Kiss at Pine Lake

6.0/10 · 1,412 ratings20121h 28mJuly 4thWeirdness 2/10Bingo card

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The premise

A boy and a girl fall in love during summer camp and promise to stay in touch, but they don't. Fifteen years later they meet again in the same camp under very different circumstances. What will happen to the camp and will they try again?

How unusual is it?

Mostly classic comfort-watch, give or take a second-chance romance.

Who’s in it

Behind the camera

Show

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 protagonist names his multi-million dollar investment firm 'Zeppo Enterprises' because Zeppo was his favorite Marx Brother.
  • The antagonist is literally picked up and thrown into a lake by the protagonist and a government official at the end of the movie.
  • The state safety inspector happens to be a former camper whose life was changed by a rope bridge incident at the exact same camp.

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 35 to find more movies that do the same thing.

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 fifteen years in the past at Camp Pine Lake, where teenagers Luke Garvey and Zoe McDowell share a tearful goodbye at the end of summer, promising to write and see each other again. In the present day, Luke has become a successful but anonymous philanthropist operating under the name 'Zeppo Enterprises,' managed by his best friend Tommy. Luke buys Camp Pine Lake from his Uncle Charlie to save it from being sold to strangers, despite the camp's significant debt and physical disrepair. Meanwhile, Zoe McDowell is an ambitious executive at Shoreman Leonard, a development firm. Her boss, Peter Shoreman, tasks her with acquiring a 'hemorrhaging' property in Oregon—Camp Pine Lake—to turn it into a luxury resort. Zoe arrives at the camp and is shocked to find Luke there; their reunion is punctuated by Luke literally falling off a roof in front of her. Luke keeps his ownership of the camp a secret at first, while Zoe hides the fact that her firm intends to tear the camp down. As they spend time together, Zoe helps with camp activities and reconnects with her old friend Erica, who also returns to the camp. The conflict escalates when Peter Shoreman arrives personally, revealing he knows about the camp's numerous safety violations and Luke's identity as the owner. Luke feels betrayed, believing Zoe was merely scouting the property for Peter. Zoe also struggles with her own past; her mother left her father while Zoe was at camp years ago, leading to a life of instability that she tries to counter with corporate success. To save the camp, Luke and Zoe organize a massive 4th of July 'farewell' celebration, inviting decades of alumni. The plan seems doomed when the State Safety Inspector, Andrew Templeton, arrives to shut the camp down by midnight. However, it is revealed that Andrew was a former camper who was once terrified of the camp's rope bridge until Luke and Tommy helped him. Moved by nostalgia and the camp's impact on his life, Andrew agrees to give them a week to bring the camp up to code if he can help with the repairs. Peter Shoreman is humiliated and physically carried away by the campers, eventually being thrown into the lake. Zoe quits her job to stay with Luke, and the camp is saved for future generations.

Beat by beat

  1. Opening

    Luke and Zoe share a romantic goodbye as teenagers at Camp Pine Lake, promising to stay in touch.

  2. Inciting Incident

    Luke anonymously buys the failing camp to save it, while Zoe is sent by her developer boss to buy the land and tear it down.

  3. Midpoint

    Zoe and Luke reunite at the camp; Luke hides his ownership while Zoe hides her company's plan to build a resort.

  4. Climax

    Peter Shoreman arrives to force the sale, revealing the camp's safety violations and Luke's secret ownership.

  5. Resolution

    The state inspector is revealed to be a former camper who helps save the camp after being moved by the 4th of July reunion.

35 tropes in one movie

We counted 35 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.

Rating 6.0 vs every rated Hallmark moviemedian 6.4This movie · 6.0567

Higher-rated than 15% of every rated Hallmark movie. The median is 6.4.

Where this one fits

The corners of the catalog Kiss at Pine Lake 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.

  • “When I'm rich, I'm making you my sidekick.”
    — Luke GarveySaid to Tommy during a flashback, establishing their lifelong bond.
  • “The camp may be the same, but the world has changed.”
    — Tommy AtkinsWarning Luke about the difficulty of keeping a traditional camp running in the modern era.
  • “I'm reporting you! Bye-bye!”
    — Peter ShoremanHis final words as he is being carried away to be thrown in the lake.

Meet the characters

Who’s who before you press play. Nothing here gives the ending away.

  • Luke Garvey

    Lead

    Philanthropist and Camp Owner

    NostalgicIdealisticSecretiveKind-hearted
  • Zoe McDowell

    Love interest

    Corporate Executive

    Former summer sweetheart

    AmbitiousOrganizedGuardedSentimental
  • Peter Shoreman

    Antagonist

    Real Estate Developer

    Zoe's boss

    GreedyRuthlessArrogant
  • Tommy Atkins

    Supporting

    Business Manager

    Best friend and business partner

    LoyalSarcasticPragmatic
  • Erica Taft

    Supporting

    Zoe's childhood friend

    QuirkySupportive

Questions people ask about Kiss at Pine Lake

Where can I watch Kiss at Pine Lake?

Kiss at Pine Lake is available via Hallmark+ Amazon Channel, Hallmark+ Apple TV channel, and Hallmark TV Amazon Channel. Streaming options change often, so check current availability before settling in.

How long is Kiss at Pine Lake?

Kiss at Pine Lake runs about 1 hour and 28 minutes, and was released in 2012.

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Data and sources

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Sources:IMDbTMDB