A Hallmark Presentation refers to any story that is assumed to be told in the
Lighter and Fluffier style traditionally associated with the
Hallmark Hall of Fame series of
made-for-TV films, which, appropriately for a greeting-card company, tend to specialize in
Rose Tinted Narrative.
Basically,
A Hallmark Presentation is the
bright and cheerful alternative to the
Lifetime Movie of the Week!
It is thus often used as a
negative er, positive intensifier, in comparisons with
Darker and Edgier works:
"Geez,
Not Without My Daughter made
Dancer in the Dark look like a Hallmark Film!"
This has turned it into a minor colloquial expression in the U.S., associating
"a Hallmark Presentation" with "
Hallmark card sentiment", which is an example of
Flanderization in real life.
Ironically,
Hallmark Hall of Fame is a pretty well-respected
Long Runner produced and aired by Hallmark, and the quality has a considerably wide range with many standout offerings. Not unlike
HBO, there are many actual Hallmark-produced films that contain biting drama and subvert the general stereotype of
A Hallmark Presentation.
For info on the actual long running Hallmark Hall of Fame series, see Hallmark Hall of Fame.
Darker and Edgier installments of the
Hallmark Hall of Fame series may be noted on that page as
subversions of the trope.
A Hallmark Presentation describes works that fit in the more general popular conception of "
Hallmark Sentiment".
Cynical persons may consider this a form of
Glurge, but it is perhaps broader than that.
This trope describes a
Genre notable for TV drama, but examples can be found in all media.
Tropes traditionally associated with "Hallmark Sentiment" include:
Examples can be found in the following works:
- Any movie that plays on Hallmark Channel, natch.
