Review

"Shifting Gears: A Hallmark Movie That Forgot to Shift Into First Gear"

If you’ve ever wondered what would happen if a Hallmark holiday movie and a midlife crisis had a baby, Shifting Gears is here to answer that question. Released in 2024, this film is like a Hallmark movie, but instead of a quaint small town, it’s set in a dusty auto repair shop. Instead of a cozy Christmas romance, it’s about a divorced dad who rediscovers his love for life by fixing up a 1972 Chevy pickup. Spoiler alert: the truck gets more character development than most of the cast.

The plot is as predictable as a Hallmark holiday movie marathon in December. Our hero, played by a ruggedly charming actor who clearly Googled “how to look sad while holding a wrench,” moves back to his hometown after his wife leaves him for a yoga instructor named Chad. (Side note: Why is it always a Chad?) He inherits his late father’s garage, which is conveniently located next to a quirky coffee shop run by a single mom who hates him at first but will definitely fall in love with him by the third act.

The dialogue is so cheesy, it could be served at a Hallmark movie-themed fondue party. Lines like, “Sometimes life’s like a carburetor—you gotta clean out the gunk to get it running again,” had me laughing so hard I almost spilled my popcorn. And don’t even get me started on the obligatory “small-town eccentric” characters, like the old mechanic who only speaks in cryptic car metaphors and the precocious kid who somehow knows more about engines than a NASCAR pit crew.

The movie’s saving grace is its unintentional comedy. There’s a scene where the hero dramatically revs the engine of the Chevy, and the camera zooms in on his face like he’s just discovered the meaning of life. Meanwhile, the truck backfires, and I couldn’t tell if it was part of the script or if the prop department just didn’t get the memo.

In the end, Shifting Gears is exactly what you’d expect: a feel-good, low-stakes, Hallmark-adjacent flick that’s perfect for when you’re folding laundry and need something to half-watch. It’s not groundbreaking, but it’s not trying to be. It’s the cinematic equivalent of a warm blanket and a cup of cocoa—if that blanket had a few grease stains and the cocoa was served in a coffee mug that says “World’s Best Mechanic.”

Final verdict: If you love Hallmark movies but wish they had more torque, this one’s for you. Just don’t expect it to shift into high gear anytime soon. 2.5 out of 5 wrenches.