Hotchka

_Kentucky Roses_ follows Ash Taylor and Sadie Moore, two people from opposite sides of the tracks with a family history neither initially knows about. Ash's family basically runs Churchill Downs, but he avoids using his real last name, Reed, so as not to let people think he's cashing in on the name to grow his construction business. Sadie's family runs the greenhouse for the race track, but she has dreams of becoming a florist. The two meet cute on the field and a romance grows, but it's quickly torn apart when that family history is revealed. Can these two find a way to make it work? It's a Hallmark movie, what do you think? Jamie Pachino's screenplay does a nice job of giving a condensed version of what goes into putting on the Derby, and juggles both Ash's and Sadie's storylines well, showing how they are both pressured by their families to embrace their heritage in different ways. The secret of their 1932 relatives coming out is a bit overblown, and unfortunately Sadie is the one who gets worked up about it instead of just comparing notes with Ash to set the record straight. But a Hallmark romance movie always has a conflict to split the lovers apart before they realize they really need each other. Director Clare Niederpruem uses the Kentucky locations to the best advantage, having full access to the real Churchill Downs (with footage shot at 2025’s 151st Derby), and depicting some of the events leading up to the day including the draw and Winsday Wednesday (apparently there are other events that people are mad they didn’t show, but it’s a 90-minute movie with Ash and Sadie as the focal point, not a history of the Derby), giving the viewer a taste of actually being there. Andrew Walker is excellent and as charming as ever, giving Ash a real laid back quality that comes in handy when he's constantly being disrespected by the construction crew at the track, working on the damaged spire under his leadership, feeling that he only got the job because Daddy is the CEO. Odette Annable is also very good as Sadie, focused on learning her floristry craft while dealing with her mother, her other boss at the florist shop, Ash's family, and her own feelings for him. _Kentucky Roses_ is another pleasant and engaging Hallmark romance, making great use of its locations and two charming stars. It's not the most original or exciting of the Hallmark oeuvre, but it does off a nice escape from the real world for 90 minutes. Full review on HOTCHKA