The Note (film)

The Note
200 px
Written by	Paul W. Cooper (teleplay) Angela Hunt (novel) Douglas Barr (screenplay)
Directed by	Douglas Barr
Starring	Genie Francis Ted McGinley
Theme music composer	Eric Allaman
Original language(s)	English
Production
Producer(s)	Cindy Bond Joel S. Rice William Spencer Reilly Steve Solomos Karen M. Waldron
Cinematography	Derick V. Underschultz
Editor(s)	Cindy Parisotto
Distributor	Hallmark Channel
Release
Original release	December 8, 2007 (USA) (Faith & Values Media)
Chronology
Followed by	Taking a Chance on Love

The Note is a television movie directed by Douglas Barr and starring Genie Francis and Ted McGinley. The movie aired on Hallmark Channel in December 2007. It is based on the novel by Angela Hunt. It was filmed on location in Hamilton, Ontario.

Plot summary

Newspaper columnist Peyton MacGruder (Genie Francis) finds a note addressed simply to 'T', washed up on shore. It appears to be from the victim of a recent plane crash, and carries a message of hope and forgiveness from a father to his child. MacGruder's readership is down on her column (called "Heart Healer"), and the paper is going to dump it unless she starts to write from the heart. Inspired, MacGruder decides to find the intended recipient of the note, all the while logging her journey through her article. As the mystery unfolds, the note affects each person she contacts significantly.

Cast

• Genie Francis as Peyton MacGruder
• Ted McGinley as Kingston "King" Danville
• Rick Roberts as Truman Harris
• Genelle Williams as Mandi
• Maria Ricossa as Nora
• Katie Boland as Christine
• Jim Codrington as Reverend Tim Lavery
• Heather Hanson as Taylor Quist
• Gord Rand as Tanner Walton

Differences from the novel

• The book does not take place in the winter time, therefore it is not surrounded by the Christmas holiday.
• The book's events take place in Tampa Bay, Florida. In the movie, the events transpire in Middleborough, North Carolina.
• In the movie, Katie Boland's character is named Christine. In the book, she's named Lila.

Promotion

To support the premiere of the film, Hallmark Channel launched a website on October 22, 2007 called www.WhatWouldYouWrite.com, where viewers could submit their own personalized notes to family and friends and answer the question ‘who would you reach out to if you only had a minute?’ The website has since been disconnected.

Reception

The Note became Hallmark Channel’s highest-rated film of 2007 and third highest all-time rating.

Movie Room Reviews stated:

The Note is truly a heartwarming tale [sic] that is fun for the whole family. It offers a story with a deep meaning and hidden storyline. It also demonstrates how someone seemingly up against a wall yet continuing to be pushed, can remain resilient.

However, DVD Verdict called it "syrupy", but that fans of other Hallmark Channel-type fare will "find a treasure trove of positivity and middle-aged sexual tension."

Sequel

Due to the success of the movie for Hallmark Channel, a sequel was made, entitled Taking a Chance on Love, which was written by Douglas Barr. (The Note author Angela Hunt did a novelization of Barr's script.) The original cast returned to reprise their roles.

Another sequel, Notes From the Heart Healer, was broadcast on May 12, 2012.

External links

• The Note on Hallmark Channel
• The Note at IMDb
• The Note at AllMovie