Borrowed Hearts

“Borrowed Hearts” was released in 1997.  It stars Roma Downey, Eric McCormack, and Hector Elizondo

 

The movie is about Kathleen, a hard-working single mother, who's saving to buy a house for herself and her daughter, Zoe. Sam is a businessman who has to pretend he has a family in order to close a deal with the mysterious Javier Del Campo. Sam owns the company that Kathleen works for, and as her boss, manages to convince her to help him out.

 

 

Kathleen is a loving woman.  Not just to her daughter but also to her friends and coworkers.  She embraces the people around her.  Her ex-husband is always gone trying to make it as a pro athlete, with no success.  Her daughter Zoe desperately wants her dad but that doesn’t take the spunk out of her.

 

Sam is the exact opposite.  He is all business and doesn’t have relationships with anyone except his one friend and business partner, Dave.

 

To read my review click here.   I want to warn you this blog entry contains spoilers.

 

This movie is another one of my all-time favorites.  I watch it every year.  The complexity of the characters and how their relationships grow and develop has warmth and humor.

 

Dave has been working with Javier Del Campo for him to buy the company/factory that Sam owns.  Del Campo is a family man so Dave tells him about Sam’s family and how he can meet them when he comes to town.  Of course, Sam has no family.  They attempt to hire actors but everything is going wrong.

 

Enter Kathleen and Zoe.  They are driving in their car and Zoe yells for Kathleen to stop as she sees a house just like her doll house.  Zoe, the independent spirit, takes off and runs right into the house.  This is when Dave realizes they have the perfect family for Del Campo.

 

Why did Kathleen agree for her and Zoe to do this?  Sam would pay her the money she needed for the down payment on a house she found.  She was willing to spend a few days faking they were a family to provide a home for her daughter.

 

As the story goes on, Del Campo continually throws wrenches into their plans.  On the first night, as Kathleen and Sam are planning to go to bed, in their separate bedrooms, Del Campo is parked right there to make sure they sleep in the same room.  He keeps forcing the three of them together.

 

Over time, the act becomes real.  Before they know it, they are a family.  There are other smaller stories along the way, like Kathleen making Sam meet the people on the factory floor so he realizes that selling the business impacts real people in a real way. 

 

The movie ends on Christmas Day when Zoe’s father shows up and they have to admit their farce.  Sam is okay because he realizes he can’t sell the business because Kathleen is right.

 

This movie has such beautiful decorations and the relationships are so special.  When we find out, or suspect, at the end that Del Campo is actually an angel, the whole story fits.

 

I love seeing good people have good things happen.  Zoe is such a delightful and fun character, Kathleen embodies the giving and loving spirit of Christmas, and Sam is an example of how we impact those around us and how it’s never too late for us to find happiness.

 

 

I'd love to hear your thoughts on the movie.  Happy Viewing!