Hallmark Review: 'A Godwink Christmas: Second Chance, First Love'

This Christmas, divorced father Pat Godfrey (Sam Page) and his sons John and PJ (Rhys Slack and Knox Hamilton) are weathering a lot of changes. After selling his outdoor adventure business in Hawaii, Pat has returned home to Boise to stay with his mother Lois (Michele Scarabelli) while he looks for new employment. Soon after his arrival, however, he has a coincidental run-in with the last person he expected to see: Margie Southworth (Brooke D'Orsay), his high school girlfriend turned hard-working regional vice president for a national retail company.

While many around them hope this chance re-encounter will bring the pair back together, Pat and Margie are certain it's not to be. After all, Pat wants to focus on finding a new job and raising his boys while Margie wants to give her new relationship with co-worker Scott (Zahf Paroo) a chance. But as Christmas grows closer and more "coincidences" bring Pat and Margie together, even they begin to wonder if fate is trying to tell them something. Can a series of Godwinks bring two high school sweethearts together in time for Christmas?

At this rate, it seems that from now on, every year will have Hallmark treat its audience to a new chapter of the Godwink Christmas series. While the series (based on the Godwink book series written by Squire Rushnell and Louise DuArt) got off to a "Meh" start, things quickly turned around with the release of the series' second installment. The saga's 2020 addition continues the trend of the Godwink franchise moving forward from its mediocre premiere. While it doesn't reach the same level as Meant for Love, Second Chance, First Love is nonetheless a fun and heartwarming tale of rekindled romance made even sweeter by its lovable characters and the people playing them.

Story-wise, Second Chance, First Love is pretty far from new. It's your standard "Reunited High School Sweethearts" Hallmark plot that's been done plenty of times, with other familiar side stories going on in the background. It's through the cast and characters that the plot avoids becoming too dry to enjoy. Pat and Margie are both effortlessly likable and selfless characters, with Sam Page and Brooke D'Orsay sharing strong chemistry as their characters reconnect and begin to fall in love again. D'Orsay brings an infectiously chipper energy to her character, aligning with Margie's kind-hearted personality. In a nice touch of depth, that kindness takes on a subtly tragic connotation once Margie's family life is delved into (her younger self's reaction to Pat saying he loves her doesn't speak highly of Margie's parents). It also makes it hit a lot harder when Margie begins having doubts and worries about both her career and her potential future with Pat.

Page, meanwhile, throws himself into Pat's fatherly nature. From his first scene to his last, you never doubt that Pat loves his boys with all his heart and would do anything to make them happy--even at the cost of his own happiness. Page's scenes with Rhys Slack and Knox Hamilton are adorable to watch, and both child actors make John and PJ cute without becoming annoying. And like Meant for Love, the Godwinks seen throughout Second Chance, First Love aren't just connected to Pat and Margie's romance. They also come into play in regards to their jobs and the future for Pat and his family. While they're not as dynamic as the Godwinks of Meant for Love, it's still a nice touch that brings charm to the central theme of this franchise.

The supporting cast is just as good as the main players, with a few memorable gems standing out. Michele Scarabelli is equal parts warm and fun as Pat's supportive mother Lois and Zenia Marshall perfectly matches D'Orsay's energy level as Margie's endearingly loyal assistant Kelly. And after seeing her play a memorably cruel ex-wife/mother in Ion Television's A Firehouse Christmas, Anita Brown's performance as Pat's ex-wife Casey was a breath of fresh air. Casey is nothing short of loving and civil towards her children and ex-husband respectively, with Brown excelling at bringing those qualities to life.

Occupying the lesser half of the supporting cast, however, we have three players: frequent Hallmark stars Zahf Paroo and Brenda Crichlow and the newer-to-the-scene Katrina Reynolds. Paroo and Crichlow are given easy-to-like characters to play in the form of Margie's boyfriend Scott and boss Willa, and there are plenty of moments when they both show off their charming sides. Paroo in particular is at his best when Scott proves he truly does care about Margie, to the point where he SPOILER ALERT is willing to turn down a lucrative promotion when it appears to mean ousting Margie from the company she's grown to love. Spoilers Over But there's also just as many moments when their performances feel flat and lacking in emotion. Katrina Reynolds, on the other hand, suffers more because of her character than from how she plays her. While Reynolds' performance is decent and her character is as likable as everyone else, Carmen is such a generic and underused Heroine's BFF archetype that Reynolds struggles to make a memorable impression.

As a whole, though, the cast of Second Chance, First Love bring their all to their performances and elevate what could've been an unengaging romance. The story consists of several tropes and plot beats that Hallmark has used countless times before, but like the best films in their library, the heartfelt atmosphere and earnest cast bring the spice and magic that makes the recycled plot fresh. It's not a story that can outdo Meant for Love's, but it's sweet enough to keep you invested and root for fate to bring Margie and Pat back together, with a final act just as touching as its predecessor's. If this and Meant for Love are indicative of where the Godwink series is heading, I wouldn't mind seeing it become Hallmark's annual cinematic tradition.

Score: 8.5 out of 10 Hawaiian snowmen.