Seven years ago Kim met Malcolm at a solar eclipse viewing in Illinois. They met, talked, then went their separate ways. Now they are both back at the same location for another solar eclipse. What are the odds that a total eclipse would be at the same place and what are the odds these two would return for the event?

Kim (Sarah Drew) is now a single mother in Chicago. Her dreams of being an on-camera news reporter are not happening. She works behind the camera but now has her big chance to prove she can cut it as an on-camera reporter. She is tasked with covering the eclipse, so she heads out to the event with her camerawoman Claire (Donna Benedicto) and her producer Reed (Grayson Gurnsey). It is his first time being a producer, and he is not getting the hang of it very easily.

Malcolm (Matt Long) is now a professor at a junior college in Arizona. He is excited to once again see the eclipse and brings his colleague and friend Travis (Noah Paul) to help him with all his equipment. 

Kim bumbles her way through her first efforts at being an on-camera reporter. As hard as she tries, she is not as good as she wants to be. And Reed is just as bad at being a producer.

While Kim and Reed try to get the hang of their new jobs, Travis and Claire meet and strike up an instant connection. Throughout the day, Kim just misses bumping into Malcolm. And with each of their friends striking up a relationship, it would make sense they would get together. But that is not the case. There is one salvation, though. Some things are meant to be.

Viewers might wonder if the romantic connection in this film is with Travis and Claire rather than Kim and Malcolm. But in true Hallmark fashion, no one will be disappointed as, yes, Malcolm and Kim reunite, and believe it or not, their reunion is on camera during a live national broadcast. 

A fact that keeps coming up in the story is that the sun is 400 times wider than the moon and is 400 times farther away from the earth than the moon. But somehow, during these amazing cosmic events, the moon completely blocks the sun from the earth.

For those interested in solar eclipses, this website has the schedule of eclipses for the coming years.

In the meantime, The Stars Between Us is a cute rom-com with not only one romance, but two. It is available to stream on Hallmark+.

About the Author

Francine Brokaw has been covering all aspects of the entertainment industry for over 30 years. She also writes about products and travel. She has been published in national and international newspapers and magazines as well as Internet websites and is the entertainment correspondent for Good Day Orange County. She is a longstanding member of the Television Critics Association and is accredited by the MPAA.

Image supplied courtesy Hallmark Media

In 2004 Kurt Russell starred in the dramatic film Miracle about the 1980 USA hockey team. Now Netflix has a documentary, Miracle: The Boys of ’80, about the miraculous hockey team that gave Americans back their pride.

This documentary includes scenes from the training as well as the 1980 Olympic games, with comments by the actual players who comprised that historic team. Their memories help make this a documentary filled with emotions, as it brings the 1980 Olympics in Lake Placid to viewers, young and old. 

The documentary answers the question, “Why was it more than a hockey game?” And, indeed it was. It was the “ultimate confrontation,” As one player says, it was “our way of life versus them.”

The cold war was in full swing. The country was in a state of depression, and the people were suffering. The hostages in Iran, gas lines, unemployment, and more added up to a “crisis of confidence” in the country. People were frustrated.

Herb Brooks was chosen as the coach of the team, and he was tough. He put the members through basically a six month boot camp. His intensity was strong as he melded the team.

This man was the epitome of the word “competitive.” He was tough on the players and put them through the wringer, but he knew he could make them into the team they ultimately became.

When they were playing the match against the U.S.S.R., his coaching was basically over, and he kept yelling, “Play your game.” He had done his job. It was now up to them. Would they be able to do what he drummed into them? 

The win over the Soviets was a miracle. It brought about a feeling of nationalism, even for those who had no idea what the game of hockey was all about. It was a great victory for the team, and for the psyche of the country.

But there was one more game to go for this team to win the gold. Could they push themselves one more time against Finland? The answer is an astounding, “yes.”

45 years after their victory, the US hockey team of 1980 gathered together to reminisce about the historic event. Miracle: The Boys of ’80 is a thrilling reminder of what the country endured and how these young men gave Americans pride of and in their country. The documentary is now streaming on Netflix. 

About the Author

Francine Brokaw has been covering all aspects of the entertainment industry for over 30 years. She also writes about products and travel. She has been published in national and international newspapers and magazines as well as Internet websites and is the entertainment correspondent for Good Day Orange County. She is a longstanding member of the Television Critics Association and is accredited by the MPAA.

The documentary, Skywatcher, looks at the possible unidentified sightings in the Sedona, Arizona area. Whether you believe in aliens or not, it’s an interesting look at those who do and who go out of their way to find where sightings have occurred.

“Skywatcher is exactly the kind of bold, curiosity-driven documentary that resonates with today’s audiences,” said Rich Wolff, CEO of Breaking Glass Pictures. “Dan Starkey and Clive Christopher approach the subject with genuine passion and investigative rigor, inviting viewers to question what they’re seeing and decide for themselves. We’re excited to bring this compelling film to global streaming audiences.”

As Wolff said, the passion of the two skywatchers in the film is without question. Their excitement is evident as they point out possible UFO and UAP craft in the sky. 

Skeptics will undoubtedly wonder if the images are digitally enhanced. After all, these days it is sometimes difficult to separate real from artificial, given the state of technology now.

Whether you are a believer or not, the scenery of the Sedona region is beautiful to see. Sedona is known as a new age area where crystal stores abound and jeep tours take visitors out to where there have been unconventional encounters. 

With more and more sightings of objects in the sky from commercial pilots to military officers to everyday people, the idea that we might not be alone is gaining traction.

Skywatcher is interesting and adds to the question of “are we alone?”

The film will debut on major streaming platforms beginning February 24, 2026.

About the Author

Francine Brokaw has been covering all aspects of the entertainment industry for over 30 years. She also writes about products and travel. She has been published in national and international newspapers and magazines as well as Internet websites and is the entertainment correspondent for Good Day Orange County. She is a longstanding member of the Television Critics Association and is accredited by the MPAA.

Image supplied courtesy Breaking Glass Pictures

Fate is front and center in this adorable story of Vickie and Max. They have an instant connection when they meet one morning while they are waiting for a subway, however she gets on her train and leaves before they have a chance to exchange numbers, or even names. A Missed Connection follows their road to destiny.

Five years after that accidental few minutes on the train platform, Vickie (Meggan Kaiser) is on her way to her tropical wedding when who should also be on the flight? Yep, it is Max (Alex Trumble). He knows he knows her from some place, but can’t quite figure it out. And she is oblivious, at least for the time being.

It turns out that Max was hired by Vickie’s fiancé James (Chris Mimikos) to photograph the preparations for the wedding, since he won’t be able to get to the island until the day before the nuptials. While Max is busy taking photos, Vickie is joined by her grandmother Gigi (Gail Byer) and two friends who start getting everything ready for the big day.

Max turns out to be much more than the wedding photographer. He helps Vickie manage her maze of preparations as well as her future in-laws. This guy is amazing, helpful, knowledgeable, friendly, funny, and definitely good looking. And in time he realizes where he had met Vickie those five years earlier.

But what is a guy to do when he finds himself falling in love with the woman who is going to marry another man, and he is also helping her plan the entire shindig?

Pretty soon, well, not until the end, Vickie sees the ad Max had placed in the “Missed Connections” section of their favorite newspaper those five years earlier. 

As Gigi tells her granddaughter, life is short and she should follow her gut. And who can ignore fate stepping in twice in one lifetime? It looks like destiny.

This is enjoyable and fun to watch. Kaiser and Trumble make a cute on-screen couple, and seeing Max do his best and go out of his way to make life easier for Vickie is endearing. What a guy.

A Missed Connection begins streaming on Great American Pure Flix February 19, 2026, and premieres February 21, 2026 on Great American Family and GFAM+. 

About the Author

Francine Brokaw has been covering all aspects of the entertainment industry for over 30 years. She also writes about products and travel. She has been published in national and international newspapers and magazines as well as Internet websites and is the entertainment correspondent for Good Day Orange County. She is a longstanding member of the Television Critics Association and is accredited by the MPAA.

Image Courtesy Great American Media

The family drama Crossroad Springs returns in March to conclude the freshman season. The final four episodes of season one continue the Hamilton family’s efforts to maintain their ranch, while dealing with their Newman neighbors.

Jonathan Stoddard is James Hamilton, a pastor who left his congregation in Chicago to return to his roots. Helping at the family’s ranch is fulfilling, but not as much as being a pastor. So, these final episodes of the season explore his setting up a Cowboy Church in the barn, which is welcomed by the folks in town. Prior to this, they would have to travel to the next town, an inconvenience which had many people skipping church altogether. With a church right there, they now have a local place where they can attend Sunday services, with James’ inspiring and insightful sermons.

Shaun Johnston is Willis Hamilton, father to James and his sister Dr. Janet Hamilton (Emily Alatalo), who is facing some troubling issues in her work at the local clinic. Their aunt Amy (Kate Drummond) is a help at the ranch as well as a sounding board for the siblings.

The Newmans, their neighbors, have always been a thorn in the side of Willis, who is still carrying on the family feud with Daniel Newman (Jesse Hutch) who inherited the ranch when his father died. Now Daniel is having his own problems with his uncle, an oil man who does not  want to modernize the ranch while Daniel sees the only way forward is modernization. So, while dealing with the feud with Willis Hamilton, Daniel also has his hands full with his uncle who is underhanded and wants to bankrupt the Hamiltons.  

This is a family drama set against the backdrop of a small Texas town and the ranching community. It has been a popular series for Great American Family and after the final four episodes air, fans can look forward later in the year to season two.

The first of the final four episodes of season one streams exclusively on Pure Flix beginning March 5, 2026, and premieres on Great American Family and GFAM+ on March 8, 2026.

This is a good time to catch up on the first part of the season if you have not seen it yet!

About the Author
Francine Brokaw has been covering all aspects of the entertainment industry for over 30 years. She also writes about products and travel. She has been published in national and international newspapers and magazines as well as Internet websites and is the entertainment correspondent for Good Day Orange County. She is a longstanding member of the Television Critics Association and is accredited by the MPAA.