Here’s the thing about Hallmark movies – they find you when you need them. They don’t ask questions, they make you think about what you need and they give you the heart, the soul, and the love you need. Yes, I am a little sappy right now, but that reason being is that I am sitting watching Field Day and I am thinking about my friends.
The power of female friendships and how we need them in our lives. Yes, I know that as we get older and friendships change, we sometimes don’t see how much they are needed. But older doesn’t mean that you’re dead. Older doesn’t mean that you stop feeling. Older doesn’t mean that you stop needing people.
You need them more.
But it’s also a movie about healing and the power of grief. It’s about loving someone so much that you honor their memory and their love for you. It’s about healing and why you need to move forward.
And yes, there is school and Field Day. But it’s so much more than that. Field Day is a movie that reminds you that living is a gift. Loving is a gift. Everything happens for a reason and we can’t take those moments for granted.
So yes, a movie about Field Day, well it destroyed me in a way, but it also reminded me about what a gift it is to take another breath and give your heart to someone.
It’s About This: Jen (Rachel Boston), Marissa (Carmel Amit) and Kelly (Shannon Chan-Kent) are moms from different backgrounds who are thrown together to plan the annual Field Day at their kids’ school. Along the way, they navigate a myriad of obstacles, including an unsupportive head of the PTO. New to town and still trying to move on following the loss of her husband, Jen is thankful to have the encouragement of Dan (Benjamin Ayres), the school’s P.E. teacher who is becoming a good friend…or could this be the start of something more? As the planning continues, Jen, Marissa and Kelly bond as friends who will stop at nothing to make sure their kids are happy, with each of them finding their own path as their friendship grows stronger.
It’s Giving: Hallmark is shocking us with the fact that they aren’t following the usual formula that they would give us. Instead they are giving us movies with a twist, with different themes, and little moments that make us take a second look. Yes, Field Day is giving contention for the Top 10 Hallmark movies of 2023.
It’s giving we need these three – Rachel Boston, Shannon Chan-Kent, and Carmel Amit in more movies together.
Standout Performance: Rachel Boston. Her mix of strength and vulnerability in her performance, made me cry. She comes across in all of her roles as making the viewer believe that they can and should be who they are. Loved her in this movie.
Overall Emotional Response: Field Day is one of the best Hallmark Movies that I have watched this year. It’s definitely ranking in the top 10 of all time. Why? Because this movie is a mixture of comedy, friendship, and the realization of what is right now. Led by three women – Rachel Boston, Shannon Chan-Kent, and Carmel Amit – who absolutely shine as Mom’s who are trying to do their best for their kids and yes, life isn’t perfect. It just is.
Field Day is a script that is filled with laughter and moments that remind us that even as we get older, friendships are part of what make us better people. Yes, sometimes it feels like we’re stuck in high school and that we’re never going to break free, but is that a bad thing? Sometimes we need to remain youthful and filled with wonderment.
The exceptionalism of Field Day is that it manages to mix the seriousness with light hearted. The characters of Jen, Marissa, and Kelly are fabulous – you can related to them and you can also find yourself in them. The three of them mesh. They are all completely different characters, but they find a way to make everything work. The three characters backstories remind you of why you need to keep growing. As you get older, you are still allowed to live.
The thing with this movie – the backstories of all these characters play into who they are currently and their motivation for being involved in Field Day. These women are trying to be the best mothers while finding balance, courage, and overcoming the past. Just like in life – there is the mean girls that are making life miserable, the want to prove them wrong, and the need to prove something to themselves.
Nothing is going to be perfect, but with such a well written script, this feels a little perfect. This movie feels like you can laugh, cry, and take in every moment – because it’s telling you that you can do everything you can and things may get screwed up, but yet, you can still find a way to take the joy in things. Yes, it seems like it’s about Moms, and it is, but it’s something that an woman can take a lesson from.
It’s like an ode to growing older, but reminding you to live. It’s reminding you to cry (the live, laugh, love moment), and it’s reminding you about the power of friendships. We all need them.
