Dating the Delaneys (2022 TV Movie) User Reviews

It's the main actors more than the story

[Jackbv123 · 7/10 · 21 August 2022]

This is mostly a typical story with some minor differences. In ways, it's not a lot different than the last movie starring Boston and Campbell, The Last Bridesmaid. The leads hang together avoiding any sense they are dating each other. In this one, they knew each other already and decide to help each other enter the dating market by "practicing". Add to that story a daughter that has a crush but spends time with her lab partner and grandmother who already is well on her way to a new beau.

Boston and Campbell have great chemistry together. Any couple who can banter the "bad" jokes and puns so smoothly has to have chemistry. They have tons of fun together and the audience tags along.

The ex-husband is there mostly as a stereotype of an absolutely terrible dad. He was a little too much.

There are no great highs or lows and definitely no surprises but the movie is still fun.

Dating the dorks

[MickyG333 · 8/10 · 8 February 2023]

8.2 stars.

Two single parents start to practice date each other so they can be prepared for real dating. After a couple of outings, what if one of them hopes for this to be more than practice?

This is another wonderful film that caught me off guard. The title is not the most flattering, but since four out of five Delaneys are dating, it makes sense. There are a lot of really corny puns and dad jokes interspersed throughout, but it makes for decent comedy, fills the gaps, and it's a family movie. It is cringe at times, but it's still fun. To elaborate: the two leads go on several fake dates because they agree they need practice for the real thing. We can see that this gradually becomes more than practice. Classic Hallmark.

After time passes and together they have honed her skills for real dates, we expect her to catch a hint, but she chooses to ignore it. Does she like him for more than a friend, it's difficult to ascertain. I feel it's her subtle way of getting on board with the idea that he could be Mr. Right. She is a real jokester, and this feels like a very secretive scheme on her part, he is the butt of the ultimate joke...but we will never know for sure.

The anticipation is palpable, we are rooting for this to work out, which Hallmark always delivers. This film is a hiatus from the usual formulaic humdrum, a pleasant vacation from the same old construct. There is no critical moment, no temporary falling out, no major misunderstanding or disagreements, no interrupted kiss...this is simply about a woman going on a bunch of meaningless dates, each man being stranger than the last.

On inconsistency that affects the credibility of her character is when she is dating the wine tasting symphony enthusiast. This guy is a total troll of the worst kind and I can't imagine anyone would tolerate his attitude and behavior. He was disgusting, and her reaction was inconceivable. Any normal woman would have doused him with her wine and stormed out.

The side stories were well developed and added so much to this film: the daughter and her crush, the sons with basketball, and fishing, and the ex-husband being a half-hearted lame dad. There is so much depth to this film, it's a must see.

Loved the actors, Hated puns

[Pvrspecialist · 6/10 · 22 August 2022]

Campbell and Boston always are great but the over use of puns made the characters rather ridiculous and one wishing to fast forward through the dialogue, especially the wine tasting event and backyard family BBQ. Loved the restaurant first blind date scene. Now that was good.

Hallmark's latest variation of the "pretend date" trope works because of the easy rapport of the 2 leads

[MichaelByTheSea · 7/10 · 28 August 2022]

As another reviewer (Jackbv123) pointed out, Rachel Boston and Paul Campbell essentially recreated the roles they played in The Last Bridesmaid. They have a nice breezy chemistry that, frankly, works so well it undercuts the credibility of their "pretend" dating. In real life, I don't see how they wouldn't talk about "real" dating after that first night out. To be fair, the implausibility of continuing that charade does get discussed at the bakery the next day, but Maggie inexplicably decides to keep up the pretense. That seemed more than a bit forced, especially with the ridiculous caricatures that she dated.

Random observations:

Parmiss Sehat was great as Devon, the friend and co-worker.

The teens were realistically dorky and awkward. The scenes with Emma (well played by Zoe Christie) were especially well written by Jennifer Barrow. She wrote Sun, Sand and Romance which also starred Paul Campbell (and she also wrote another Hallmark movie about how to date called the Dater's Handbook, which starred future princess Meghan Markle).

The cake portion sizes were ridiculously large.

Make it, bake it, cake it? It sounds catchy, but it also sounds stupid. And there wasn't much to the show once it aired.

I loved the waiter's solution to Bad Date #1

The jokes WERE often cringeworthy, but they did establish and reinforce the connections between Maggie & Michael and Emma & John, and those moments were often quite cute (even if they also induced groans).

My biggest complaint was Maggie's plan to attend her ex's wedding. In what alternate universe would the ex-wife even think about going to her ex-husband's wedding???? First, he's a jerk who can't be bothered to spend time with his own kids even though he apparently has plenty of time for his next wife. Heck, it'll be hard enough to get his kids to show up. But his ex-wife?? That would be wildly unrealistic and beyond awkward. I'd rather have a root canal without anesthesia than see my ex get married. Ugh.

I liked the response to "how did you know you liked him?":

"It's not gonna be the same for everyone. It's gonna be a combination of things. Common interests, the ability to talk to one another, a similar sense of humor...I think you want a gentleman. Someone who treats you well but also knows you are strong, you are smart, you are capable. He lets you be you. You shouldn't have to shrink in order to make him feel big."

Overall, a sweet but flawed movie with 2 likeable leads.

Good laughs and a sugar rush in this multigenerational romance.

[cgvsluis · 6/10 · 28 October 2022]

I love both Rachel Boston and Paul Campbell, they are the best thing about this film. Their banter and silly puns somehow work because of their chemistry and charm.

This is the story of three generations of Delaneys, who are at very different places in their lives...but all are "starting to date". Maggie Delaney is at the heart of this story as a divorcee who is finally ready to dip her toe into the dating pool and her friend Michael Taylor is happy to help her "practice" her dating skills. Maggie's daughter is chasing after a high school boy who doesn't seem interested, while the new kid in her class seems to only have eyes for her. Finally Maggie's mom brings in a surprise for her daughter as she has a new man in her life as well.

Must love corny puns to truly appreciate this romance that is heavy on baking and support.

Such a welcome view!

[shobbs-86081 · 9/10 · 22 August 2022]

I often write reviews about movies I don't like. This review is for a Hallmark movie that really touched me positively from the beginning to the sweet end. Of course, the lead actors need chemistry and rapport to make a good romance, and these two are such good friends and partners even before they realize the relationship in full depth. Supporting actors (including the kids) were solid, and there were none of the extra plot kinks that make for awkward breakups or interruptions of the action. I highly recommend this one and honestly cannot think of anything major to gripe about. What fun!

Decent offering from Hallmark

[herrcarter-92161 · 7/10 · 3 October 2023]

This was a pretty good Hallmark movie. I'd say its big strength was that the characters seemed real. These folks seemed like your next door neighbors. People you would feel comfortable hanging out with at a school basketball game. The dialog between the main characters Maggie and Michael seemed very genuine. Their banter with each other never seemed forced or fake. And the horrible puns that they constantly threw back and forth, which might have been cringy in a lesser production, seemed fun and natural.

Hallmark A-listers Paul Campbell and Rachel Boston delivered fine performances, as expected. I do wish that they had given Paul more of a chance to be funny. He's a very talented comic actor, and I've laughed out loud in some of his other Hallmark offerings. He seemed a little more serious in this one, and it's a pity they didn't fully utilize his talents as a comedian. Rachel was her perky, smiling self, as always.

The character of Maggie has to win the prize for most clueless leading lady in a Hallmark romance. Did she really not see that Michael was interested in her as more than just a "pretend date"? A close runner up for most clueless had to be Maggie's daughter Emma. Why, after that painful, awkward date with Zack, did she still somehow think he liked her and was going to ask her to prom? And how did she not see that her lab partner John liked her? I can see that this was all part of the plot, but the cluelessness seemed just a bit too exaggerated to take seriously.

On the whole, this was an enjoyable Hallmark movie. Not much happens that is earth-shattering, but it does allow you to spend a couple of pleasant hours with likable, relatable characters and to step into their world. A better Hallmark movie than most.

Fun movie

[pattersonjamie-12079 · 9/10 · 23 August 2022]

Loved the actors. The movie was cute and funny. Some reviewers complained about the puns and corny jokes, but they were part of movie's story line and helped make the movie funny. Highly recommend.

The Dating Game

[atlasmb · 7/10 · 11 January 2024]

Maggie Delaney (Rachel Boston) is a divorcee and a "single mother" of two. She has not been on a date in twenty years, but she decides to try dating when she sees her widowed mother and her teenage daughter dating. Everyone, it seems, is sticking a toe into the dating pool with little real-life experience. Maggie's nervousness is abated somewhat when a friend, Michael Taylor (Paul Campbell), suggests that they go on pretend dates and critique each other's game.

Hallmark romance fans can see where this is going already, which is fine. There is plenty of humor in this story about the three generations. The relationship between Maggie and Michael is fairly comedic, as they tease each other and share jokes. The writing is good, yielding dialogue that is fun and upbeat.

Rachel Boston is the keystone of the film, providing a cheerfulness that does not flag, even when her character deals with things that annoy her. There may not be a lot of depth in this story, but it is enjoyable.

Run from the Delaney girl

[kirkendog · 1/10 · 3 February 2023]

To me either Rachel Boston is not a very good actress or she's unable to clear her resting angry face. She comes across as never really listening to the other person, it's what am I going to say next, it's just rude & haven't liked anything she's been in because of it.

Hallmark checklist complete:

1. At least one Redhead per movie 2. Cast always looks like they are in downtown Atlanta 3. Main characters literally run into each other all the time 4. Dead relatives, nobody just leaves by divorce in this world 5. Men are bad fathers & typically the only good guy is the main male lead & even he has issues 6. Other than the main couple in most movies, everyone else dates outside their race.

7. At least 2 mentions of 'community'

It was ok

[LtlHippo · 8/10 · 2 September 2022]

The puns got reallllyyyy old. Really enjoyed the leads, great chemistry. The daughter seemed way too old looking to be in high school. I was also distracted by her almost unibrow. Time to tweeze those caterpillars. The crush on the guy who ignores you and treats you like crap? Stop. And who wouldn't have walked out of the concert after what that guy said about her kids? He was deplorable. Why she even went on a second date is crazy after the way he treated her at the vineyard. The mom was put on the back burner and didn't add much. And she was so excited to go to her ex's wedding? Why? He portrayed the classic crappy ex husband/father. I thought we'd see one of the 2 years later scenes with her getting married . Just kind of ended abruptly. Hope they make more movies together in the future. I'm so tired of seeing the trio of Lacey/Candace/Danica.

Too Clueless to be believable

[trinity-14768 · 4/10 · 10 April 2024]

Let me say that I love The Hallmark Channel and I really liked the actors in this one.... BUT. The main characters with the exception of the grandmother are completely clueless. I found myself wanting to slap both Maggie and Emma. The amount of atrocious behavior they both put up with from their love interests was just unrealistic. Any normal person would have told these men to bugger off. Hallmark romance movies are typically written to include the big misunderstanding and when there's about 3 minutes left in the movie, it's everyone gets their happily ever after but this one was completely dragged on and just not believable. Michael and John's character were way too tolerant. No man would stick around if the women they're interested in acted this clueless. If I had to sum this movie up in one word, it would be LAME.

Fun movie

[jewhitmer25 · 8/10 · 22 August 2022]

Rachel Boston and Paul Campbell were great and seemed to really enjoy being together. There was real chemistry there. Although the un-funny puns got old after a while. Enough is enough already.

Zoe Christie as Emma, looked WAY to old to be a teenager with a crush. She just couldn't pull off playing a 16 year old. Frankly she looked closer to a 30 something. It spoiled the whole teenage Delaney dating part of the storyline. And sitting and staring ALL the time at the guy you have a crush on was just creeoy. I didn't blame the guy for ignoring her.

My advice: great family flilm, not Shakespeare, but entertaining.

Third time is a charm

[Kenkeller-98-620553 · 8/10 · 16 July 2023]

I watched this movie for the third time the other night and I was impressed. Maybe I'm slow on the uptake. The main two characters took their time and warmed up to one another, gradually. These two are wounded ducks, so to speak, each having lost a spouse and that makes them cautious about love and commitment. Both have children which makes things even more complicated and their slowness in realizing that they are attracted to one another is natural. The puns the two main characters tossed back and forth was at first mildly awkward for me but when you are dating and comfortable you let down your guard and let the real person out. I do recommend this movie but you need to be patient and let it unfold.