Summer Love

6.2/10 · 2,394 ratings20161h 23mWeirdness 3/10Bingo card

Where to watch

Search Amazon.com

Amazon

Search Amazon.com for this title. Availability varies by country.

Search Amazon.com

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

The premise

A widowed mom gets a summer internship at a tech company and draws the attention of two very different executives while learning about about accounting, app designs and finding love.

How unusual is it?

Honestly? Not very — and that's the charm. It plays the hits, which is exactly the point for a cozy night in.

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 use of the slang word 'tope' (totally dope) by young tech interns
  • A CEO serving 'Black Ivory Coffee' which is refined by Thai elephants (elephant dung coffee)
  • The protagonist attempting to use a standard card reader as a retinal scanner
  • A helicopter ride to 'second base camp' for a casual rock climbing date

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

A warm career-comeback romance with a great lead. Rachael Leigh Cook plays Maya, a 35-year-old widowed mom and returning student who lands a competitive summer internship at a tech giant and finds herself between two very different executives, played by Lucas Bryant and Travis Milne. The heart of it is a woman betting on herself and her own app idea among interns half her age. It is sunny, low-weirdness comfort with a self-worth message. The tech-bro world gets some funny color, including a CEO who serves "Black Ivory Coffee" refined by Thai elephants and a casual helicopter ride to "second base camp" for a date. Easy, encouraging summer watch.

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 Maya Sulliway dropping her daughter, Addison, off at a tech-free summer camp. Maya is a widow who has returned to school to study accounting and has secured a crucial internship at Kizzmit, the parent company of the social media app 'Talker.' On her first day, she struggles with the high-tech office culture, including an embarrassing attempt to use a card reader as a retinal scanner. She meets the charismatic CEO, Will Martin, who gives her a personal tour, and the CFO, Colin Fitzgerald, who is her direct supervisor and known for being a 'control freak.' While the younger interns like Josh and Ricky initially view her as 'mature' and out of touch, Maya proves her worth by being observant and hardworking. A romantic triangle develops as Will takes Maya on extravagant 'non-dates' like rock climbing via helicopter, while Colin shares a more grounded connection with her, showing her the sailboat he is restoring and encouraging her professional growth. Maya conceives an idea for an app called 'Steps for Good,' which converts physical activity into charitable donations. Colin advises her to develop it independently to maintain ownership rather than submitting it to the company's 'Pitch-Fest.' However, Will discovers the prototype on Maya's phone and publicly announces it as a Kizzmit project during the festival, claiming it was developed in the company's 'internal incubator.' Heartbroken and believing Colin betrayed her secret, Maya quits the internship. Her fellow interns, Josh and Ricky, eventually prove that Will stole the app by hacking into his phone. The truth comes to light: Colin had actually defended Maya and eventually quits Kizzmit himself due to Will's lack of integrity. In the end, Colin visits Maya, signs off on her internship credits so she can graduate, and offers to be the first investor in her independent startup. The two share a romantic moment, realizing they are the perfect partners in both business and life.

Beat by beat

  1. Opening

    Maya drops her daughter at summer camp and begins her accounting internship at the trendy tech firm Kizzmit.

  2. Inciting Incident

    Maya meets the two leads: the flashy CEO Will, who takes an immediate interest in her, and the stern CFO Colin, who is her boss.

  3. Midpoint

    Maya develops the 'Steps for Good' app idea and Colin encourages her to keep it private to protect her intellectual property.

  4. Rising Action

    Will takes Maya on a helicopter rock-climbing date while Colin and Maya bond over his sailboat restoration.

  5. Climax

    Will steals Maya's app prototype from her phone and pitches it at Pitch-Fest; Maya quits, believing Colin betrayed her.

  6. Resolution

    The other interns prove Will's theft; Colin quits Kizzmit in protest and offers to invest in Maya's independent company.

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 6.2 vs every rated Hallmark moviemedian 6.4This movie · 6.2567

Higher-rated than 27% of every rated Hallmark movie. The median is 6.4.

Where this one fits

The corners of the catalog Summer Love 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.

  • “You never know when you're making a memory.”
    — Maya SulliwayQuoting Ricki Lee Jones at the start of the film.
  • “I'm 35, not 95. And I'm very physically fit.”
    — Maya SulliwayDefending her age to the younger interns.
  • “A good leader is supposed to know which idea is worth fighting for and which person is worth fighting for.”
    — Colin FitzgeraldExplaining his management philosophy to Maya.

Meet the characters

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

  • Maya Sulliway

    Lead

    Accounting Intern / Student

    DeterminedObservantPrincipledOutdoorsy
  • Colin Fitzgerald

    Love interest

    CFO of Kizzmit

    Supervisor and eventually romantic partner

    ReservedIntegrity-drivenDetail-orientedSailing enthusiast
  • Will Martin

    Antagonist

    CEO of Kizzmit

    Boss and rival suitor

    CharismaticManipulativeCompetitiveFlashy
  • Addison Sulliway

    Supporting

    Student / Camper

    Daughter

    DramaticTech-dependentLoving
  • Josh

    Supporting

    Tech Intern

    Colleague

    AmbitiousTech-savvyInitially opportunistic

Questions people ask about Summer Love

Where can I watch Summer Love?

Summer Love is available via fuboTV, Philo, and Hallmark+ Amazon Channel. Streaming options change often, so check current availability before settling in.

How long is Summer Love?

Summer Love runs about 1 hour and 23 minutes, and was released in 2016.

Browse all movies

If you liked this one, you’ll probably like these. The chips show what they have in common.

Signed, Sealed, Delivered: Truth Be Told poster

Signed, Sealed, Delivered: Truth Be Told

7.2

2015

  • Big City
  • Cute Kid
  • Colleagues/Coworkers
Love Takes Flight poster

Love Takes Flight

7.1

2019 · Mother's Day

  • Big City
  • Cute Kid
  • Colleagues/Coworkers
Roux the Day: A Gourmet Detective Mystery poster

Roux the Day: A Gourmet Detective Mystery

7.1

2020

  • Big City
  • Cute Kid
  • Colleagues/Coworkers
On the 12th Date of Christmas poster

On the 12th Date of Christmas

7.1

2020 · Christmas

  • Big City
  • Cute Kid
  • Colleagues/Coworkers

Our review

We watched Summer Love so you don’t have to

Alanna sat through every minute of this one and recapped the whole thing — the plot holes, the chemistry, the parts that made no sense — over on the Talking Hallmark channel.

Reviewed by Alanna30-min recap
This entire movie is an HR lawsuit | reacting to bad movies

“This entire movie is an HR lawsuit | reacting to bad movies”

Data and sources