Mending Fences
6.4/10 · 258 ratings20091h 28mWeirdness 4/10
Where to watch
We haven’t pinned down where Mending Fences is streaming yet — check JustWatch.
The premise
After failing to get the anchor woman position she was promised solely as wife (now ex) of a studio boss, Kelly Faraday needs to feel her own roots again. She returns home with daughter Kamilla, to equally stubborn (grand)ma Ruth Hanson. Ruth makes them commit to try keep the ranch in the family at a time of drought, when neighbors sell to a company that wants to build a casino. Kelly's ex Walt Mitchell, now Ruth's foreman, rekindles her love-life, while Kamilla gets on with local rancher Hank Bentley's son Chuck. Further a company's trade in illegal, possibly unsafe drugs is discovered.
How unusual is it?
Middle of the road, with a twist — a second-chance romance keeps it from being totally by-the-book.
A rare specific
Tap to find the other Hallmark movies that share it.
Who’s in it
Behind the camera
ShowHide
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 grandmother fires a live round from a 100-year-old gun in a public town hall meeting to get everyone's attention.
- The protagonist and her love interest almost drown in a secret industrial water tank, which is a very high-stakes 'action movie' beat for a Hallmark film.
- The daughter's 'goth' phase is portrayed through heavy eyeliner and a single conversation about cows peeing on straw.
- The villain is a 'water rustler' who uses slant-drilling technology to steal an entire town's aquifer.
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 36 to find more movies that do the same thing.
Setting2
Time & season2
Characters10
Conflict5
Romance5
Tone & quirks4
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 opens with Kelly Farraday, a successful investigative reporter in Los Angeles, breaking a major story on counterfeit pharmaceuticals. Despite her success, her ex-husband and boss, Robert, passes her over for a lead anchor position in favor of a younger pageant queen. Kelly quits in protest. Shortly after, an old flame named Walt arrives from her hometown of Prosper, Nevada, to secretly inform her that her mother, Ruth, is suffering from degenerative blindness and the family ranch is failing due to a severe drought. Kelly takes her rebellious, goth-styled 14-year-old daughter, Kamilla, back to the ranch, where she finds Ruth as stubborn as ever and the town on the brink of selling out to a casino developer named Jack Norris. While Kamilla begins to shed her city attitude and bonds with a local boy named Chuck and her grandmother, Kelly becomes suspicious of the water crisis. She reconnects with her mentor, Hank, who runs the local paper, and begins investigating the 'water rustlers.' Kelly and Kamilla discover a hidden tunnel and pumping system on township land, leading Kelly to suspect that the water is being diverted to benefit the casino project. The tension escalates when Ruth's eyesight fails during a ride, leading to a dangerous accident where Kamilla is nearly killed. As Kelly digs deeper, she discovers that Mayor Sam is in league with Jack Norris and that they are slant-drilling into the town's aquifer to sell the water to a neighboring town. In a high-stakes climax, Kelly and Walt are nearly drowned when they are trapped in a secret water tank that begins to fill. They escape just in time for Kelly to crash the final town council meeting. In a dramatic confrontation, Ruth fires a warning shot with a vintage pistol to silence the room, allowing Kelly to present photographic evidence of the theft and expose the Mayor's corruption. The casino deal is unanimously voted down, the water is restored, and Kelly decides to turn down a renewed job offer in LA to stay on the ranch and mend her family's fences.
Beat by beat
Opening
Kelly Farraday quits her job as a top news correspondent after being passed over for an anchor position for a younger woman.
Inciting Incident
Walt informs Kelly that her mother is going blind, prompting Kelly to move back to the family ranch in Nevada with her daughter.
Midpoint
Kelly and Kamilla discover a secret industrial pipe system on township land, suggesting the drought is man-made.
Complication
Kamilla is injured in a horse-riding accident during a storm after Ruth's vision fails completely.
Climax
Kelly and Walt are trapped in a filling water tank while investigating the theft; they escape and Kelly exposes the conspiracy at the town meeting.
Resolution
The casino deal is canceled, the corrupt mayor is exposed, and Kelly chooses to stay in Prosper rather than return to her career in LA.
36 tropes in one movie
We counted 36 distinct Hallmark tropes packed into this one — a genuine greatest-hits reel.
The backstory
Mending Fences is a television film premiered in Hallmark Channel on July 18, 2009. It stars Laura Leighton and Angie Dickinson.
How it stacks up
Where this one’s rating lands against every other rated Hallmark movie.
Higher-rated than 46% of every rated Hallmark movie. The median is 6.4.
Where this one fits
The corners of the catalog Mending Fences belongs to — handy if you’re after more of the same.
- Hallmark Summer MoviesA sunny summer setting.
- Hallmark Second-Chance Romance MoviesA rekindled romance.
- Hallmark Dog & Pet MoviesA four-legged matchmaker.
- Hallmark Baking & Cooking MoviesPlenty of time in the kitchen.
- Hallmark Single Parent MoviesA single parent finds love again.
- Hallmark Small Town MoviesA classic small-town setting.
Lines worth quoting
The lines that stuck with us — the ones you’ll be repeating after the credits roll.
“I am a blind lady with a gun. You just need to sit there, be quiet, and listen to what my daughter has to say.”
— Ruth HansonRuth fires a gun in the town council meeting to stop the proceedings. “Everything is personal, dad. Why can't you learn that?”
— KamillaKamilla confronting her father about his business decisions affecting her mother. “A drought's temporary. Loss of water source is permanent.”
— Kelly FarradayKelly explaining the severity of the water theft to the town.
Meet the characters
Who’s who before you press play. Nothing here gives the ending away.
Kelly Farraday
LeadInvestigative Journalist
DeterminedWorkaholicProtectiveSharp-wittedWalt Mitchell
Love interestRanch Hand
High school sweetheart and family friend
LoyalPatientHard-workingSam Bridgewater
AntagonistMayor / Car Salesman
Local political figure
CorruptGreedyDismissiveJack Norris, Jr.
AntagonistCasino Developer / CEO
Business rival to the town's interests
RuthlessManipulativeCorporateRuth Hanson
SupportingRancher
Mother
StubbornIndependentFierceResilientKamilla
SupportingStudent
Daughter
RebelliousGothAdaptable
Questions people ask about Mending Fences
How long is Mending Fences?
Mending Fences runs about 1 hour and 28 minutes, and was released in 2009.
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Data and sources
Curated by the Talking Hallmark team.Last updated .