Kentucky Roses Review: Was All the Hallmark Hype Worth It?

Added: 2026-05-13

[00:00:00]Andrea, is Kentucky Roses a championship effort or just another one in the long line of Hallmark not quite getting sports movies quite right?

[00:00:15]>> I have strong feelings.

[00:00:17]>> I know you do. I read your post. This is Eric.

[00:00:20]>> This is Andrea. [music] >> Hallmark Mysteries and >> and more.

[00:00:27]Well, Kentucky Roses had a lot of hype.

[00:00:30]Lot of hype.

[00:00:31]>> Okay. Well, first I would like to to share because you were watching a documentary recently that I also watched. Hulk Hogan on Netflix.

[00:00:40]>> I did not I I I I ended up on it.

[00:00:44]>> No, I I ended up I just >> So, for me, I watched it and I found it um I mean, obviously that is my era. I remember him. I didn't watch wrestling, but >> I went to Boys in My Class. Oh, yeah.

[00:00:57]Boys in my class all had, you know, were into wrestling.

[00:01:00]>> So, I did find it interesting as this documentary goes on because I I also watched the reality show because I was I I liked Brooke Hogan. I um I enjoyed her singing and I she she is estranged from this family. So, she is not in this documentary at all. I'd imagine when you end up like sleeping with your daughter's buddy, but >> I think there's other things too that Yes. So, um, as it goes on though, like him and Trump are friends and Trump makes an appearance in this and it was just an interesting look. You know, we've talked about on the way home, you think Cat is a narcissist. Clearly Hulk Hogan are have very narcissistic tendencies and I feel like you can really see it in this documentary because they both are unaware of like so he gets booed. Hulk gets booed at this arena and his reaction is like I would sell it out because they hated me so bad and you know just talking about this and then they interviewed other wrestlers who were there and they were like oh I felt so bad for him like he was completely unaware that like no they actually really hate you and you would not sell this arena out they are there for the Wrestlemania not for you but like in his mind it was all for him and then it goes on he does pass away um at the end of this documentary and I did cry because you like I felt like this was a prettyish open and he kind of owned some of his mistakes but not really fully and so much like a narcissist like can't quite grasp that and so it was an interesting view of like seeing this person unfold in front of you but then still like you're like oh wow this person is no longer with us and that's how it kind of ended. Um so it it takes you for an emotional ride but it was kind of a fascinating one. If you're a wrestling fan, I think you might get something out of it just for what he did for wrestling.

[00:02:54]>> I think um well, first of all, one of the things my college girlfriend had a crush on the Ultimate Warrior. It's kind of funny seeing how he turned out to be like totally lame and [laughter] everything that like they whatever. But um I just wasn't prepared for it to be what is it like a fourpart?

[00:03:14]>> Yeah.

[00:03:14]>> Like it was much more of an investment.

[00:03:17]Like I found it sort of interesting and I found like you were saying earlier on is everyone sitting here tuning in for Hallmark but um like I was like oh wait they're just glossing over the fact that he was a roid monger like when you're talking about getting in shape early but then they did talk about it later. So, it was interesting because at first it seemed like it was like, oh, this is going to be some sort of puff piece done by the family and then it sort of did show it was like Yeah. layers of the different, you know, he he was a complex >> character that had most people.

[00:03:53]>> Yeah. Had a bunch of different sides and I thought that they from what I like I wa watched they did show different layers. Like I said, it was just way more of a investment.

[00:04:03]>> Investment. Yeah. You uh want to guess what I ended up doing?

[00:04:06]>> Watching >> I watched Frankie Frankie Drake.

[00:04:08]>> Oh, >> I'm almost done.

[00:04:10]>> How many I was gonna say I was like at this point you got to be done with that series.

[00:04:13]>> I'm pretty close to done. Okay.

[00:04:14][laughter] >> It's interesting. Um how it it really is the the four seasons and how it uh evolves. Uh I don't think for the better, which often shows don't.

[00:04:26]>> Um >> interesting. How many how many seasons?

[00:04:29]>> Four.

[00:04:30]>> Okay. And each season is uh uh I think a little bit less good than the other. But it also >> the you know I remember I talked about her hair and how I thought she was like nailed that like 20s >> by the fourth season which is like early 30s. She looks like she might as well be in 2024, right? It just like her whole style, her hair, like everything about her doesn't.

[00:04:57]And that's like why we're loving in the way home Fern and that that age is just so great. It's so like there's so much to it and it just seems like for her character they just said like uh let's just go modern and everything. So whatever. But we're here to talk about the Kentucky Derby, not Frankie Drake, not Hulk Hogan, Andrew Walker, and Odette Annabelle. Well, a florist and a builder work together to save the Kentucky Derby Rose Blanket. And this again starred Andrew Walker and Odet Annabo.

[00:05:30]>> I'm waiting for you to finish the uh description.

[00:05:32]>> That was it. That was all. It was just a sentence. There wasn't much.

[00:05:37]>> The most hyped movie of the year.

[00:05:39]>> It really was. There was a lot of promo behind this one. So, um, did it live up to that? For me, it did. I gave it four and a half out of five stars. And I really went in hesitant to this because horse racing movies are not usually my jam. Although I did kind of like the hat movie. I think it was last year.

[00:05:57]>> Hats off to love.

[00:05:59]>> I kind of thought that was cute. But um everything really about this one worked.

[00:06:03]I enjoyed the opening scenes of the Kentucky Derby through the years. I thought it was kind of fun to see the 90s and like just like oh wow this I feel like that's nostalgia right now on like social media. That's like the thing people are hitting is the 90s. So, I thought that was kind of a cute homage there. And then they went backwards even more. Um, that was kind of a fun segue from the opening scene couple who we didn't know who they are. Um, and then going into the necklace into present day to give it some like background. I thought that was really well done. I will say I did put the song New Hope by Harriet Whitehead on my playlist. So, that was when she started like Satie was fixing her flower arrangement that happened towards the beginning of this movie. highly recommend. Great songs.

[00:06:47]>> Do you have like a Hallmark playlist?

[00:06:49]Because you you often add Hallmark songs that you find >> that's a good idea, Eric. I should I will do that because I do have a good chunk of Hallmark songs. I I'll make a playlist.

[00:06:59]>> Let's do it. And then we'll make some posts about like we'll promote a Hallmark.

[00:07:04]>> That's a good idea cuz Yeah, I do have I I like to go. Good idea. I'm [laughter] out of here. It's all downhill for the day.

[00:07:11]>> It's all downhill for me from here on out.

[00:07:14]Well, I thought this was like to me, this is why I like Hallmark movies. It was just a lovely movie. It gave good backstory. Um, I enjoyed how they connected the dots from present day to the past. Um, and then, do I follow my parents' footsteps? The misunderstandings, the the family, old family tales, and how they were both telling it from their family's viewpoints. I thought the casting of this movie was really well. Like the the parents of Andrew I thought were like spoton. Like you could just see them being those Kentucky Derby people. Oh, >> absolutely.

[00:07:49]>> In that high society family.

[00:07:51]>> Um, you should believe me because I'm telling the truth, not because you're trying to pacify me.

[00:07:58]>> Oh, that was A LIE.

[00:07:59]>> WOW. WHAT A LINE FROM a Hallmark movie.

[00:08:03]What?

[00:08:04]>> So, I really enjoyed that line. I wrote it down. I was like, "Oh my goodness.

[00:08:07]Wow. We are going deep here. And then the necklace tie in which I think they were giving a doing a giveaway. I think Hallmark was of that. Yeah. Someone had messaged me that they wanted that necklace. And so I was like, "Oh, that's cute." That's why they were doing that horseshoe necklace is like I thought it was just kind of a chef's kiss like a great >> all in all movie for me. Again, this is why I like Hallmark. It felt like a warm cozy movie, comforting. It gave me everything I wanted. It had good acting.

[00:08:37]It didn't have a ton of horses. We had a female jockey who actually won the Kentucky Derby this year for the first time. And then we had >> female trainer.

[00:08:45]>> Sorry, female trainer. And they actually did that in the movie, too. So like Hallmark knew Hallmark had the jersey um you know in the actual movie. I thought that was well done. So you could tell they put some bucks towards this one.

[00:08:59]And I thought it paid off. And from most of If you said otherwise, I'm gonna be very shocked because a lot of people commented underneath mine and everyone else really liked it. I didn't have anyone who said they didn't enjoy this movie. So, Eric, tell me, is this why you're not wearing your Andrew Walker shirt? You didn't like the movie, so you're not wearing the shirt? I am wearing my Andrew Walker shirt as well.

[00:09:19]>> I'm not just because of my framing. Um, I have >> It's not because you didn't like the movie. What's the one thing we've learned about horse racing movies, especially from Private Eyes? It's a true trope that we just don't really always >> I just told you I loved it.

[00:09:37]>> I know. But yes, it was very cute.

[00:09:41]>> Okay. I was like, Eric, [laughter] >> it was, as you said, and I have that in my thing.

[00:09:47]>> It was really good casting. Um, my wife watched it because she's actually really into horses. She's been to the Kentucky Derby. Uh, she was on the infield, which I guess is a very different different experience than being in the grand stands on the Kentucky on the in the infield. It's kind of like a h not the high society that you're talking about when you've got drunk guys screaming, "Show us your blink blink."

[00:10:21]Um, and stuff like that. So, she has a very down look. So, I was like, "Oh, we should go do that one year." And she's just like, "Scared. I'm never going back to the Kentucky Derby." But moving on, Odet uh Annabelle was absolutely freaking fantastic. At first, I was like, "Oh, are they bringing in this whatever person? We don't know what, you know, whatever was the thing." She nailed it. She was so good. And one of the things, you know, we I'll bring it up again. We always talk nonverbal.

[00:10:52]She just was so like authentically real.

[00:10:54]Whether it be like when they're looking, you know, like they're talking where she like glances away cuz you know how but when people are talking like they can't just stare at each other, they kind of have to look away or some of nervous fidgets just in general like all those things you just didn't ever feel like she was acting. It just seemed like she was that person. I think the two of them matched up really well. the story, you know, unfolded in a a good way. You know, I still had some of the things of like, hey, these are people in their 40s. You'd think they would sort of deal with these issues in their 30s as far as like career and things like that, but whatever. It wasn't like overly, you know, done where it's like, oh, I'm the, you know, executive assistant wanting the promotion to be, you know, thing at 45 years old. But >> I mean, she's she's only 40 like in real life. Like she's barely 40.

[00:11:56]>> Yeah. I'm the same like being the florist. I think you would have probably been a florist for a couple years by the time you're 40 if that was your lifelong dream. But >> yes, >> moving into it. Um, you know, I also I kept waiting for Delila to be the evil boss and she never was. like she was firm, you know, she she had her thing, but she never was like that evil boss who's like >> you hated her at the beginning. You didn't hate her right away, >> but she was, like I say, she was firm and she wasn't likable, but she was not this unreasonable thing like there's bosses who are like that. This is my business and this is what we're going to do. She was never, you know, along the lines of there. She's like, you know what, cuz even there she was like, you're doing my designs. Do your designs. do your thing. So, she's just very like very firm. And so, you know, is it probably the boss I want? No. But she's not the evil one who's saying you're going to, you know, it's the day before Christmas and you have to go out and do this whole thing or you won't get your promotion kind of that, you know, that whole trope. So, we didn't like it.

[00:13:07]You, you mentioned it, too. could definitely tell that Hallmark had a couple extra bucks on this one >> because like the fashion things like that sometimes where it's like, oh, we're going for for, you know, high fashion and it kind of doesn't look like they got their high fashion from MV or something. But this one seemed like it it did look pretty good. And one of the things that's interesting is last week with I'll be there, Tyler was an executive producer. This time Andrew is executive producer. So it's like the actors, you know, we've had Nikki and Allison Sweeney surgery. Like we've had the women who have been the, you know, the executive producers in this multi- roles and it seems like the guys now are maybe are starting to get like, all right, we're going to take a little more control over our storytelling as well.

[00:14:01]So, I just found it interesting. And like I say, all in all, you know, I don't give it a the 4.5. I'll probably stay at about a four and because I do have some things that I think kept it from being there. But all in all, I mean, come on. Got all your Hallmark feels that you want in a movie. And I think it, you know, it lined up perfect.

[00:14:21]They did it on, you know, actual the Kentucky Derby day. You know, did you know that the Longot horse bomb gate 17 was going to win the minute they said it [laughter] stuff? But, you know, at the same time, what happened in the real Kentucky Derby? You had a woman win for the very first time. That was a fairly long shot.

[00:14:44]That was in absolute dead last place that just stormed up and ended up winning it.

[00:14:51]>> So, >> amazing. It was kind of an interesting one that sort of paralleled what really happened that day.

[00:14:56]>> That's cool. Well, what we didn't like, um, the only thing I really didn't like at times it was a slow burn, but again, the acting pulled me in, the storytelling kept me entertained, and so that kind of did it for me. Like other than that, I don't have any major complaints or any spots where I was like, uh, this one isn't great because I think they did tie up loose ends. Um, and I really did enjoy the the past to present day storytelling. Like to me that really worked. Sometimes that doesn't work, but for this movie I thought it really worked well.

[00:15:28]>> What about you?

[00:15:29]>> I will say I it's, you know, I guess I can't say this is what I didn't like cuz I like Hallmark movies, but it still definitely you knew you're watching a Hallmark movie >> when you were doing it. So yeah, they did spend more money, but at the same time, it still had some of the, you know, it just shows that Hallmark still can't quite do a sports movie all in because when you watch the actual race, it's like, oh, you know, gate 17, it's this 20 horse race. This is this.

[00:16:01]And then when they show the footage of the actual race, it's a race with like, I don't know what, seven horses in it.

[00:16:08]And it was like such a small little thing.

[00:16:11]>> I know nothing about horse racing. So to me, >> well, when they say that there's 20 horses, you should at least try to show a bigger group of horses running be somewhat aligned with what you've been talking about versus a very small group.

[00:16:27]And then you know like the hidden plans like oh they've been in this like spot where he hid them for whatever hundred years ago and all a sudden Andrew Walker is just sitting there pondering life and it's like oh hey look there's a hidden thing I'll just pop it open and lo and behold like no one in the hundred years and all the renovations and things that happened over the course of time would have been like huh but whatever it's Hallmark movie you let it slide this that and the other But I just found it kind of very contrived that that was there. But you know what? Here's what I did. Maybe the storm like it was all sealed and the storm that tore apart everything jiggled it loose. And so that's why. So I let that go. And then the other thing, you know, the thing when you're like just reminded like it is a Hallmark movie. They go out to, oh, let's go find the wild flowers that you're talking about. I expect to see this field of flowers, not a single bush that probably when you clipped it all would have maybe filled up a vase that you could put at your >> Oh, yeah.

[00:17:30]>> You know, on your dining room table and that would be about it. Not enough for an event or anything like that. You know, it seems like they could have at least found or whatever created something that made it look a little more lush than a random bush in the middle of nowhere with nothing else around it. So, whatever. It's a Hallmark movie. I love them. I enjoyed the movie.

[00:17:56]Got my feels. Well, I'm in my feels now because my stand out seeing her performance.

[00:18:02][laughter] Satie was reading the last letter from her great grandma's Ash was discovering the necklace. I thought that was a [laughter] really well done scene. So, opposite of you. I found that to be my favorite.

[00:18:16]>> It was cute. It was just very contrived.

[00:18:19]>> I loved it. That's why we like Hallmark because we knew it was going to be there. It was going to be discovery. We knew we were going to find the necklace and her reading the letter, I thought it was perfect. So, for me again, chef's kiss. What about you?

[00:18:32]>> I'll say almost every scene with her, I hope we see her again. Like I say, she >> I was blown away. What a good job I thought she did. And um but for me, you mentioned it earlier, you know, girl power. that line when she was like, "It should be, you know, because you believe me, not because you're trying to uh >> pacify >> to appease me or pacify me, whatever."

[00:18:58]Like, >> yeah, that was just a bold, awesome line and literally 100% exactly the way it should be, right? It exactly laid it all out. And I thought that was uh an absolutely fantastic very very elevated writing for the rest of the movies, you know, cute and once again Hallmark. I thought that was a great great line.

[00:19:27]>> Well, how we thought the romance was, I thought it felt real like they felt like a couple that was meant for each other after they first laid eyes on each other. The kiss, it felt like just tender and like they felt like a warm fuzzy couple. Like there was just like tenderness is how I would describe this romance. Like last week like Tyler Hines and Stacy, they had like the heat, the fire, like the passion whereas this just felt like there was just like a tenderness and a softness about their relationship and um you know that just shows their different types of relationships and I feel like they nailed what was right for this movie. So for me I really enjoyed them together.

[00:20:07]>> 100% agree. Like even when they you know one of the things that happened in Hallmark is all of a sudden these people who don't know each other literally bump into every you know each other every 4 seconds but they had the thing where like they went to the bar and it was the thing of like oh my god don't look over there like [laughter] great little cute scene exactly how it should have been and >> you know and I thought it like you said it was very very authentic and genuine.

[00:20:31]I said before I didn't feel like they were acting they had they had really really good chemistry. I will not say, you know, at the end like the kiss wasn't this, you know, bowling scene kiss from love and adventures and love and uh birding where it's like steamy uh Andrew Walker kiss. It was, you know, it was a cute kiss, but it was >> tender.

[00:20:55]>> Yeah, it was like I say, I thought they just made a very kind of like you, you know, you said before with with Stacy and uh Tyler, it it just a very believable couple. cuz sometimes you like you look at and you're like, you know, no, no, it just doesn't doesn't work. But 100% worked.

[00:21:15]>> Well, what movie would you recommend that is similar to the one that we just watched? Um, mine I'm going to 2021 with Nikki Delo and Scott Porter. Taking the reigns, dude.

[00:21:25]>> Mostly for the horse and the love story angle.

[00:21:28]>> Is that what you're thinking to? Yeah.

[00:21:30]Uh, I mean like that's like the only for me the best other horse movie um from Hallmark.

[00:21:37]>> Ironic that is Nikki too, right?

[00:21:39]>> And the love story between them. I also really I [music] enjoyed that movie. So taking reigns. All right. On that note, I'll see you later this week for Hope Valley.

[00:21:49]>> Let's hope so. This podcast was created by fans or fans and is not affiliated with or sponsored by Hallmark [music] or the Hallmark channel.

[00:22:01]This is Eric >> and this is Sydney [music] >> and this is Hallmark Mysteries >> and More.