The Hallmark Channel continues to drop new original content this summer with its latest romance film, Absolutely Devoted to You. Kimberley Sustad leads the way as a hard-working segment producer at a morning show who hopes to finally secure a promotion by reuniting a once-beloved boy band on air. Unfortunately, the group’s main heartthrob (Jesse Metcalfe) refuses to participate, causing problems for the producer that are further complicated by their budding feelings. You probably already know how this will end, but is it still worth a watch? Keep reading to find out!
The Gist: Kaitlin Thompson (Kimberley Sustad) has worked through holidays, family gatherings, and more during her many years working as a segment producer for Merrie & Mason in the Morning. Now that the New York City morning show has a job opening for executive producer, Kaitlin will do whatever it takes to prove to hosts Merrie (Tetiana Ostapowych) and Mason (Barry W. Levy) that she deserves this promotion. When the show’s initial Summer Beach Bash headliner falls through, Kaitlin scrambles to find a replacement, eventually using Merrie’s love for ’90s boy band Absolutely Yeah and their hit summer album Hotter Than July as inspiration. Merrie jumps on the idea, saying that if Kaitlin manages to reunite the defunct group and rope in the famously reclusive lead singer Derrick Dane (Jesse Metcalfe), then the executive producer position is Kaitlin’s. But if she fails… they’ll fill the role with an external hire, and Kaitlin is likely to lose her job as segment producer in the process. So, you know, no pressure or anything.
With everything to lose, Kaitlin enlists her coworker and best friend, Sara (Meghan Heffern), for support as they easily get former Absolutely Yeah members TJ (Drew Henderson), Chip (Doron Bell), and Juan Carlos (Matheus Severo) on board for a reunion. Derrick, however, is harder to pin down. Since the band broke up, he retreated from the public eye, moving to Long Island to work under the outwardly prickly yet warm-hearted Lucille (Lynda Boyd) as a Community Center’s Activities Director. Derrick rejects Kaitlin’s offer for a reunion, preferring to protect his privacy and instead fulfill his dreams of using his talents to bring joy to others. Derrick is especially close to a group of musically-inclined teen boys (Graham Verchere, Connor Wong, Elijah Westgate, and Romar Dungo) at the Center who look up to him, and he’d do just about anything to help them put on a successful variety show fundraiser and earn enough funds to keep the place afloat.
Kaitlin capitalizes on this by proposing to promote the Community Center’s show, and that if the tickets sell out, Derrick has to perform in the Absolutely Yeah reunion at the Summer Beach Bash. Derrick reluctantly agrees, but the more that Kaitlin is around to help improve the boys’ own musical talents and support the Community Center, the more his feelings change. As Kaitlin and Derrick start falling for one another, the lines between professional and personal blur, forcing them both to reconsider what’s important and what they’re willing to sacrifice for the people, things, and ideals they hold dear.
What Movies Will It Remind You Of? You might be reminded of other romance movies where a current or former celebrity falls for a regular working gal, like Music and Lyrics, Win a Date with Tad Hamilton!, and Just Wright.
Performance Worth Watching: Lynda Boyd lights up the screen with effortless charm and humor as Community Center Coordinator Lucille, making a positive impact even with limited screentime.
Memorable Dialogue: This early exchange between Derrick and Kaitlin really sets the tone for more cheesy interactions to come:
“You want Absolutely Yeah to get back together, huh?”
“Absolutely… yeah!”
“Absolutely not!”
Sex And Skin: None.
Our Take: Absolutely Devoted To You pulled me in with a promising start and intriguing premise, hooking me with the silly yet self-aware morning show parody and the fun promise of getting the band back together, all while igniting some ’90s nostalgia with the oddly catchy Hallmarkified boy band song, “Hotter Than July.” Unfortunately, the execution ultimately left me wanting, as these pops of personality and originality give way to storylines and characters lacking the depth or spark that would elevate it into a charming must-see romance instead of the just-okay final product we end up with.
Absolutely Devoted To You isn’t overtly bad, but it’s not especially memorable or entertaining compared to other recent Hallmark Channel rom-coms. The movie is perhaps weighed down by too many characters trying to pull together an already unrealistic storyline in too little time. I don’t mind a lack of realism in a romance as long as the romance itself is good, but Kimberley Sustad and Jesse Metcalfe don’t have the most natural chemistry as Kaitlin and Derrick, and the characters themselves are underwritten. The actors really do commit and give it their best shot in a way that I genuinely appreciated, yet even Sustad’s acting chops can’t save Kaitlin from seeming a little too perfect and girlboss-y, with only hints of vulnerability and backstory that come too late and half-baked for my tastes.
Kaitlin’s bestie, Sara, seems to exist only to further Kaitlin’s plot, and she doesn’t get much personality beyond a random-feeling romance with Absolutely Yeah band member TJ that mostly develops offscreen beyond their initial meeting. We don’t know enough about TJ, Chip, and Juan Carlos to feel very invested in them, and even Derrick starts to feel frustrating, especially as he inexplicably falls for Kaitlin. Sure, she’s pretty and tenacious, but she’s also sort of manipulating Derrick into doing the reunion by dangling the fate of the Community Center and his teen charges in front of him, and it makes their relationship feel a bit forced and hard to root for at times. Tetiana Ostapowych’s Merrie and Lynda Boyd’s Lucille are bright spots that add genuine humor and personality, but their supporting characters and strong performances aren’t enough to set this title apart.
Our Call: Unless you’re a diehard fan of all things Hallmark or particularly enamored with both of this movie’s leads, I wouldn’t say “Absolutely Yeah!” to the passable yet ultimately underwhelming Absolutely Devoted To You. SKIP IT!
How To Watch Absolutely Devoted to You
The only way to watch Hallmark Channel live without cable is by using a live TV streaming service. We recommend DIRECTV, which comes with a five-day free trial before payment begins.
DIRECTV offers a number of flexible subscription options, including Genre Packs, so you can best choose which streaming plans fit your needs and budget. Plans start at $49.99/month.
Hallmark’s Hallmark+ streaming service is also offering a great deal for new subscribers right now. If you subscribe via Prime Video, your first two months will be just $1/month.
Maddy Casale is a Chicago-based writer and comedian who covers everything from animated series to Hallmark movies. Follow her on Duolingo @MCasale.