In My Dreams (2014)

Now that her mother is deceased, Natalie Russo is running the L'agrifoglio (Italian for holly) Italian restaurant, and it is in trouble. But she has hired a new chef Mario who knew her family but is temperamental, and she has some changes in mind.

Mike and Charlotte Smith are about to celebrate their 40th wedding anniversary. Their son Nick is a successful architect who is not allowed to be creative or even present his ideas directly to clients. But he is up for the Green Bridge Award. He just went through a bad relationship with Jessa, and Charlotte wants to fix him up.

Natalie and Nick both throw a penny into the Hayward Fountain at the same time and the pennies touch. According to the woman who sold Natalie flowers, there is a legend about that fountain and having dreams.

Natalie and Nick both have the same dream, where they meet and find out details about each other which are real, even though they have never met. They dream about each other more than once, and Natalie start looking forward to going to sleep. She even puts on a sexy nightie so she'll be ready.

Nick ends up dating Lori Beth, who he knew when they were in school. She's perky but in an annoying way. They're just not right for each other. Then he gets an emergency call from Jessa. It's just a mouse. But it's a big mouse! Soon we see in Jessa the shallow, demanding attitude that apparently caused trouble between these two.

Meanwhile, Natalie starts making changes at her restaurant. This includes a new name, Russo's. She makes changes in the recipes handed down my her family. And she replaces the opera music (including what I believe to be that song Charles Emerson Winchester was whistling while playing poker) with annoying music that women seem to like, which gets played on what are called Triple-A radio stations. And Mario seems interested in her.

So will Natalie and Nick meet? Will Natalie's restaurant succeed? Will Nick win his award? Will Nick decide to quit his job? As one might expect, there are plenty of obstacles standing in the way.

Katharine McPhee does a very good job. She's confident and determined and so easy to like. We want her to succeed in everything she wants to do. Plus I know her from "Smash". The one negative is her bangs. She's not Zooey Deschanel, who can make that look work. But she is pretty, and her hair looks better later on.

Mike Vogel is unfamiliar to me but likable enough. But he and McPhee are so perfect together. No other couple in the movie gets it just right. The dreams where they are together are one of the best parts of the movie, with one exception where the relationship is no longer ideal.

Jessalyn Wanlim as Sharla, Natalie's waitress and best friend also does very well. She has a great personality and makes the perfect waitress. And no, she's not merely a lowly worker but has a relationship with Natalie that makes her more like a business partner. When needed, she can be the boss.

Joe Massingill makes a real impact as Joe, Nick's best friend and co-worker, who might join him in a new architectural firm.

JoBeth Williams does a good job as Nick's meddling mom.

And Lilah Fitzgerald and Dakota Guppy are so cute as Nick's nieces.

It's a worthy installment in the Hallmark Hall of Fame series.