We all deserve a sanctuary in our lives. For a lot of us, it’s our home. We have a routine – places where things go, routines that make us calm, things that comfort us. Our sanctuary is our Home Turf, and letting people in – well, that’s just not always easy. That all being said, in Hallmark’s latest movie, Home Turf, Nikki Deloach plays a college president, Cassidy, who lets five freshmen from the football team move in while a broken pipe in their dorm is fixed.
When I saw the trailer for Home Turf, I was a little taken aback. It seemed like something so different for Hallmark, and I wasn’t sure exactly what it was. I knew that at a point, it would be romantic, but it’s the rest of the plot that piqued my interest. Was it a movie where we would see the adults parenting the football players? The short answer – yes. The long answer – the growth and parenting were a two-way street.
Leaving home for the first time is a difficult thing. Life is faced with the what-ifs and the that would never happen. The first thing that you need to do is suspend belief, because Home Turf is something that you know would never happen – ever. It was a lawsuit waiting to happen, but once you let that go, you were left with a charming movie that did its job – IT ENTERTAINED.
Whittendale College. DeLoach’s character of Cassidy, hasn’t been on the job long, but there is one thing she knows – she has a budget shortfall. The previous administration was running the college into the ground. However, she is determined to make it work and fix everything as she’s a devoted educator. It’s her life.
Faced with issue after issue, she’s definitely wound tight. But that’s why I love Logan’s character – but he makes her stop and take a breath. Doing that starts her change and growth. She falls into doing great at her job and her personal life.
Things keep going wrong, and it gets worse when she is strong-armed into letting five freshmen move in for the week. The pipe needs to be fixed, and the housing that was found – their football coach feels that it’s too far away. Wanting to be seen as someone who puts the school first, she reluctantly agrees.
And things start spinning out of control. The boys are slobs. Her home becomes a junkyard, with things haphazardly put everywhere. For Cassidy, this is not something she knows or wants to know how to deal with. She just knows that this isn’t going to work, and someone needs to get these boys in line.
The person who strong-armed her to let the boys move in with her is the new football coach. Logan, played by Warren Christie, is charming AF. He’s also all football, all the time. Angry at what her house has turned into, she heads straight to his home to tell him that he’ now moving in to keep these boys in line.
There was a laugh that came out of me at that scene – because deep in my soul I understood exactly what she was doing. I would have done the same. She raked him over the coals, but I kind of think that they both needed it. Logan and Cassidy are just starting, and both need to find their footing. They are so focused on education and football, but what they need to see is the humanity behind these kids.
They are all on the same footing in the sense that they are all starting anew. That being said, the adults in this situation need to understand the kids are going through things. All of them are trying to find their way. Logan and Cassidy are forgetting that, as much as they are trying to make this a safe space for all of the kids on campus, it starts where they are.
Creating boundaries and rules – the boys start to fall in line and develop a routine. Cassidy is seeing them work hard to make everything work, and I do believe that teaches her to look at things differently.
She’s working hard to secure an investment from a donor to make up for the budget downfall. Seeing the things that these kids are going through allows her to see some of the things that they need, and I believe sparks something inside her. She has always had drive, but it’s a different kind here. She knows that whatever she does, the student body needs her.
Sensing that there is something going on with each of the players, Cassidy enlists Logan to help her address what each one of them is going through. Both Cassidy and Logan are busy – but have realized that their job doesn’t remain in the field or head in a book.
That big donor? He’s an alum, and Cassidy is trying to secure millions. The donor is trying to secure notoriety. Cassidy and Logan can figure out what to do and how to convince him to donate.
I love a happy ending. Especially when every character grows and becomes a better version of themselves. College isn’t easy, but it can be one of the best times of your life.
Home Turf – to me – was a departure from the standard Hallmark movie. It is different and innovative for the channel. Hallmark is changing. They know what to offer their viewers, but they also know how to go beyond that formula. Seeing stars like Nikki Deloach take on movies that take a chance by going beyond the standard makes me smile. It shows the commitment of the channel and its stars to be a safe and inclusive place.
And one that is capable of change and appealing to all. I think that it’s a special thing when studios and executives listen to those whom they are serving content to. And yes, a movie is content.
While I am saying that, I want to add that in this movie, DeLoach shines. She’s always captivating, but this time, you see so many different parts of the actress that you can’t help but applaud. Yes, she’s a parent in real life, and I feel like that transferred beautifully to the screen. DeLoach put her all into the movie and definitely shone.
Home Turf isn’t appointment television, but it is a good movie. It’s got heart, and that isn’t something all movies have these days.
