Groundswell (2022 TV Movie) User Reviews

Puerto Rican history in Hawaii along with food, surfing and romance.

[cgvsluis · 7/10 · 8 October 2022]

Lots of food eye candy and flavor combinations in this tropical Hallmark romance between a chef and a professional surfer.

Lacey Chabert plays Emma, a professional chef whose famous "bachelor" chef boyfriend keeps taking credit for her work. Emma quits from his restaurant and his life and goes to visit her aunt in Hawaii to regroup and figure out what she wants to do next. There she meets Ben a professional surfer who after the loss of his wife has stopped doing things that bring him joy (like surfing) and his brother a restaurant owner and professional chef specializing in Puerto Rican cuisine. Emma getting surf lessons from Ben and entering an island cooking contest with his brother. Surprise! Her ex-boyfriend shows up as the celebrity chef consultant for the cooking contest.

This romance was a little predictable, but it was set in a lush local and did give a little history lesson on the Puerto Rican population in Hawaii. My favorite part was Ben's backstory with his wife being his pen pal first and that after they married they still wrote letters and hid them for one another to find. (Sweet, romantic and really a lost art!)

I didn't hate it and if you are looking for a "find yourself" romance Hallmark style...this could be the film for you.

Wetsuits and coverups.

[rebekahrox · 5/10 · 29 August 2022]

When the most suspenseful aspect of the movie is when Lacey is going to put on a swimsuit, you know you're in trouble. I mean there's Hawaii, and a beach, and an ocean. There is a very fit guy as a love interest with many abs and everything. So of course he's in a swimsuit. He's giving her surfing lessons. They are in the ocean together throughout the movie. But I guess if Lacey Chabert doesn't want to wear a swimsuit (not expecting a bikini here) she doesn't wear a swimsuit! You can tell it was an issue because it looks so odd that they have to make a joke about it at the beginning.

Other than Lacey's strange swimwear, and the nice scenery there is not much to see here. She dumps her "boyfriend" because he is a user and disrespects her and flees to Hawaii to be with her Aunt June. And I don't blame her! Aunt June has a house right on the beach and must have cost a billion dollars. By the end, she gets the hot guy, learns to surf, wins a contest, and gets her own restaurant. But (spoiler alert) she never puts on a swimsuit.

Yes same old

[Jackbv123 · 6/10 · 27 August 2022]

Chef breaks up with her boyfriend/boss who has basically been using her and gives her no respect. Very familiar. She retreats to visit family, in Hawaii. Even more familiar. One slight difference is that her ex shows up as formal advisor at the cooking contest she enters.

Meanwhile she is trying to learn to surf. A fair amount of time is spent on this thread and it allows her to interact with her romantic interest. Lacey Chabert and Ektor Rivera have some chemistry but not a lot. The acting is decent enough. It is a very common theme in these movies that each lead inspires the other to get out of their individual rut in life. Nothing surprising here and it leads to a predictable conclusion.

Overall this movie is pretty much the same old thing which puts the pressure on the relationships and actors. As I mentioned, I didn't find anything exceptional here.

Groundswell

[studioAT · 7/10 · 31 July 2023]

People are being very pernickety about this film. I think you just have to accept certain things when you watch a Hallmark film, rather than pointing out all of the little issues along the way.

I thought this was a good film, with Lacey Chabert as always being safe pair of hands where this sort of material is concerned.

There were some nice twists on the usual Hallmark format I thought, and the two things that make or break a Hallmark film for me (good chemistry between the leads, and a good story) were both in place.

I think films like this are trying to bring people joy and escapism and it did that for me.

Tired Script

[PeterMovie61 · 1 March 2023]

Waste of Lacey Chabert's talent and status. Listless and dull dialog, entirely predictable which fails to utilize Lacey's skills.

The silly body double scenes were cheesy and did not appear to be deliberately do, in order to join the audience into an inside Hallmark joke.

Several cringe like moments cemented this onto a movie that will not be watched more than once, as so many good Hallmark movies are watched year after year.

We watched only the first 15 minutes and then turned it off. A few weeks later we went back to it and watched it through the end. We were reminded why we bailed out earlier.

Nothing new to see here

[12101968kaw · 6/10 · 6 October 2022]

30 minutes into this movie and I was BORED!!! It was your typical Hallmark movie that has been done a 1,000 times over. An underappreciated chef who breaks up with her boyfriend who is a chef and her boss, and flees to family in Hawaii. She meets a surfer and a chef - surprise! The chemistry isn't there. It's just a dull film. The Hawaiian scenery is beautiful. This movie is based off a book written by Katie Lee Biegel. If her friend didn't have the producing rights I don't think this book would have been made into a movie. I guess it's all who you know. This is one movie that you can pass on.

Just not enough

[spikeluvr · 6/10 · 27 August 2022]

The movie has a typical Hallmark plot about a woman whose boyfriend takes her for granted with the added complication that he also takes credit for her work. They've used this plot device on an almost yearly basis. But I was interested in watching it because of the setting in Hawaii. I really wanted to love this movie but it was somewhat of a miss. I always enjoy Lacey Chabert but, as attractive as they are individually, the two leads had no chemistry. Her ex boyfriend looked old enough to be her father. The dishes she prepared with the other chef didn't look or sound appetizing at all and they didn't have a plausible explanation for the ex-boyfriends presence at a contest that he's not judging. He just stood around with mostly nothing to do. I kept wishing it was another episode of Hawaii Five-0 because that cast had real chemistry. The settings were gorgeous and I really enjoyed the aunts character but it's just not enough to watch a second time.

Borinkis steal the show

[MickyG333 · 7/10 · 2 May 2023]

6.6 stars.

The best part of this film is the two Puerto Rican brothers. Lacey Chabert is her usual self, just add wetsuit and some sort of strange bronze colored makeup (which makes her look like a talking statue). Otherwise 'Groundswell' has many touching moments, I actually shed a few tears. All of the teary moments are a result of the male lead and his brother who somehow evoke an emotional response. In contrast with those dramatic and heartfelt moments are the majority of ordinary moments, intermingled with the plethora of impractical moments...she is surfing. Very unbelievable, and I was a skeptic as soon as I saw this movie, but I figured I've come this far with Hallmark, might as well keep on chugging. So it's not plausible that he character can surf, and its obvious with the body double the only similarity is long dark hair...

The two males are decent actors, although it seemed to take a while for them to warm up. Once they got comfortable it was they who kept me interested in the story, almost as if Chabert was a secondary. As things get more serious with the relationship and the food competition, the film becomes easier to watch. As I stated above, there are too many ordinary and odd moments. 'Groundswell' is fundamentally dull. There are very few entertaining scenes, in fact the only entertaining parts were when her celebrity chef boyfriend steals her thunder and takes all the credit for himself. Those few scenes were tense and fun (albeit frustrating).

If you are looking for a couple of male Borinkis with some lively brother drama and cool surfing mixed in, you might like this movie. Of course, if you love Chabert in everything, then this is for you. She is hit and miss for me, and this film is a far cry from her better performances. Something is amiss, and I feel she is out of her element in the Aloha State.

Real Hawaiian music, yay!

[haikumauigrl · 8/10 · 29 October 2022]

It's a beginning. First HM movie filmed in Hawaii that featured snippets of the real Hawaii, not just beautiful scenery, but especially with contemporary music, clothing, jewelry and yes, the food. We all came to Hawaii from distant lands, my ancestors included, and it was nice to see the Puerto Ricans honored. Lacey Chabert and Ector Rivera were convincing in their roles as rejected chef/girlfriend and surfer who lost his wife. Singer Anuhea and chef Lee Ann Wong were a real treat, as well as Katie Lee who authored the book, Groundswell. And just for the record, most female surfers don't wear just swimsuits for surfing! Maybe we'll hear pidgin English in the next one. I'm watching this again, as one can miss so much with only one viewing.

Charming

[sherryp-14911 · 7/10 · 26 August 2023]

Lacey Chabert is quite likeable and a good actress. Ektor Rivera is cute, in his own peculiar way. (I keep thinking Hector.) It is a tired script that HM has used time and time again, but the scenery was breathtaking. There's that and the brother was so nice and outgoing, I was thinking he would be her love interest, then they introduced his husband. Kind of ended that possibility real quick. So although it was a tried and true rehash of events , it still kept you guessing a little bit.

Another reviewer said Lacey Chabert reminded them of Jennifer Love Hewitt and I didn't think of it before, but it's true! She really does!

To sum it up, I'd say this was an okay film. I enjoyed it.

Tired of the same thing over and over

[franksjolynn · 3/10 · 27 August 2022]

Tired of the same thing over and over with Hallmark movies? We are!

Why go to Hawaii and not fall in love with the Polynesian culture? So many beautiful people and heritage on the Hawaiian islands, food fusions that are amazing. No, Hallmark has their best actress hook up with a rude instructor that doesn't fit the hang loose style of Hawaii. Why take the time and money to shoot in Hawaii and ignore the beauty of the surroundings and culture of the islands! A chef should love to learn about local foods and the culture and people that makes the Hawaiian islands unique.

Lacy Chebert should switch to GAC.

Emma (Lacey Chabert)

[aab874 · 10/10 · 27 August 2022]

Favorite scene with

Emma (Lacey Chabert) in Hallmark Movies And Mysteries' Groundswell - Finally catching and riding her wave - alone and without fear. BTW #1, I loved this movie! I was very teary-eyed through almost all of it. BTW #2, I really want to go to Hawaii now after this movie and all the other Hallmark Channel Movies and Hallmark Movies And Mysteries Movies filmed and set there! So beautiful. BTW #3, Lacey Chabert rocks and rules! Beautiful, charming, and so very adorable! Love her! BTW #4, This movie was making me very, very hungry and wanting a swim!

Set in Georgia and Hawaii.

August 26, 2022.

another standard entry into hallmark's PC files

[sarajimi · 7/10 · 24 April 2023]

Pretty much what you would expect from Hallmark, with the now-token gay couple. I was kind of disappointed that they went to Hawaii to film a movie essentially about Puerto Ricans but that made sense after he explained the history of Puerto Ricans in the islands, but has Hallmark actually done one about Hawaiian culture? I found the decision to put lacey in a wet suit head scratching: if her body is no longer that of a twenty year old (which it would be nice if Hollywood would finally show us that), then put her in a sarong. Wet suits hide nothing and just drew attention to any "problem areas" because you wondered what they were trying to hide. I did like the deeper emotional content Hallmark at least touched on; that alone have this is seventh star from me. Shows that Hallmark has occasional respect for their audiences.

Same old same old

[drbreakwell · 4/10 · 27 August 2022]

Hallmark needs to throw away these tired and worn out scripts. Girl comes to renew her soul, she meets a guy who is conflicted and needs someone to bring him out of his lack of enthusuasim. The girl he meets brings him out of his sadness, only to get mad because she might keave, tgen they "kiss and make up." Even the beautiful Hawaiian scenery is lacking. New ideas need to come from different writers with different plots. The only reason I "watch" these movies is because I need the background noise and can do other tasks. Hallmark should stick with the murder mystery series they started. These movies had better story lines, like the Crossword Mysteries, or Mystery 101, or any other mystery series. Even the wedding veil 3 movie series was goid to watch.

It's not just that it's boring and predictable

[CranberriAppl · 31 March 2023]

It's that this should not be a character Lacey is still playing. Give it to one of the newbies where a younger or more unknown actress (NOT a slam, Lacey is only a couple years older than me) could be more believable with responding to life drama this way. How many times have we seen Lacey in a role close enough to this? In fact, it might have been smarter to let the character be a divorcee (since HM is doing that now) like the book. Again, Lacey is 40/41? It would fit what is not uncommon in the lives of women in our age group. Let the story be told from that POV and develop it from there, instead of this grown woman running away from a boyfriend. I actually have the same issue with a few of Nikki DeLoach's romcoms.

I do like Lacey, (although not all of her movies), but I got bored with this one. The scenery was great. I'm hoping to vacation in Hawaii next year, so I loved it. I love any beautiful shots of the beach. Speaking of which, the beach/tropical movie with Hunter King was better. Sorry Lacey.

Lacey and Hawaii

[SnoopyStyle · 6/10 · 30 April 2023]

Emma (Lacey Chabert) is a great chef. She works under her chef boyfriend Garrett Weston. He keeps her stuck in his shadows despite it being mostly her work. She quits and goes to live with her aunt in Hawaii. She meets two brothers. Ben is her hot new surf instructor and Frankie is a fabulous cook. She joins Frankie in a cooking contest but Garrett has followed her from New York City to be one of the judges.

It's Hallmark. It's Lacey Chabert. It's Hawaii. Normally, Hallmark puts all their eggs into one guy basket. For some reason, this one shows up with two brothers. They really should bring in the gay boyfriend a lot sooner. The two brothers left me a bit confused in the beginning especially since Ben is so cold to her. The story has two elements and the movie brings in both of them. This should either be a cooking movie or a surfing movie. I do wonder if Lacey is doing her own surfing stunts. I doubt it. If not, the double looks pretty close. I get that they don't want her getting hit in the face with a board but having her actually surf would add extra points. The cooking story would be much better if it's married directly with the love triangle. Her cooking partner needs to be her romantic partner. There is one too many elements in the story. Despite it all, Lacey is undeniably charming and adorable. She holds the disparate elements together despite themselves. And Hawaii looks beautiful. No one is expecting that much from Hallmark.

Beautiful scenery and perfect for post-holiday pick-me-up

[innerlooper96 · 10/10 · 7 January 2023]

I must be the exception, but I did love this movie. I don't have the expertise to criticize acting on a microscopic level, but given that disclaimer: I thought Lacey and Ektor did an amazing job.

Ektor as "Ben" and his brother in the movie have some incredibly emotional scenes in the latter half of the movie, and it genuinely feels authentic. Ektor is a refreshing change from the usual Hallmark Hunks (and yes, they are all talented); he has an intensity that impacts each scene, and it's well-balanced with his brother in the movie, who is incredibly amiable.

Lacey. What can be said that hasn't? She is fantastic. I am in awe of her skill and have watched her since she was a wee babe on Party of Five. I am so proud of her choice to work on projects that are uplifting and for me, faith-inspiring. The song playing while she is surfing on her own at the end is beautiful for its message alone.

Lacey always seems to put her heart into her work; her joy shines through, and she seems to thrive in these movies. I love her values, how she isn't a negative example in any way - she lives life, doesn't worry about the superficial, and *surprise* - God was good to her genes- she is simply beautiful!

As someone who is in recovery from an eating disorder, it thrills me to see women who are glowing and proud to be who they are. Lacey takes care of herself inside and out, and it inspires me to see her on top of her game, as always.

Watch this movie for:

• surfer knowledge to feed your secret obsession with the art of surfing
• Emotional gratification- it's satisfying to see her powerfully step away from her egomaniac ex.

• Scenery.

• inspiration to get out of "settling" mindset.

Don't watch this if you are a cynic who is looking for edgy or provocative plots, or for a movie that is a wild departure from the usual Hallmark love stories.

Tiny Rant on the constant criticism of Hallmark's story lines: Every love story in the history of man - real or fiction - must involve a need that the other person meets in some way. I can't think of many needs that don't involve loss or heartbreak, and the hallmark of Hallmark is relatability. The network is popular for a reason, and their formula works.

At Groundswell nothing is well.

[gfrasmd · 4/10 · 27 August 2022]

Take a handful of trite ideas. Add two scoops of stale dialogs. Flavor all with a hint of exotic scenery. Grind it and re-hash it coarsely, ... et voila, you've got a new movie! Really new?

The characters are inconsistent, when not cartoonish. The lead actors have poor chemistry and the total resetting of Emma's ambition and affection seems to have but a flimsy ground. More and better views of the surrounding nature could have saved the show, at least in part. The production has failed to provide even this.

Good thing about the movie, it contains nothing crude or offensive. The downsize is that it offers no real drama, little catching action, and minimal entertainment.

One more boring, forgettable entry for Hallmark!

New handsome male talent

[ljonesey · 9/10 · 3 January 2023]

I found it refreshing to have a gorgeous male lead that we haven't already seen 100 times in every other Hallmark movie. I especially love the Puerto Rican spin on the characters. It's about time Puerto Rican culture gets its due & gets showcased for its rich culture & incredible cuisine Is the storyline completely original? No, but I'm ok looking at scenic views of the beautiful island of Hawaii & shirtless surfing shots of Ektor Rivera.

I also love Hallmark movies featuring Lacey Chabert no matter how predictable. If she's in it I'll watch it. There's just something very likable about her Bonus if they feature Ektor Rivera again!

Another recycled story

[jenrn-09722 · 2/10 · 2 October 2022]

I have to agree with other reviewers. This had potential and didn't quite get there. The movie was slow and the competition was predictable. This had the exact same plot as the Hallmark Christmas movie, The Sweetest Thing - minis the child from the previous relationship. This is yet another food competition. Hallmark disappoints with a recycled story and use of the same actress. I had to agree that it was really strange and awkward that she was never in a swimsuit or even a wetsuit on camera - when she's supposed to be learning to surf in Hawaii. That was the central premise of the romantic storyline. If she didn't want to wear a swimsuit - they should have cast someone else.

I liked Lacey and Ektor - just not together. Their scenes together were awkward - especially when he told her about his past love interest who died. He didn't seem invested in the story himself, so not sure how the audience was supposed to invest. This was just awkward and disappointing.

Nice Hallmark movie revolving around food and surfing.

[TxMike · 19 May 2023]

Lacey Chabert is Emma, an assistant chef in Atlanta. She is the creative one but her boss, who also is her boyfriend, doesn't like to share the credit. So she needs some fresh perspective, she is no longer sure he is the one for her, she flies to Hawaii to visit her old aunt there.

In the process she wanders into a surfing store and meets Ektor Rivera as Ben, he transplanted himself from Puerto Rico for the surfing circuit but no longer surfs. He blames it for a loss in his life.

In a stroke of good fortune Ben's brother is also a chef, but gay with a husband, so he and Emma strike up a good friendly relationship, and cook together in the featured competition with guest judges.

The story develops nicely, the title comes from a comment during a surfing lesson, the "groundswell" is a reference to ocean water welling up to form nice waves.

My wife and I watched it at home on DVD from our public library. Being a Hallmark movie it follows their usual formula, with the first "Hallmark kiss" coming at one minute before the movie ends. A nice, clean and entertaining movie. I love to cook so I especially enjoyed the scenes involving food preparation.

Electrifying and breathtaking atmosphere

[famielovez · 9/10 · 27 August 2022]

I love Lacey Chabert Hallmark movies. She brings a pure and true feeling to each of her characters. And this movie she is at her best. And she has a beautiful Hawaii glow that makes her look even more beautiful. The main characters have a strong chemistry that shows through out the movie. I hate when you can tell that the actors are awkward around each other and this is not the case here. Yes, the storyline is a little overdone. But who cares they pull it off nicely. And Hawaii as a background is beautiful to look at. It makes me what to go back. And I love that surf lessons are part of how they fall in love.

Not the best

[pattersonjamie-12079 · 5/10 · 8 October 2022]

Even though the reviews were bad, I really wanted to like this movie. Who doesn't like a Lacey Chabert movie? So I spent two hours today, minus commercials watching this movie. The positive - beautiful scenery. Otherwise, the movie was slow, it lacked much of a storyline, the acting was bad, and I didn't really care about the characters. The whole surfing theme was a stretch. Then then the Lacey character just happens to find a cooking contest gig.

The story had a little twist with Lacey's jerk ex showing up in Hawaii to be a mentor for a cooking contest. Overall, not a good movie. Fortunately I had cross stitch to keep me occupied.

Love it!

[dljones-51143 · 10/10 · 28 July 2023]

I vote for a second. Love the scenery, the story line and especially the cast. The depth of each characters back story is excellent. I would buy a cookbook the food looks fabulous. Adapting Atlanta and Hawaii is brilliant. This is just the uplifting spirit we need in this climate. Oh my gosh the music is so soothing, whoever thought of this story line and paired It with the music needs to get an award. I can not say enough about the encouraging feeling, over all each character persevered and accomplished peace, self confidence and love. We need more movies of happiness, truth, good advise and support of each other. We all need each other, now more than ever.

Same old

[ab-84038 · 1/10 · 4 September 2022]

We tried to watch this one. This movie was slow, super boring, very flat and nothing new that we haven'tseen before in dozens of other Hallmark movies. We watched about 20 - 30 Minutes and then we turned it off because it is was not what we wanted to see regarding being family friendly. Don't think we missed much at all because it was so slow. The script had no surprises, it was same old story sbout the rotten boyfriend and the new intriguing guy. Even the ocean, blue skies, sunny das and the usual pretty Hawaii scenery did not save it. It was not what we wanted to see. We didn't like it. We didn't like it.