Love by Chance

6.1/10 · 2,715 ratings20161h 24mWeirdness 3/10Bingo card

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The premise

Claire's mother is Claire's secret matchmaker.

How unusual is it?

Mostly classic comfort-watch, give or take mistaken identity.

Who’s in it

Behind the camera

Show

Wait, what?

The quirks and curveballs that make this one a little weirder than your average Hallmark. No spoilers, promise.

  • The mother essentially catfishes a man on a dating app using her daughter's identity.
  • The mother stalks the love interest at his place of work (a pediatric clinic) to force a date.
  • The revelation that the parents' 34-year marriage was also based on the mother's manipulation of a 'meet-cute' in a bookstore.
  • The 'Wandering Gourmet' review specifically mentions the 'wonderful drama' of the owners fighting in the kitchen as a positive attribute.

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 27 to find more movies that do the same thing.

Why we’d put this one on

The premise is one line and it is a great one: Claire's mother is Claire's secret matchmaker. Beau Garrett plays Claire, a pastry chef trying to keep her new bakery afloat and exhausted by her mom's meddling. What she does not know is that her mother, played by Brenda Strong, has built a fake online profile and hand-picked a kind pediatrician, Benjamin Ayres, to "accidentally" meet her. The film leans all the way in, even revealing the parents' own 34-year marriage began with one of mom's engineered meet-cutes. At a 6.2 it is light and daffy, with plenty of bakery warmth. How Claire takes the truth is the whole question.

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)
Claire and her business partner Marco are struggling to make their bakery, Gilded Sweets, a financial success while waiting for a career-making review from the mysterious 'Wandering Gourmet.' Claire's mother, Helen, is a successful real estate agent and a serial matchmaker who has successfully paired six couples. Despite Claire's pleas for her mother to stop interfering in her love life, Helen creates a profile for Claire on a dating site called Destiny Match. After a disastrous setup with a man named Peter Bloom, Helen encounters Eric, a handsome pediatrician, at a bar. Realizing he is a perfect match, Helen tracks him down at his medical office and convinces him to attend an art gallery fundraiser where Claire is catering. Eric is initially hesitant but is charmed by Claire when they meet 'by chance' at the event. Their first date involves taking leftover pastries to sick children at the hospital, cementing their bond. As their romance blossoms, Eric struggles with the guilt of knowing their meeting was orchestrated by Helen. Meanwhile, Claire's father, Sam, becomes suspicious of Helen's secretive behavior after his brother Arnie shows him a photo of Helen meeting Eric in a park. Sam confronts Helen, discovering she hid a second copy of a book decades ago to manipulate their own 'meet-cute.' Sam insists that Helen tell Claire the truth. Before she can, the bakery's electricity fails, and Eric helps save the day, further endearing himself to Claire. Eventually, Helen confesses her meddling to Claire, who feels betrayed by both her mother and Eric. Claire breaks up with Eric, feeling that their 'fate' was merely a lie. However, the bakery receives a glowing four-star review from the Wandering Gourmet, who turns out to be a woman they served during a moment of high drama. This success, combined with a heartfelt apology from Helen and a sincere declaration of love from Eric—who argues that while the meeting was planned, their feelings are real—leads to a reconciliation. The film ends with Helen and Sam finally booking their long-delayed retirement trip to Italy and Claire and Eric together.

Beat by beat

  1. Opening

    Claire and Marco struggle with their bakery's finances while Claire's mother, Helen, unsuccessfully tries to set her up with Peter Bloom.

  2. Inciting Incident

    Helen creates a fake dating profile for Claire, meets Eric at a bar, and later stalks him at his office to convince him to meet Claire.

  3. Midpoint

    Claire and Eric meet at a gallery fundraiser and begin a romantic relationship, while Eric hides the truth about Helen's involvement.

  4. Complication

    Claire's father Sam discovers Helen's secret meetings with Eric and realizes Helen also manipulated their own marriage's origin story.

  5. Climax

    Helen confesses her meddling to Claire; Claire feels her relationship is a lie and breaks up with Eric.

  6. Resolution

    The bakery receives a 4-star review, Helen and Claire reconcile, and Eric wins Claire back by declaring his love is independent of how they met.

27 tropes in one movie

We counted 27 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 6.1 vs every rated Hallmark moviemedian 6.4This movie · 6.1567

Higher-rated than 22% of every rated Hallmark movie. The median is 6.4.

Where this one fits

The corners of the catalog Love by Chance 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.

  • “Perfecting a coconut lime tart is an on-going quest. It's like a triple axel for a skater.”
    — ClaireExplaining her dedication to her craft at the start of the film.
  • “My meddling days are done. That's what I wanted to tell her.”
    — HelenHelen lying to Sam about her continued interference.
  • “So my favourite story about us is a lie? Great.”
    — SamSam reacting to Helen's confession that she manipulated their first meeting 34 years ago.
  • “The ambience was equally appealing and the owners provided wonderful drama, both in and out of the kitchen.”
    — The Wandering Gourmet (Review)The final review that saves the bakery.

Meet the characters

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

  • Claire Michaels

    Lead

    Pastry Chef

    HardworkingIndependentIdealisticTalented
  • Eric Carlton

    Love interest

    Pediatrician

    Boyfriend

    KindGuilt-riddenGood with kidsHonest
  • Helen Michaels

    Supporting

    Real Estate Agent

    Mother

    MeddlingRelentlessManipulativeLoving
  • Marco

    Supporting

    Bakery Co-owner

    Business Partner

    SupportivePessimisticLoyal
  • Sam Michaels

    Supporting

    Financial Advisor

    Father

    PatientPrincipledRomantic

Questions people ask about Love by Chance

Where can I watch Love by Chance?

Love by Chance is available via fuboTV, Philo, and YouTube TV. Streaming options change often, so check current availability before settling in.

How long is Love by Chance?

Love by Chance runs about 1 hour and 24 minutes, and was released in 2016.

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