The new romantic comedy on the Hallmark Channel For him and her The series stars network favorites Lacey Chabert and Brennan Elliott as married lawyers assigned to represent a reality TV couple in their divorce. But rather than testing their own marriage, the case strengthens their relationship and ultimately makes them realize how lucky they are to have each other.
HIM & HER: STREAM OR SKIP?
Opening shot: Clip from New York City. A woman (Lacey Chabert) in a red power dress enters a conference room in her office and declares, “Let’s get started.” A man in a suit (Brennan Elliott) enters another conference room and says, “All right, are you ready to get started?”
The essentials: For him and her Chabert and Elliott play married lawyers Dana and Mark Chernich; they are both cheerful and bubbly (like Rob Lowe’s character Chris Traeger from Parks & Recreation), always positive and looking for the bright side of things. They talk in the language of lawyers, for example when they address their personal dislikes by referring to them as items on an agenda that need to be resolved. Basically, they are just good-natured morons who are also very good lawyers.
One day, they’re each individually hired by Tabby and Brett Noble (Stephanie Bennett and Clayton James), a famous couple known for reality TV shows that have chronicled their lives since their teens, who are in the midst of a bitter, public divorce. While Dana and Mark represent a kind of cliche of a cuddly couple, Tabby and Brett are caricatures of mindless pseudo-celebrities of the 21st century. They’re only interested in things like green juice, LED light therapy and leg workouts. And both want to take each other down.
Since Mark and Dana are absolute professionals, they don’t tell each other about their new clients until it becomes unavoidable. But just because they’re happily married and each of their clients wants to slit the other’s throat and take everything from them doesn’t mean that they have to have a falling out with their lawyer, right?
As the two legal teams work against each other, Dana and Mark learn things about each other they never knew through background checks and being forced to discuss personal issues that have never been brought up before. While at first it seems like their case will bring into question their own relationship and whether their seemingly perfect relationship was just a facade, it never gets too bad. Because when it comes down to it, working with these reality stars makes them realize how lucky they are to have each other.
Our opinion: For him and her is, as it turns out, exactly the kind of feel-good comedy that many of us are looking for at the end of a long day when we want to turn our brains off. And I mean that in the best way possible. While it initially seems like the two leads are going to be crushingly sweet and cute throughout the film, it turns out that they’re both really funny and are the perfect counterparts to the over-the-top reality couple they’re paired with. In one scene, Lacey Chabert even gets the chance to pull a very funny phone prank reminiscent of Gretchen Weiner’s Girls Club – Be careful, they bite! during the famous four-way phone call.
Just when you think there’s going to be some real relationship drama between Mark and Dana as their secrets come to light, the friction doesn’t last long and the actors clearly seem to enjoy emphasizing the absurdity of their situation. However, the film doesn’t just focus on Mark and Dana’s relationship, it also has a clever twist when we learn that Brett and Tabby fabricated their entire divorce to sell their latest reality show.
With so many courtroom dramas in the world, I wonder why there aren’t more courtroom comedies. The film has the cozy charm that most Hallmark movies have, but a strong sense of humor – something that many Hallmark movies lack – full of jokes that Elliott and Chabert execute perfectly.
Farewell shot: One year later. Mark and Dana have both given up their law firms and started a new one together. Partners for life. We see what their new office looks like and when Dana gets up, we see that she is pregnant. Mark puts his hand on Dana’s belly and explains: “Do you feel that? It’s a prosecutor!”
Remarkable performance: Clayton James, who plays Brett, is exceptionally good as a witless, seemingly empty-headed reality jerk who is actually (slightly) more substantial than he seems. But his take on the “bi-coastal bro” archetype adds a genuinely funny element to the film.
Memorable dialogue: “We’re taking a break. We’re just looking for the right thing for us in the current uncertain and content environment,” says reality star Tabby Dana, describing her life with Brett.
Our call: STREAM IT. I’ll defy anyone who doesn’t think this film is an absolute delight. Is the premise of two lawyers in love constantly talking to each other in legalese pretty silly? Absolutely. Is it played with a twinkle in the eye and full of self-awareness, making the film a comedy that’s more intelligent than you’d expect? Absolutely. The film is more than just a charming romance, it’s a comedy that delivers genuine laughs.
Liz Kocan is a pop culture writer from Massachusetts who is most famous for winning the game show. Chain reaction.
