Timepiece (1996)

Set in the 1940s, an Irish immigrant (Naomi Watts) takes a job as the secretary of a young and wealthy businessman (Kevin Kilner) and they fall in love and marry. But tragedy invades their lives and threatens to destroy their marriage. Based on the novel by Richard Paul Evans and directed by Marcus Cole. This is a prequel to THE CHRISTMAS BOX which was also written by Evans and directed by Cole with Naomi Watts playing a younger version of Maureen O'Hara's character from that movie. The term "Hallmark movie" is often spoken derisively and its movies like TIMEPIECE that provide ample ammunition for that contempt. This is a shamefully manipulative chunk of saccharine. Its theme is forgiveness (which I find an overrated virtue) and the movie's finale goes all Oprah on us as the family priest insists they must forgive their daughter's murderer in order to move on. I suppose it was too much to expect revenge in a Hallmark movie. Pure twaddle! With Ellen Burstyn, James Earl Jones and Richard Thomas.