Playing House (2006 TV Movie) User Reviews

Not the typical Lifetime pablum

[egm-9 · 7/10 · 17 April 2006]

I have to say I was pleasantly surprised by this little made for Lifetime movie. There is a lot that is entertaining about it. The predictable Lifetime storyline is there of course, but they've dressed it up to go to town. The writing is actually pretty good, the characters are multi-dimensional and not completely inclined to stereotypes. I am writing this under the assumption that the campiness in the script was intentional; heaven help me if I am wrong!

The story revolves around Madeline, a young career woman who has a fling with a hot jazz musician. He goes off on tour and she finds herself pregnant and alone. Somewhat ambivalent and depressed, Madeline goes home to Canada to visit her wacky family (not Coen brothers wacky, but more than you would come to expect from "TV for Women"). On her return home to Manhattan, She has an unfortunate encounter with a Customs officer and an expired passport, which is one of the highlights of the movie. She finds herself stuck in Canada, but her family invite her to stay and have the baby in Canada. This is her idea of hell on earth (I can relate, indeed), but she has no choice as she has been denied re-entry into the US for 1 year. The bulk of the movie finds her adjusting to her new life, and it starts feeling more Lifetimey here. But overall, I was mostly entertained by this movie.

The idea was great....the finished product, however....

[vampyres_bite66622 · 5/10 · 17 April 2006]

When I saw the trailer for this TV movie, I thought, "Ooh, that looks like it might be a good watch." The basic idea for this movie had potential. However, they didn't use it to the full advantage. Sure, this movie had it's moments, both cute and heart warming, but that's about it; the movie lacked substance. Normally, even if the premise for the movie is weak and even predictable, there's a quality to it that makes you keep wanting to watch and even come to care for the characters. This movie didn't have that something special; at least, not for me. I was disappointed, because I know that it could have been much better.

I gave this movie 5 out of 10 stars, mostly because even though it lacked in many things, it wasn't a completely horrible movie...It also wasn't the best either. My advice is, if you have to chose between this movie and something you've been impatiently waiting to see, go ahead and tape this one and save it for a Saturday when there's nothing else on to watch!

Cliché chick flick

[michaltastik · 4/10 · 19 March 2015]

A woman moves to NYC leaving loving parents behind in another place because she thinks she's going to sip wine at museums and have a cool job all the while somehow affording to live in Manhattan... Throw in a love triangle and she's always between 25 and 30.

I'm pretty sure I've seen this set up so many times. They should have made sure to make her a vegetarian for a more realistic touch. All the cliché transplants are vegetarians. The movies like this always make the woman a writer/editor. It would be nice if some of these movies made the woman have some OTHER job.

It makes girls who moved to NYC look like dreamy airheads. I guess it's OK if you're looking for a movie to watch one day.

I forced myself to finish it.

loved it!!!

[chelle_pinaula_2005 · 10/10 · 1 May 2006]

I loved the movie and enjoyed every part of it! Playing House made me have a reality check! Life isn't complete without love and love isn't anything without those you want in it. Everyone makes mistakes, but like Frannie, you can correct them to have a happy ending. Calvin and Frannie are great people but even greater and wonderful being as soulmates!! They completed each other and their baby completed their life. I not a fan of most lifetime movies, but I'm very glad that I stopped pushing the numbers on my remote, and stopped to watch it! It shouldn't be so much about what isn't in the movie, but what the movie is about and stands for!

I simply loved it!

[dienutza_maria_schon · 10/10 · 17 November 2007]

I've seen it today, on HBO (without commercials, thank God!), and I simply loved it! It's the perfect movie for a rainy ... almost winter day, perfect to warm your souls out!It's filled with emotions, and comic, but so real situations!My mother saw it before me and I was on the edge to ask her if Frannie was going to end up with that gorgeous, sensitive guy, named Calvin...or with Michael, the writer, also gorgeous, but a litte colder ... :) but I retained myself, and stayed till the end of the movie, and I'm glad I've done that!I'm in loved with the characters, they played their roles all so well!I'm not going to tell the story, because I've seen that others have done that before me, and they've done it well, so I will let you see the movie and tell for yourselves if you liked it or not! :) Enjoy it!

Stupid commercials..

[twee_t_fan · 10/10 · 24 May 2006]

My eyes were literally glued to the screen watching this. At first, at the sight of Calvin and Frannie together, I thought they were OK. Then, when she met the author, eversohandsome Michael Tate, I was all for him to get with her. As the plot progressed, I felt that Calvin truly deserved Frannie's heart. She'd been leading pretty much a carefree life with a fun musician boyfriend. Things get even better for her, in her view, when author Michael Tate showed up for her to edit his book. Suddenly, Frannie finds out that she is pregnant. Upon this notice, her hot musician boyfriend already left for his band's tour in Europe. Frannie immediately drives to Canada for her parents' support on the matter: she was going to bear a child. As Frannie left to cross the border again to return to work, a misunderstanding peeved a Customs officer checking people's papers. The offended officer checked Frannie's papers and found out that it had long expired. She is then forced to remain in Canada for no less than a year. Frannie has difficulty juggling her personal and professional lives, but she will soon learn to master it. Just when you know what will happen next, Frannie completely surprises you. Still with all the drama a Lifetime original movie is supposed to compose of, romantic comedy lovers will laugh out loud and awe again and again to this heartwarming movie.

Watch this movie!

[Mujer_Tropical · 8/10 · 24 June 2006]

I wish I had known how good this movie was going to be; I would have recorded it. The previous poster already explained the plot. I want to add that the characters are well written and you will end up caring about what happens to them. The two leads have fantastic chemistry - he is HOT! I loved that the movie made me laugh. Many scenes did not feel contrived. It's not the usual "girl is in mortal danger and an idiot" plot or the "my love is going to change the man I love" crap.

Anyway, just go ahead and watch it. If you like romantic comedies, you should tape it. I am in my forties and this movie felt like the writers were not talking down to me or like I was wasting my time. I wish Lifetime would develop more believable stories like this one.

A tale reflecting reality

[beibei-zhao · 9/10 · 30 December 2006]

A very touching movie! Although the whole story does feel like a tale, it does reflect certain aspects of the real life, such as how we sometimes get lost in our life and make a tour that may take months to years before realize what we really want. The difference between a comedy and real life is that in real life if we miss something by mistake we can rarely find it back, whereas in a movie things will happen as you wish eventually. The movie leads us to think more about cherishing what life has granted and to think at least twice before we say something, which may cause permanent damage in the real life. In any case, the acting of both the actress and the actor is excellent! I really couldn't help bursting into tears at the end of the movie. I recommend everyone to watch it. By the way, as a girl I think Lucas Bryant (Calvin) is really sexy! :)

Giving up Sex, Chocolate and sex involving Chocolate

[SunKrux · 10/10 · 29 January 2010]

I recently was able to purchase a copy of this on DVD (only Australia has it on DVD weird I know - ETA: The DVD I have is PAL format & I have no way of making copies. You can now order it through Lifetimemovies.com I believe). I had to have it.

I had seen it years ago and really enjoyed it. It's light, funny and heartwarming. Frannie (I would like to know how the reviewer from 2006 got the name Madeline though) is so freakin' adorable (fabulously played by Joanne Kelly) and goofy. She hooks up with Calvin, the experimental jazz musician and winds up preggers. Calvin leaves on tour before she even finds out. The scene in the bathroom as she's waiting for the pregnancy test result is one of the funniest moments ever and very true to life I expect for some people. She winds up going back to Canada after landing her dream editing job with Michael because she sorta let her visa laps.

The other funny scene is when she & her mom are at the restaurant & Calvin calls and she yells on the phone about her being preggers. OMG that was so funny.

I love this movie have watched it numerous times.

seductive

[Kirpianuscus · 17 June 2016]

it is far to be surprising. old love story, the child, the difficult situation who makes difference between before and after, few drops of clichés and the second chance, the essential question and the right choice. nothing new but the fresh manner to blend the ingredients does the difference. it becomes realistic, seductive, dramatic and keep the rhythm in nice style. empathy is the basic spell. because the Charming Prince , who could remind Frozen, is a good point, the levels to become mother are build with grace, bitter humor and precision, the portrait of family and the doubts and the dialogues are the right forms and colors and flavor. a film who could be defined as the right job. and that does it charming .