Guiding Emily
7.8/10 · 1,082 ratings20231h 24mWeirdness 6/10
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United States19 ways
Canada3 ways
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JustWatch · can change anytime.
The premise
Follows Emily as she struggles to cope with her new reality after losing her sight and Garth, a potential guide dog struggling with his training. With a bit of help both make headway in their important transitions.
How unusual is it?
More than most. Talking animals pushes it well past the usual Hallmark template — the strangest 18% of everything we've logged.
Who’s in it
Alongside them
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Behind the camera
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Directed by
Written by
Wait, what?
The quirks and curveballs that make this one a little weirder than your average Hallmark. No spoilers, promise.
- The dog, Garth, provides a first-person internal monologue throughout the entire film.
- The protagonist's co-workers stage an intervention where they literally refuse to let her quit her job.
- A 'peanut-butter pupcake' tradition is treated with significant narrative weight.
- The love interest builds a tactile rock-climbing wall out of Legos.
Every trope, all in one place
Here’s everything this one has going on, from the setting to the way it wraps up. Tap any of the 25 to find more movies that do the same thing.
Time & season2
Premise2
Characters7
Romance5
Tone & quirks2
How it ends1
How it all plays out
Already seen it, or just can’t wait? Open this up for the whole story, ending included.
Full story (spoilers)
The film begins with Emily, a list-oriented tech manager, and her boyfriend Connor enjoying an active life of rock climbing. Parallel to this, a puppy named Garth is born and selected for guide dog training, with Garth providing internal monologue about his journey. During a celebratory hike after Connor rings a climbing bell, Emily suffers a freak accident, falling and hitting her head. This results in post-traumatic iridocyclitis, leaving her blind. While Emily hopes for a temporary recovery, the bandages come off to reveal permanent vision loss. Her boyfriend Connor, unable to handle the reality of her disability, accepts a two-year promotion in Tokyo and leaves her, causing Emily to retreat to her mother's home in a state of depression.
Emily's recovery is sparked by two main forces: her co-worker Drew, who refuses to accept her resignation and builds her a voice-activated workstation, and her friend Matthew, the owner of the climbing gym. Matthew pushes Emily to leave her porch and introduces her to a school for the blind. There, she meets Julie, an instructor who is also blind and demonstrates that a full, independent life is possible. Emily begins the arduous process of learning 'Orientation and Mobility' using a white cane. Meanwhile, Garth the puppy is being raised by Katie; though he is highly food-motivated and easily distracted, he encounters Emily twice by chance and feels an immediate connection to her.
As Emily regains her confidence and returns to work, Garth struggles in his final guide dog evaluations because he is waiting for his 'person.' When Emily finally visits the Guide Dog Foundation, Garth recognizes her immediately and refuses to pair with anyone else. The foundation realizes they are a perfect match. In the climax, Matthew presents Emily with a tactile Lego-based model of the climbing gym's wall so she can memorize the holds. Emily successfully climbs the wall and rings the bell, symbolizing her triumph over her circumstances. The film concludes with Matthew confessing his long-standing love for Emily, and the two share a kiss as Garth proudly narrates his success in finding his forever home and his purpose.
Beat by beat
Opening
Emily loses her sight in a hiking accident while Garth the puppy is selected for guide dog training.
Inciting Incident
Emily's bandages are removed, revealing her blindness is permanent; Connor breaks up with her to move to Tokyo.
Midpoint
Emily's co-workers refuse her resignation, and Matthew convinces her to attend a school for the blind.
Turning Point
Emily masters the white cane and returns to work, while Garth fails to bond with other handlers because he is waiting for Emily.
Climax
Emily is officially paired with Garth and uses a tactile map to successfully rock climb again.
Resolution
Matthew confesses his love to Emily, and Garth celebrates his new life as her guide.
Did you know?
A few things that make this one stand out once you stack it up against every other Hallmark movie.
Among everything Hallmark put out in 2023, this is the highest rated on the site — 7.8 out of 10.
25 tropes in one movie
We counted 25 distinct Hallmark tropes packed into this one — a genuine greatest-hits reel.
How it stacks up
Where this one’s rating lands against every other rated Hallmark movie.
Higher-rated than 99% of every rated Hallmark movie. The median is 6.4.
Where this one fits
The corners of the catalog Guiding Emily belongs to — handy if you’re after more of the same.
Lines worth quoting
The lines that stuck with us — the ones you’ll be repeating after the credits roll.
“The sound of a pencil-scratching something off a list... happiest part of my day.”
— EmilyExplaining her personality to Connor before the accident. “I lost my sight temporarily, not my decision-making skills.”
— EmilyTelling her mother and Connor to stop talking about her in the third person. “If you jump in to save her every time she has a setback, she's never going to regain her independence.”
— JulieAdvising Matthew not to help Emily when she falls during cane training. “I think that Garth has decided that you... are his person.”
— MarkExplaining why the guide dog refused to bond with anyone else.
Meet the characters
Who’s who before you press play. Nothing here gives the ending away.
Emily Main
LeadTech Manager
AmbitiousResilientList-makerAthleticMatthew
Love interestClimbing Gym Owner
Friend and eventual boyfriend
PatientSupportiveEncouragingConnor
AntagonistCorporate Executive
Ex-boyfriend
Self-centeredAvoidantCareer-drivenGarth
SupportingGuide Dog
Guide dog and narrator
Food-motivatedLoyalObservantDrew
SupportingSoftware Developer
Co-worker
LoyalPersistentTech-savvy
Questions people ask about Guiding Emily
Where can I watch Guiding Emily?
Guiding Emily is available via fuboTV, YouTube TV, and Philo. Streaming options change often, so check current availability before settling in.
How long is Guiding Emily?
Guiding Emily runs about 1 hour and 24 minutes, and was released in 2023.
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