Tom Dick & Harriet (2013 TV Movie) User Reviews

Not an Hallmark Romcom

[boblipton · 7/10 · 17 March 2013]

Steven Weber's ad agency has just been folded into another and he is out of a job at fifty -- too old to get a new job despite impressive credentials. He has bills to pay, so he gets con man Andrew Francis to act as his beard. Michele Harrison starts off as the third leg in the romantic comedy until MacKenzie Porter, as Weber's daughter serves to separate the men from the boys.

So what makes this better than the average Hallmark romcom? It's difficult for me to mention many specific issues. One is the tentative manner the actors all assume. It makes it clear the characters are finding their ways through unfamiliar territory. Another is the photography. This romcom is rooted in the advertising industry and director of photography Neil Cervin composes a lot of shots like print ads and TV ads instead of the more naturalistic lighting and subtler composition that story films are usually shot in.

More than these technical issues, there is a thoughtfulness in the script, particularly an exchange in which the leads decry the youth-addicted culture. Yes, this panders to the demographics for the Hallmark Channel, but I'm a member of that demographic. I don't mind having my ego stroked occasionally.

liked it

[jewelch · 7/10 · 3 March 2021]

It was a good clean movie. Liked that. It had a pretty predictable plot, but did have a lesson to it. In this world where beauty and youth seem to be what is valued, it was refreshing to see that experience and knowledge are still what makes things work. Enjoyed the movie and will Recommend it. James Welch Henderson, Arkansas 3/2/2021

A nice Hallmark outing for Steven Weber

[studioAT · 5/10 · 26 March 2020]

Steven Weber for me will always be Jack Rudolph in 'Studio 60', and it was nice to see him pop up here in this Hallmark film.

It's one that doesn't fit the normal rom-com formula that the channels films often follow, and that is refreshing in itself.

With themes such as new beginnings and the worth of wisdom I thought this film had some lovely moments.

It's perhaps not my favourite Hallmark film, but it was enjoyable enough.

All's Fair in Love and Advertising

[codenamePHOENIX · 7/10 · 21 October 2022]

Not your typical Hallmark romantic comedy but one that you will still enjoy. Tom unfortunately gets fired because he's deem "too old" and meets Dick a con man that agrees to work with him to pitch Tom's ideas. Along the way both find love, Tom with Harriet a former coworker and Dick with Tom's daughter. I really enjoyed the dynamic between Tom and Dick they both benefited from meeting each other and working together. It wouldn't surprise me if Tom helps Dick with his dream of becoming a chef and opening his own restaurant. Or if Dick hires Tom to help advertise his future restaurant, either way I see Tom and Dick having a good and lasting friendship.

Clichéd, and hypocritical to boot

[dallas_viewer · 2/10 · 5 October 2013]

**Spoilers below**

I found this movie to be absolutely "the same ol' same ol". Dialogue was rather clichéd and trite--nothing you haven't seen and heard before. The premise--oh, hey look, I lost my job and am too old to land another one, and I just found out my daughter needs a boatload of money for college by next week, so I'll just whip up this scheme--was a stretch. (BTW--in the real world, if you have a solid work record, yet you're told you're being let go essentially because you're too old/old looking, you'd probably think about filing an age discrimination lawsuit. In this movie, though, that idea never even comes up.)

The father/daughter convos were especially silly, particularly toward the latter half of the movie, where I felt the father had every right to want his daughter to come home with him instead of being left alone with a con man (who, BTW, has an amazingly large and well-appointed apartment for a young man of uncertain means).

Instead, the father is made out to be the "bad" guy, while the impulsive daughter is apparently supposed to be the voice of reason. Please.

And here's something else I found offensive about this movie. The whole movie centers around the idea that Tom is being judged in the work world, and found wanting, based on his age and looks, rather than on his considerable talent. (He's 50 with some graying hair.) And yet his love interest is a good 15 years younger than he! At one point in the movie, a very stereotypically blue-collar middle-aged NY waitress points out that Tom is a good age for *her*. But the movie delivers this observation in a manner that clearly telegraphs to the audience the message "As if...!"

See, it's terribly wrong to consider a man washed up at his job strictly based on looks and age, but it's okay to assume that this same man, looking for romance, will of course pair up with a much younger woman, and not a woman actually close to his own age.

Thanks for the double standard, Hallmark.

A solid film for the underrated Steven Weber

[TheGoldenChild1986 · 8/10 · 17 March 2013]

Tom Dick and Harriet's premise was that Tom Burns (Steven Weber) lost his job at an ad agency mainly because he wasn't hip or young enough to appeal to the coveted teenage through early 20s demographic. Then a chance meeting with two grifters ended up changing his life for the better to a certain extent.

Weber is one of the better actors in the business and he showed it on this Hallmark movie of the week.

He had to deal with his daughter moving into his apartment and life, he had to find a way to make enough money (after getting fired) to pay for alimony, his daughter's college tuition, rent and other bills, etc. while trying to find the right woman and right way(s) to get his job back at the same agency that didn't want him around.

The standouts in this film were Weber and Andrew Francis (Dick Varnett). Meanwhile, Tom, Dick, and Harriet was a sweet and innocuous film that showed that it's not about looks, money, and image. It's about experience and talent. But its too bad majority of the people in this world don't understand that.

Tom, Dick & Harry: The Truth is always the best policy ***1/2

[edwagreen · 9/10 · 24 March 2013]

Hot-shot advertising guy Tom Burns wins all the awards but soon finds himself out of work when his comedy is sold and despite his vast talent, he can't find another position as he is 50. Anyone ever hear of the familiar age discrimination nonsense?

Tom has Dick ghost for him. Young Dick at first tried to scam money from Tom. That's how the two first met. Dick falls for Tom's daughter and Tom falls for Harriet,an ad executive at the company that Dick is working for while Tom supplies all the goodies.

The film then goes into the relationships of all involved and how they end once the truth comes out.

True to the nature of any Hallmark film, Dick tells the truth to the head of the agency as well as their leading client. The truth as we know is always the best policy.

A Romantic Comedy With Something To Say...

[gopictures · 10/10 · 14 August 2013]

In Tom, Dick & Harriet, Steven Weber plays Tom, a successful adman who unfortunately is on the wrong side of 50. When his staid, uptown ad agency gets taken over by a hip downtown one, Tom gets fired because he doesn't have the right image. And as we know, image is everything in advertising. Unable to land a new job and desperate, he hires Dick, a 25-year old con man to be his front. Pretending to be a hotshot copywriter, Dick gets hired at the agency that fired Tom and the scam works - until both men fall for the beautiful and smart Harriet, an art director at the agency.

Though the premise for this rom-com works well and the actors are all charming and give winning performances, this comedy has a a much more serious underlying theme - ageism. In the 50's there was a blacklist, today there is a greylist, Tom is told when trying to land a new job. People are not always judged by talent and experience but by age and appearance. But this message goes down easy in this witty, funny and fast paced movie. We are made to care about the plights of all the characters: Tom, who is fighting to win both the girl and his self respect; Dick, who after a troubled childhood is trying to find his place in the world; Harriet, who is torn between the two men; and Kelly, Tom's rebellious daughter who is trying to re-establish a bond with her father that seems to have been lost along the way.

This is not your typical Hallmark movie - the acting, directing and writing are indeed something special. (The film has received several international nominations). So if you're looking for a sharp romantic comedy with something on its mind, check out Tom, Dick & Harriet.

Note: The movie is also being shown under the alternate title: "All's Fair in Love & Advertising".