Being sick all weekend, I just caught up on the latest Hallmark Channel movie. Two Scoops of Italy, I didn’t know how much I needed you, until you were right there and I felt all of the feels.
One thing that I love about Hallmark and their romance movies is that they are somewhat predictable. I know, people hate when I say that, but it’s the truth. I love knowing that there will be a happy ending. I love knowing that there will be a journey, but how we get to the ending of happiness may be not what we expect, but it will get there. It will allow you a release of emotions and the faith that love is out there – somewhere.
Passport to Love has been different for me. It’s been the unexpected sitting there, staring at me and making me come to terms with the reality that predictable is no more. Yes, you’ll still get a happy ending, but it’s not the conventional ones that we’re used to.
It’s the happy ending that feels more true to life. It’s happy endings that show you that the woman doesn’t always have to follow the man to where he is. It’s showing you that love is a compromise and that dreams can change and evolve. But as scary as that may sound – it’s not so scary when you see it play out in front of you and you’re left with faith.
Faith that things can change for the better.
Two Scoops of Italy is about love – sure. But it’s more about finding yourself, paying attention to the world around you, communication, and never giving up on your dreams. The gist of the movie is Danielle (Hunter King) is a chef that has lost her inspiration. Her restaurant in New York is temporarily closed while she tries to find a direction. Her financier is considering pulling out of the restaurant. Then to top it off, she has a vacation planned. Hesitant to take the vacation, she decides to, hopeful to find inspiration.
The thing about inspiration is that it comes in the weirdest of ways. Though I am not sure that I loved a hate you to love you trope in this movie, I see why they did it. I just also feel that sometimes what we need is a different way. It’s hard because I don’t like to criticize writing in any way, because a writer gives their heart. The whole annoyed by you, don’t like you cause you said something not so nice to me, and then I like you… well it felt very sixth grade.
But while I do say that, I did love the evolution of the relationship between Danielle and Giancarlo. The way that they found inspiration through the way that each of them saw things, how they would take that and move forward. They each taught each other about following dreams, but also about finding themselves.
Their relationship felt quick, but we’re in a movie and that is natural. If looking at it from the terms of a movie, they were spending all their time together. For Danielle, she felt like it was taking her away from her menu writing, but I do believe that it was her way of finding something within herself. Giancarlo enjoyed every moment with her because he was finding something within himself.
It’s the way that the two learned from each other that made me believe that what was happening was genuine. It takes two great actors to pull that off. It takes two great actors to make you think that feelings are genuine and that you are watching them fall in love.
Not to even mention the way that the movie was shot made you feel as though you were being transported away to the Italian countryside. It made you see the beauty in the architecture, the history, and different cultures. I think that when it comes to Passport to Love movies, this season, they’ve done an amazing job at making you feel like, as the viewer you’re on vacation.
And that’s been a beautiful thing.
But back to Danielle and Giancarlo. As the two find what they are looking for, they also find what they are not looking for. They realize that the way that their lives are going is from a lack of communication and telling people – hell telling themselves what they really want.
It doesn’t mean that the two didn’t fall in love. They did. They did and they thought that life would take them apart. They believed that their lives were too different and they were too far apart to ever find a way to work it out. Partially because Giancarlo was never going to leave his father.
It was when his father told him that he needed to live his life and follow his heart that I knew that his life would change. I knew that sometimes we all need our parents to tell us what we can and can’t do. We grow up, but we sometimes still need the assurance that all is well and that it’s okay to live our best lives.
What I did love the most was that at the end – it wasn’t the girl chasing after the guy and giving up her life and moving across the world. It was the man who followed her. I think that was an important aspect of the movie, reminding women that you don’t have to be the one that gives up everything. If love is meant to be, it will find a way.
Over all Two Scoops of Italy was 🍦🍦🍦🍦🍦 for me.
