Mystery Woman: At First Sight (2006)

Instant Favorite.

How sad is this?

Like the great film, it's made with a great deal of visible affection both in front of and behind the camera.

It’s fine. It's literally the definition of a fine movie. You’ve seen it before, you know every beat and outcome before the characters even do. Only question is how much escapism you’re looking for.

Samantha is played by Kellie Martin a woman who owns "The Mystery Woman Book". She investigates and is interested in law and enforcement. She found out she was adopted and is going to a town she thinks her mother lives. She drives to that town is kind of afraid and stays outside the house for about an hour before she goes in. As her "mother" Hannah opens the door she recognizes Sam and tells her to leave.Inside the house is a dead man killed by a gun shot wound and Samantha's birth mother Hannah is arrested. Sam meets her half sister who does not know about her. Sam makes out she is someone else.There is a lot of drama in this movie. Philby, played by Clarence Williams III is an excellent actor. He plays Sam's all around man with a lot of computer and police knowledge in the book store.There are a lot of criminals in this. Insurance fraud agents, people who work in offices and pass personal information because they are being blackmailed and more.I had a problem with this movie. Sam has to watch her half sister, her mother and her step father support each other in love and she is at a standstill having to hold her identity while her family shares love and is not included. She helps her mother get out of jail and finds the killer of the man in the house.It has some good parts Sam and Philby are successful with what they start out to do but to watch a girl not being acknowledged in love by her mom is so sad.

"Mystery Woman: At First Sight" is another entry into the Hallmark series. Kudos to director Kellie Martin on this one - there wasn't an establishing shot of the bookstore every 30 seconds.In this episode, Samantha Kinsey finds her birth mother Hannah (Kathryn Harrold) - just as the woman is about to be arrested for murder. A man is dead in her living room. Without revealing to her half-sister (Christine Lakin) or Hannah's husband (John Aprea) who she is, Sam sets out to help clear Hannah of the murder charges. Meanwhile, back home, Philby (Clarence Williams III) is having his own problems.The comments on this site were interesting in that some people expressed disappointment in this episode. I'm not sure why - it was just as slow-moving and pedestrian as the rest of them. It was a kick to see Michael Cole and Clarence Williams III, two of the "Mod Squad" members reunited, but despite Philby telling Cole he looked good, he didn't.And that's the reason I watch "Mystery Woman" when I see it's on - sometimes it features some baby boomer stars, and I also like Kellie Martin. This series, like Jane Doe and McMartin, is okay, but that's about it.

While not being my favorite genre of mysteries - I prefer puzzles such as those Agatha Christie's "Hercule Poirot" solves - cozies have their own, intense fan group.A "cozy" mystery is typified by a nice setting, no grit, no gore - or not much gore. It's evenly paced, with few car chases and no walks down the seamier side of life.The "Mystery Woman" series typifies just this genre, and does it mostly well. In this particular undertaking, there is a lot to squeeze into a two-hour (minus commercials) timeframe.Samantha Kinsey tries to find her birth mother, finds her, gets embroiled in a murder investigation and ties it all up neatly. Perfect "cozy" material. What was done well? They found an actress to play Sam's half-sister, Christine Lakin, who does bear a resemblance, especially around the eyes, to Kellie Martin. They're almost the same height, size, and have similar hair. Good job on that! There is a sub-plot pairing Clarence Williams' "Philby" with Michael Cole's "Desmond" as two old compadres from that mysterious past of "Philby's". We suspect a secret squirrel spy past, but we don't really know. For the middle-aged crowd, for whom these "Mystery Woman" films seem to be aimed, it's a fun little ride back to our younger days watching "The Mod Squad." This is Miss Martin's 3rd directing job, and it's not a bad one. The scenes are set up neatly, but there are few surprises."Mystery Woman: At First Sight" won't win many awards, but it's a pleasant way to spend two hours. It is a LOT better than watching endless re-runs of movies we've seen hundreds of times.It's a pure pleasure to have something to watch that isn't muddled, befuddled or a stupid reality show. The Hallmark Channel does me very well with their "Crime-Time Sunday" line-up, and I'm enjoying every minute of it.

A date with a doctor and an offhand comment about the health of her parents, sees Kellie reveal to Cassie that she was adopted and suddenly now wants to find her real mother. She follows up a few leads and gets an address but, on arriving at the house of the woman she believes is her mother, she finds her standing over a dead body. Kellie pretends to the police that she was soliciting for donations and they happily accept this despite all the obvious flaws in that alibi. As her "mother" Hannah is taken away as the main suspect, Kellie stays to help. Meanwhile, back at the bookstore, Philby's quiet time alone is ruined when a man from his past turns up.So with a shoe horn the size of a canoe, Kellie is set up with a new mystery to try and solve. There is a slight insult to the audience's intelligence by having her suddenly announce her revelation, brush away a tear, suddenly decide to track her down and, after doing it surprisingly easily, she just happens to have turned up minutes after a murder has occurred, but I suppose with daytime TV you can never overestimate the audience's intelligence. So off we go on the usual superficial mystery that never aspires to be more than daytime filler. It drifts forward with unsurprising and dull "twists" and revelations in the plot and the main thing I felt was boredom. This isn't helped by the stupid mood music played throughout as well.It isn't like the mystery is even enough to fill the film, because we are also treated to a pointless subplot that runs throughout the film that just seems to exist to give Philby and Connors something to do. Done well the two threads would have the film bulging and it is telling that even with them both it is still baggy and boring. The cast don't help much. Martin is cute but that's about it. Siemaszko continue her trend of doing very little while Williams yet again takes his paycheque for strolling round in the background being all mysterious about his past. Harrold is OK but Lakin looks like an actresses keen to make the most of her opportunity and forces it throughout. Sander also does his usual charisma-free turn to no good effect while Podell is smarmy to the point where my stomach churned.Overall then a dull and boring Mystery Woman film; and I say that as someone who has found some of the other films OK. The main mystery isn't much cop, while the subplot is pointless. Die-hard fans might like it but even for the casual daytime TV viewer this is pretty weak.