a beautiful touching love story. Sarah and Ross just seem to know instantly that they were meant for each other. I could watch this movie over and over again and never tire of watching it.
Swept me off my feet
dtzaj1428 September 2020
Warning: Spoilers
I absolutely loved all the characters and the acting was top notch. David Robb is very easy on the eyes and I admit I have seen this movie more times than I care to mention. I am happy to say I own a dvd copy but watching it on YouTube is very convenient. I loved the scenery and experiencing the Scottish traditions. Since seeing this movie I have looked for other movies in which David Robb has appeared. It is disappointing that many of his other appearances are not leading characters and thus he doesn't have much screen time. I was disappointed that he didn't even win Isobel's heart in Downton Abbey. It is a wonderful love story and I am glad to add it to my dvd collection.
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