The Magic of Lemon Drops

Name: The Magic of Lemon Drops
Genre: Small Town, Magic/Wishes, Time Travel, Supernatural, Second Chance Romance
Released: 2024-01-01
Duration: 1 h 24 min
Rating: 6.7
Cast: Lyndsy Fonseca, Ian Harding, Mariam Bernstein, Sydney Sabiston, John B. Lowe

6.7/10 · 1,153 ratings20241h 24mWeirdness 9/10Bingo card

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The premise

When Lolly's Aunt Gert gives her four magical lemon drops, she gets to experience what her life would have been like if she had made different choices and lived those unfulfilled dreams.

Themes:Following your bliss The cost of regret Family legacy vs. Personal happiness Accepting imperfect reality Sacrifice in relationships

How unusual is it?

Very. Magic, time travel, an actual miracle and a second-chance romance all turn up in one movie — the strangest 3% of everything we've logged.

Who’s in it

Our Girl

Lyndsy Fonseca

as Lolly

Our Guy

Ian Harding

as Rory

Alongside them

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Behind the camera

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Directed by

Wait, what?

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

Magical lemon drops from a carnival psychic named Esmerelda
Aunt Gert experiencing 'ASMR tingles' from the magic
Multiverse-style alternate reality hopping via hard candy
The 'fourth drop' rule which functions like a permanent save-state in a video game

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.

Why we’d put this one on

Lyndsy Fonseca plays a woman stuck working her dad's diner, sitting on culinary dreams and an old breakup with neighbor Rory, played by Ian Harding. Then her eccentric Aunt Gert hands her four magical lemon drops, each letting her live an alternate version of her life. Weirdness 9, and the rules are delightfully specific: the candy comes from a carnival psychic named Esmerelda, Aunt Gert gets ASMR tingles from the magic, and the fourth drop works like a permanent video-game save state. This 2024 film has no rating yet, but the multiverse-via-hard-candy hook makes it a charming summer what-if.

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)

Lolly Blanchard works at 'The Eatery,' her family's diner in Lakeville, where she constantly clashes with her traditionalist father, Martin, who refuses to update the menu. Her life is further complicated by the return of her first love, Rory Shaw, a successful hockey team doctor who recently divorced. Feeling unfulfilled and full of regret, Lolly is approached by her eccentric Aunt Gert, who presents her with a box of magical lemon drops. Gert explains that taking a drop before bed while stating a regret allows Lolly to live one day in an alternate reality where she made a different choice. Lolly uses the first drop to see a life where she opened her dream restaurant, 'Toast,' in Brooklyn. While she is a Michelin-starred success, she discovers her father suffered a stroke in this timeline and she is estranged from her sister, Daphne. The second drop takes her to a world where her mother never died; however, in this reality, her father has passed away, and because she never bonded with Rory over her mother's death, he barely remembers her. The third drop reveals a life where she and Rory never broke up; they are happily married with children, but Rory sacrificed his medical career to stay with her, working as a salesman instead. Returning to her actual life, the stakes escalate when her father suffers a real stroke. Rory, who is in town, helps save him, leading to a reconciliation between the former lovers. Lolly realizes that she cannot keep the diner running at the expense of her father's health or her sister's dreams. She decides to close the diner, supports Daphne's move to Bali, and launches her own business, 'Lolly's Pops.' In the end, she declines to use the final permanent lemon drop, choosing instead to drive seven hours to Rory's new cabin to confess her love and start a future based on their current selves rather than a magical 'what if.'

Beat by beat

Opening
Lolly struggles with her father's refusal to change the diner menu and encounters her ex-boyfriend Rory, who has returned to town.
Inciting Incident
Aunt Gert gives Lolly four magical lemon drops that allow her to experience alternate realities based on her regrets.
Midpoint
Lolly experiences three different lives: one as a successful chef, one where her mother lived, and one where she stayed with Rory, learning the trade-offs of each.
Climax
In the real world, Lolly's father has a stroke, and she must decide whether to use the final lemon drop to escape to a 'perfect' life or face her current reality.
Falling Action
Lolly chooses her real life, closes the diner to prioritize her father's health, and starts her own popsicle business.
Resolution
Lolly travels to Rory's cabin to confess her love, choosing to build a new future with him rather than a magical one.

Did you know?

A few things that make this one stand out once you stack it up against every other Hallmark movie.

At a weirdness score of 9, it lands among the strangest 3% of Hallmark movies we've scored.

Top 3% weirdest

Out of every Hallmark movie we've scored, this one lands among the strangest 3%.

How it stacks up

Where this one’s rating lands against every other rated Hallmark movie.

Higher-rated than 74% of every rated Hallmark movie. The median is 6.4.

Where this one fits

The corners of the catalog The Magic of Lemon Drops belongs to — handy if you’re after more of the same.

BINGOThe lead works as a chefA misunderstanding nearly ruins everythingSomeone gets flustered during small talkSet in a charming small townSet in summerA character gives up the city for the small townThe town pulls together for one of its ownThe leads start out at oddsAn eccentric aunt hands over magic candyA workaholic learns to slow downA what-if version of life plays out for a dayA quiet moment under string lights★A heartfelt love confessionA relative plays matchmakerA regret is spoken aloud before bedA change of heart by the final actSomeone races to catch the other before they leaveA toast at a celebrationA cup of cocoa, coffee or ciderA sibling dreams of moving far awayAn ex shows up to complicate thingsThe story travels to another countryAn ex returns to town newly divorcedA second chance worth taking

Hallmark Bingo

Your The Magic of Lemon Drops card is dealt.

Twenty-four squares pulled from this movie’s own quirks — the cosy classics, a few only-in-this-one curveballs, and a couple of decoys. Mark them as you watch.

Open your card

Lines worth quoting

The lines that stuck with us — the ones you’ll be repeating after the credits roll.

“Miracles are not contrary to nature, only contrary to what we know of nature.”
— Aunt GertExplaining the magic of the lemon drops to Lolly.
“Following your bliss... means facing your life with honesty and pursuing each spark of joy.”
— Lolly's Mom (Vision)Giving Lolly advice in the alternate reality where she is still alive.
“I'm not a hologram, and I don't have to take a nap.”
— Rory ShawA recurring joke about his awkward first encounter with Lolly upon his return.

Meet the characters

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

Lolly Blanchard
Lead
Diner server and aspiring entrepreneur
SentimentalAmbitiousRegretfulCaring
Rory Shaw
Love interest
Sports Medicine Doctor
Ex-boyfriend and neighbor
KindForgetfulSuccessfulDevoted father
Martin Blanchard
Supporting
Diner Owner and Head Cook
Father
StubbornTraditionalGrievingHardworking
Aunt Gert
Supporting
Mysterious relative
Aunt
EccentricMysticalWiseQuirky
Daphne Blanchard
Supporting
Marketing/Yoga Instructor
Sister
AdventurousImpulsiveLoyal

Questions people ask about The Magic of Lemon Drops

Where can I watch The Magic of Lemon Drops?

The Magic of Lemon Drops is available via fuboTV, Philo, and Hallmark+ Amazon Channel. Streaming options change often, so check current availability before settling in.

How long is The Magic of Lemon Drops?

The Magic of Lemon Drops runs about 1 hour and 24 minutes, and was released in 2024.

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