"Mystery Woman" Mystery Weekend (TV Episode 2005) Poster

(TV Series)

(2005)

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6/10
Fun and a good mystery
blanche-219 April 2005
I am really enjoying the Hallmark Mystery Series. This entry, Murder Weekend, I felt was superior to the first "Mystery Woman" entry I saw. First of all, it had the stunningly beautiful, creamy-voiced Beth Broderick as a diva mystery writer. The rest of the cast was perfect for this series, plus the actual mystery was intriguing.

It makes me feel like I need a rocking chair when I see Kellie Martin very grown up now and Clarence Williams III so old! He was an angry young man in my day, and Kellie has been a kid forever. No more. I am delighted to see her in this series and I hope the shows keep coming. I have one gripe - I think that store needs some more customers!
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10/10
Great Movie, Great Cast
nabor731 January 2005
When I first saw the previews for the Mystery Woman series I was convinced they were going to be good. I never thought they could be this good! Excellent casting and plots make this one of the best contemporary mysteries ever. Some may think the Chief is over the top but I grew up in a small town and Chief Conners is just what one would expect. It's his town and he is the only one who knows what is really going on. I especially like Clarence Williams portrayal as Philby,a character with a mysterious past yet as common as the next man on the street. The entire cast is excellent and Hallmark has outdone themselves. I hope this can continue for quite some time. I had just seen "Snapshot of a Murder" and it to was excellent.
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10/10
Awesome Movie
fortheanimals167 January 2005
I watched this movie tonight, and I was hooked during the entire two hours! I didn't even get up during the commercials because I was afraid I would miss something crucial to the plot. I didn't expect any of the things that happened. I was so happy to see Beth Broderick in a new movie. She is a brilliant and totally versatile actress, and did an amazing job playing Clare Beckman. The whole "Mystery Woman" series is awesome! When you're watching this movie it really seems like you're there. I don't really know how to sum this movie up without giving anything away----so you have to see it. I was never a big fan of Kellie Martin's but after seeing her in this mini-series, I will definitely start to watch more of her movies when they air.
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An enjoyable if typical mystery genre movie from Hallmark
bob the moo28 May 2006
Samantha Kinsey is the owner of the Mystery Woman bookstore in her small town. As part of the store's ongoing role within the community, Samantha and Philby organise a Mystery Weekend that involves readings and book signings from several famous mystery authors – including the elusive Claire Beckman. During the event though someone apparently tries to shoot Beckman, with only her good fortune meaning the bullet misses her and hits Sam's friend (Assistant DA Cassie) in the arm. The police are called and a gun is found but things are confused when it is registered to a local woman who wouldn't hurt a fly and appears to have no motive. Seduced by the mystery and that the crime happened in her shop Sam investigates.

This was my first pass at this Hallmark mystery series and considering the channel it was on and from, I didn't have great hopes for it but felt confident that it would deliver a solid mystery in a solid, TVM-style manner. And so it was with this lively if unlikely mystery film with a typically unusual detective in the lead – in this case a young woman with her own book store and an eye for the suspicious, it's all a bit "Murder She Wrote: The College Years" but it is OK. The plot is nicely laid out, of course it is full of holes but it will do the job for genre fans and those used to Hallmark mystery tvm's. The tone is light but enough of an air of mystery to make it work and generally the direction is OK – which is more than acceptable for this type of thing.

The cast are all reasonably alright. Martin is cute and, although an unlikely bookstore owner, is fun and lively in the lead role – like I said "The College Years". Williams was a strange find and he didn't have a great deal to do – he wasn't helped by not having a really clear character to work with. Siemaszko was OK in her minor role but Sander was about as stiff as I've seen a person. Support is mixed but does the job; hard to find turns from Browne and Satterfield anything other than forgettable while Broderick is a bit too hammy and obvious.

Overall this is an OK mystery film that should be enjoyed by those who enjoy the films Hallmark shows and produces. It is nothing that special of course but it does the job and is entertaining if you are in the mood. The direction and cast match the material and it was good enough for me to justify trying the Mystery Woman series again if I get the chance.
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2/10
Nancy Drew buys a book store
pswanson0029 May 2007
Warning: Spoilers
"Mystery Weekend" was the first Mystery Woman episode I've watched in its entirety, and it was a bit of a slog to get through it. Both my wife and I found it trite and predictable, and downright juvenile when compared to the BBC's "Waking the Dead" and "Wire in the Blood" productions. It was fun to see Beth Broderick again, for the first time since "The 5 Mrs. Buchanans." I wouldn't have recognized the once-foxy Ms. Van Valkenburgh if I hadn't seen her name in the credits. As sometimes happens with starlets, when their looks start to go they learn to act, and turn into really good character actors. It seems she has done that. Clarence Williams is as far from his Mod Squad look as possible this side of the grave, and his character is the low-budget heir to John Hillerman's Higgins or Sidney Poitier's character in Sneakers: the sidekick with a secret past and access to rich sources of data from undivulged sources.

One of several ongoing annoyances to me was the District Attorney/best buddy woman (sorry, didn't write down her unspellable name), who -- despite having presumably graduated from college and law school -- uses the sentence structure and enunciation of a 17-year-old airhead. Give your audience some credit, writers.

It's unlikely I will watch this series again.
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10/10
Excellent!!!!!
darren-18121 January 2005
Kellie Martin is the new Nancy Drew! My wife and I love this show! We have TiVo'd it to make sure we do NOT miss it. Kellie is Brilliant. If you like a good Mystery then this is the one for you. I have been a fan of Kellie's for a long time and really enjoy her work. You are seeing a mature Kellie Martin, not a kid anymore. Her acting is top notch. Her character owns a bookstore and solves mysteries and pushes to find the truth. Whether it is breaking into a house to look for clues or just plain snooping she finds the answer. I love the way her character can get on others nerves when she starts pushing buttons to get her way. Anyway you go this is a HIT, I can't wait for the DVD's!
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1/10
Literally unwatchable
evebay394 September 2005
I will give it another go but ONLY if the director/producer sorts out the soundtrack.

Wholly inappropriate (booming when the 2 women are in the car, so much so that you can barely hear them, and what was the ridiculous whine when the old woman comes in and drops the books?!?).

It as is if the director feels it needs to be there all the time, and it needs to be some clichéd mystery music irrespective of what is going on in the background, and he hasn't bothered to watch it through properly afterwards or he would have realised that not only does it distract, it drowns out the audio on several occasions, all the time having no meaning/relevance to the plot. Appalling first 15 minutes, I gave up.

Remove the soundtrack and start again.
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10/10
Probably The Only One I Remember
Pevensies17 December 2005
Warning: Spoilers
Each detail has a way of tieing the knot perfectly, right? Well, in this movie, Samantha plans on meeting the mystery author during the Mystery Weekend at her bookstore. She stumbles on a mystery, as usual, just like Nancy Drew. Sam and her spunky friend, Cassie Hillman, work together when a mystery comes along. This one is about a mystery author for Mystery Weekend at Sam's bookstore. Claire Beckman, the mystery author, tries to use some poses for a picture-taking and almost gets shot by a hidden gun. Sam finds many clues to figuring out how Claire died and why. Several times, Sam keeps bumping into something that involves with both Claire and Angela Hobbs. Now, what do you say? "How does this go with tieing the knot perfectly?" Well, I'll tell you this. Each clue Sam found, she would find herself at dead ends. Each dead end Sam got to, there comes another clue mysteriously just to help her out. Once you solve all the dead ends, you untie each little part of the knot. After that, you re-tie the knot with all the pieces of the puzzle solved and a solution to catch the culprit of the mystery. It may seem confusing, but in a way... you will get it in time.

As far as I know, this is the only Mystery Woman movie I can remember. Well, there is one that I remember but I don't remember the title. Oh, now I remember! It was Vision of a Murder. It's very vague. I can barely remember anything about it. Only that a girl was mysteriously killed in a book and in reality earlier that decade. These are probably the only Mystery Woman movies I can remember. In the mean time, I will watch as much Mystery Woman as I can on Hallmark Channel. Ciao everyone.
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10/10
Hallmark at it's finest. Feel good movie while still being exciting!
priestess_kris27 October 2015
All I can say is are they ever going to resume Mystery Woman? Samantha Kinsey, a photographer turned bookshop owner turned to a real life crime solver. She is one of those things that remind us of our productive and curious parts of our childhood (Nancy Drew and Shelby Woo anyone?).

What with Sherlock and Elementary garnering a lot of fans and views, I am most certain those whose hunger for a good mystery is never satiated would appreciate Samantha's quick wit and pleasing personality.

The heroine is welcoming, logical, thoughtful and insightful. She's refreshing and a good character for the children of today to look up to. If they ever pick up on Mystery Woman again, I am quite sure they will pick up a following. I myself may just be a part of it!
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4/10
mostly bland and uninteresting in my opinion
disdressed122 April 2007
i didn't like this movie.i found it moved at a glacial pace.i also didn't think the acting was all that great.i only liked 2 characters In the whole movie,which is sad,because there are a lot of characters.i liked the character of Philby,played by Clarence Williams III.i also liked Williams himself.i thought he was on of the 2 best actors in the movie.the other character i like was Cassie,played by Nina Siemaszko.I thought Siemaszko also was very good in her role.these 2 characters(Philby and Cassie) i found to be interesting. the rest of the characters were either boring or annoying. Kellie Martin plays the lead character,and to me,she was bland.to be honest,most of the movie was uninteresting,in my opinion.it just seems like nothing really happens.i was really just waiting for this movie to be over.this is not the worst movie i have seen("Dracula 3000" holds that distinction so far)but it was nothing special either."Mystery Woman:Mystery Weekend" gets 4/10 from me.
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