Stream It Or Skip It: ‘The Stars Between Us’ on Hallmark Channel, Where An Aspiring Reporter And An Astronomy Professor Seek A Total Eclipse
The Hallmark Channel continues its Loveuary programming slate with its latest original title, The Stars Between Us. This romance film stars Sarah Drew and Matt Long as two strangers who have a brief but impactful first meeting during a solar eclipse event, only to then go their separate ways without exchanging contact information. Seven years later, they both return to the same place to see the latest eclipse, completely unaware that the other is there. Will the stars align to make them cross paths again, or is their connection as fleeting as an eclipse itself?
The Gist: It’s the first solar eclipse in a century, and applied physics PhD candidate Malcolm Brooks (Matt Long) is at a special viewing event in Carbondale, Illinois, to witness the phenomenon in the Path of Totality. After his girlfriend grows bored and wanders off to the concession stand, astronomy fan Kim Gallagher (Sarah Drew) comes over to compliment Malcolm’s impressive telescope set-up and ask if she can have a look as she waits for her fiancé to finally arrive with their eclipse glasses. The two strangers begin chatting and quickly bond over a shared fascination with the eclipse, leaving Kim awed by Malcolm’s knowledge and suggesting that he should be a teacher. Malcolm feels more heard and understood than he has in a while, but they part ways without exchanging contact info as their partners arrive, leaving them both to wonder if their meeting was meant to be as impactful yet fleeting as the eclipse itself.
However, seven years later, the stars align, literally, once more as another eclipse places Carbondale in the Path of Totality. Kim is now a divorced single mother to a young daughter (Phoenyx Ellis) and is just months back into work as a part-time newswriter for WGZA Chicago after five years off to have and care for her child. Kim feels behind in life and like she missed the boat on achieving her dreams as an on-camera reporter. But after freezing on-camera during her first segment, Kim gets one last chance at her big break when she volunteers to fill in for a coworker and cover the eclipse in Carbondale. Joined by her friend, skilled WGZA camerawoman Claire (Donna Benedicto), and their boss’s (Kevin O’Grady) nephew, a bumbling, first-time segment producer named Reed (Grayson Gurnsey), Kim must overcome her nerves and pressure to make this story a success.
Malcolm is at a crossroads of his own as he works as a professor in astronomy for a junior college in Arizona, hoping to take the next step in his career by publishing a manuscript. To get his work out in the world, he needs the support of his former teacher and expert in all things cosmic, Dr. Stanley Longford (Greg Rogers). Unable to get through to Dr. Longford remotely, Malcolm and his film professor friend, Travis (Noah Paul), head to Carbondale’s big eclipse event to try and talk to the celebrated man in person. At Carbondale, Travis and Claire happen to meet and immediately feel sparks fly, but Kim and Malcolm keep barely missing each other. Though the odds seem against them, perhaps it’s in the universe’s plan for them to reconnect now as single 30-something professionals pursuing their goals and find lasting romance along the way.
Photo: Hallmark Channel
What Movies Will It Remind You Of? The Stars Between Us might remind some viewers of other made-for-TV romances that feature an astronomy professor love interest, like the 2014 holiday movie One Starry Christmas and the 2022 rom-com Love Amongst the Stars.
Performance Worth Watching: Sarah Drew and Donna Benedicto stood out the most as WGZA Chicago coworkers and friends, Kim and Claire. I enjoyed their easy chemistry together and tended to most enjoy myself whenever they were onscreen.
Memorable Dialogue: There was a light awkwardness to this first exchange between a bewildered Reed and a fanboying Malcolm that I found amusing:
“Were you talking to Dr. Longford?”
“Uh, yeah.”
“Dr. Stanley Longford, the coolest astronomer of all-time?”
“Okay, well, that’s not for me to judge. I don’t even know what makes an astronomer cool.”
Sex And Skin: None.
Photo: Hallmark Channel
Our Take: I have mixed feelings about The Stars Between Us. On one hand, I love the originality of creating a romance based around solar eclipses, but on the other hand, the movie unfortunately fails to fully execute on the vision of this refreshingly unique concept. The dialogue could be quite clunky and contrived at times, culminating in more cringiness than cute cheesiness. And while I really enjoyed the individual development and shared bonds between some of the characters, I think that the movie is ultimately weighed down by a central romantic pairing that only interacts on three separate occasions throughout the entire movie.
The more I think about it, the odder it is that every nearly relationship feels more earned and interesting than the main one. I really liked the friendship between Kim and Claire, as well as Reed’s growth both in terms of his professional competence and personal bond with Kim. I grew to enjoy spending time with these three characters enough that every time the focus switched back to Malcolm, I felt my attention wane.
Beyond his wordy insights about the cosmos or his deep admiration of Dr. Longford, what do we really know about him? It was difficult to connect with or care about his character, and I forgot that he was the male lead in the first place as Claire and Travis’s romance became more developed and engaging than anything we saw from him and Kim. That’s the overall thesis on The Stars Between Us, really. Told more than shown, started strong but didn’t quite follow through, and was not nearly as impactful or memorable as a solar eclipse.
Our Call: Despite its unique eclipse romance concept, The Stars Between Us is ultimately weighed down by its underdeveloped central romance and consistent commitment to telling rather than showing. SKIP IT.
How To Watch The Stars Between Us
The only way to watch Hallmark Channel live without cable is by using a live TV streaming service. We recommend DIRECTV, which comes with a five-day free trial before payment begins.
DIRECTV offers a number of flexible subscription options, including Genre Packs, so you can best choose which streaming plans fit your needs and budget. Plans start at $49.99/month.
Maddy Casale is a Chicago-based writer and comedian who covers everything from animated series to Hallmark movies. Follow her on Duolingo @MCasale.
