The Note (film)

Plot summary

Newspaper columnist Peyton MacGruder (Genie Francis) finds a note addressed simply to 'T', washed up on shore. It appears to be from the victim of a recent plane crash, and carries a message of hope and forgiveness from a father to his child. MacGruder's readership is down on her column (called "Heart Healer"), and the paper is going to dump it unless she starts to write from the heart. Inspired, MacGruder decides to find the intended recipient of the note, all the while logging her journey through her article. As the mystery unfolds, the note affects each person she contacts significantly.

Cast

Differences from the novel

Promotion

To support the premiere of the film, Hallmark Channel launched a website on October 22, 2007 called www.WhatWouldYouWrite.com, where viewers could submit their own personalized notes to family and friends and answer the question ‘who would you reach out to if you only had a minute?’ The website has since been disconnected.

Reception

The Note became Hallmark Channel’s highest-rated film of 2007 and third highest all-time rating.

Movie Room Reviews stated:

The Note is truly a heartwarming tale [sic] that is fun for the whole family. It offers a story with a deep meaning and hidden storyline. It also demonstrates how someone seemingly up against a wall yet continuing to be pushed, can remain resilient.

However, DVD Verdict called it "syrupy", but that fans of other Hallmark Channel-type fare will "find a treasure trove of positivity and middle-aged sexual tension."

Sequel

Due to the success of the movie for Hallmark Channel, a sequel was made, entitled Taking a Chance on Love, which was written by Douglas Barr. (The Note author Angela Hunt did a novelization of Barr's script.) The original cast returned to reprise their roles.

Another sequel, Notes From the Heart Healer, was broadcast on May 12, 2012.