Guiding Emily (TV Movie 2023) Poster

(2023 TV Movie)

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7/10
Uplifting and inspirational.
paulclaassen18 September 2023
'Guiding Emily' is a film that will resonate with anyone who has completely or partially lost their sight, or someone having to deal with a loved one losing their sight.

Sarah Drew stars as the adventurous Emily, who loses her sight after a hiking accident. Her fiancée Connor (Toby Levins) is comforting and supportive at first, but when he realizes he would have to adapt to an entirely different lifestyle with a blind woman as his wife - and having received a job offer he can't refuse - Connor has second thoughts. This and the fact Emily now needs guidance, leaves her distraught.

But 'Guiding Emily' isn't a somber, pity movie. It is uplifting, and there are many funny moments. Many of these humorist moments are provided by the absolutely adorable dog, Garth - a Labrador guide dog. Much of the film is also told from the dog's perspective.

The film proves just how easy it is for sighted people to take sight for granted. After all, our eyes are the windows to the world. And we so seldom even consider the possibility of vision being taken away from us in a matter of seconds. With the loss of one sense, though, the other senses become more dominant - such as the sense of smell and touch.

'Guiding Emily' is a feel-good movie with good performances and a good script. It never gets too emotional and despite a few dramatic moments here and there, it remains lighthearted enough throughout so you don't need a box of tissues. Then again, Garth's cuteness might also stir happy emotion, so yeah, maybe its best to keep those tissues handy!!

The film also teaches us not to be too depressed when things go wrong. Sometimes things happen for a reason, and just maybe fate has a funny way of showing you the way to a better life...
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8/10
A goodie
akiwigirl9 September 2023
Firstly there's a dog in this film.

Secondly Sarah and Antonio are wonderful together. To be fair I like both actors anyway but in this I Felt their friendship immediately and willed their romance on from the beginning. It's a sweet sweet tale, a decent offering from Hallmark after quite few recent duds. Made me feel happy start to finish and actually could have done with being a bit longer. A few mentions: Matty Finochio and Peter Benson were great in their roles as support actors also.

Thirdly in case I hadn't made it clear there's a dog in this film. Not enough of him but still enough to make me smile.
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9/10
LOVED IT
ssimeonidou111 September 2023
Warning: Spoilers
I was waiting for this movie and i personally loved it!!!

Sarah and Antonio are wonderful together and have good chemistry as friends first, making us wish and wait to see them as a couple by the end of the movie.

The story is evolving naturally giving the chance to see the strangle of Emily who goes blind after an accident, with her family, boyfriend, colleagues and friends trying to make piece and adjust with her condition. I liked that it showed difficultiess of a blind person as well as ways to coop.

Sara's acting was heartfelt and realistic (I just love her). Antonio is once more very very good as well as Toby as her fiance and Matty as her co-worker.

The story of the dog is Disney like with him talking to us but not a leading role....just cute enough to make us smile!!!

Good work everybody!!!! Touching movie and not sappy at all...

I hope we'll see more like this one : Great acting, suitable casting and a story that flows without unnecessary details and boring-sappy mixups.
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10/10
A Dog's love story
Jackbv12313 September 2023
It might be helpful to know from the start that this is a movie where we hear the dog's thoughts. It's done well. This dog, Garth, is drawn to Emily immediately when he meets her while still a puppy long before he is trained.

The story of Emily and Garth's journey together does not fill as much of the movie as I expected.

Sarah Drew! This is another Hallmark movie where she so dominates the story. There is a man-woman romance (as different from woman-dog romance), but it really wasn't the main story. The story is about Emily being knocked down, giving up, and the getting back up again thanks to friends who verbally knocked some sense into her. It is a great story which is only made better by Drew. She is always so expressive and energetic.
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10/10
This is worth the hour and a half.
birgitta-079662 October 2023
I have seen just about every Hallmark movie that was released since 2012. I had to do chemo two years ago and watched them all during my down time. I have opinions on them all and a list of the ones I really like.

I love the new path Hallmark has taken. The movies are no longer cookie cutter plots with different actors. Instead they have great writers giving us fun and unique stories.

Guiding Emily was a pleasant surprise. It's very well written and the actors hit it out of the park. I could feel her fear when the bandages were removed. I felt the hopelessness and loss with her. It is one of the best I've seen lately. The completely original storyline pulls you in and you feel emotionally connected and invested in characters. Of course it is a feel good romance but the journey was everything from tragic and heartbreaking to uplifting and fun. I loved the dog, Garth. I don't usually like when movies give animals human traits but I liked this a lot. I learned a lot about the difficulties of being blind too. The bathroom scene was painful to watch. I really enjoyed the romance that slowly grew and felt real and not rushed or forced. Well done everyone!
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10/10
Best Movie I have seen in years.
tuffybellsmom2 November 2023
Warning: Spoilers
I have been a Hallmark fan for many years, recently I've enjoyed the more heartwarming movies in Hallmark Movies & Mysteries so I knew that Guiding Emily would be heartwarming. But, I didn't know how true that turned out to be. The storyline itself was amazing. The actors seemed to emotionally involved and hearing the dog's perspective was beautiful. Besides thoroughly enjoying the movie, I learned so much about how much a person's life was changed by being blind. I also learned about the cane being so much more than a warning to others and just how long a guide dog needed training. WATCH & ENJOY 😊
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10/10
Excellent in every regard
cincy-4798328 September 2023
First, a note of surprise... Hallmark must have had a change of creative management recently as suddenly their movies are way more original, creative, fun and believable than so much of what they have produced in the past. This is perhaps the third totally enjoyable movie of theirs I have seen lately.

In Guiding Emily - first a huge kudo to the acting, especially Sarah Drew. Her acting is superb and she goes through every emotion in the book in this movie. Not just Sarah Drew but every actor did a superb and believable job.

Second, while the story could have been a tear-jerker and way dramatic, Hallmark kept this to a minimum and instead focused on Emily's development after becoming blind. And, interweaving the story of Emily along with the story of the dog from a puppy up to adult size was brilliant.

Hallmark, please provide more entertainment like this and will someone please give Sarah Drew an Emmy or similar award for her work on this.
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A guided review..
ts-00003 March 2024
Haven't known too many blind people & although Emily was recently blinded,how she acted from eye movements & so forth was poorly executed or seemed quickly adaptive.. Feel this wasn't so much,an acting versus directing issue.

Also how people treated her,what she learned & all that seemed again farfetched.. Even the guide dog training was beyond simplistic,yes it's a movie but keep it somewhat real.

A typical Hallmark movie,full of clichés & plotholes.

Was a bit disappointed in the fact,considering.. the business owner didn't remember meeting Emily & obviously,further confirmed Garth was hers all along.

The acting to actors chosen was ok,cinematography as always decent & music didn't overwhelm anything spoken.

Although did enjoy this,it was sugar-coated & almost romanticized Emily's issues.

The boyfriend/fiancée-Can't even remember his significance to her,as he bailed the minute things weren't easy.

Worth checking out once,as not an overall typical scenario like saving a festival.
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7/10
Super brat finds love
jhxgr6 March 2024
Warning: Spoilers
Question: have we created a nation of females that are super brats?

This character refused to believe any reality that was not based in fact. She created her own pity party. Her boyfriend left her. Her mother cosseted her. It was only until her climbing instructor got her the help she needed to learn how to deal with her blindness. The counterbalancing story about a family who trains a puppy to be a guide dog was absolutely wonderful. Thank God we have loving people who provide this incredible service for the well-being of those afflicted with sight difficulties. And then ultimately the climbing instructor helps the blind female to cope with her reality and of course... They fall in love.
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10/10
Good movie, though not what I expected
ssenkiw9 September 2023
This is a story of a healthy, energetic, athletic business woman who loses her sight and what happens afterwards that brings back joy to her life.

I saw the adds on Hallmark Movies and Mysteries, and wanted to watch this movie. I expected that it would be uplifting, and it was. I expected there would be a love story, and there were several.

After I watched the movie, I was surprised to see that Eric McCormack ( Will from Will & Grace ) was listed as starring in it. I did not remember seeing him in it at all, and used a lot of time trying to figure out which face was his. Perhaps you will figure out right away.

I spent the beginning of the movies nervous because I didn't know when she would lose her sight, and how it would happen. Once that part was over, I could enjoy the movie.

Sarah Drew did a great job of portraying Emily. Emily is a very likeable character, and we can empathize as she goes through the trauma of losing her sight and having her world change forever.

Toby Levins is very good as Emily's fiancee Conner. He is very business focused too, and loves Emily. He tries to cope with her new reality, and be helpful and supportive. Like a real human, Conner makes some big mistakes that make the story more realistic and interesting.

The friends and co-works of Emily are a big part of the story. Everyone should have caring people like them in their lives.

About the dog... this is a separate but intertwined story. It is a bit Disney, and surprising, and fun.

The love stories... Love between Emily and her friends and coworkers, the dog's love of food and learning and Emily, a little romance...

Watch it and find out.
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10/10
Terrific in every way!
agarone-5183518 September 2023
Warning: Spoilers
I really feel this was one of the best Hallmark movies I've ever seen. Extremely touching but not saccharine. Sara was so believable in the role and her chemistry with Antonio came through the screen. The guide dog narration was funny but the movie accurately details the training guide dogs go through and the fact that many of these beautiful dogs don't make the grade. It's a movie that takes you through an emotional roller coaster because Emily does not recover her sight but you feel at the end that she is stronger and more loved than before. And the love from Antonio and Garth will be unconditional.
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5/10
Same old formulaic Hallmark pap
sysgoddess9 September 2023
Warning: Spoilers
As a user of a service dog, though not a guide dog, I was interested in this movie despite the fact that it was on one of the Hallmark channels. I regretted it while the opening credits were still running and showing actors names both in print and braille as though someone would be reading it that way on screen. If anything, the pseudo braille would likely cause problems for someone using a screen reader trying to parse that silliness.

Then we have the way she loses her sight, she is struck on the head by a rock while rock climbing which causes her to fall and strike her head on a larger rock.

Then we have the guide dog candidates (puppies). Everything from their genetics and breeding is planned and they are socialized from birth. The selected puppy, Garth, would not have been a valid candidate for advanced (guide dog) training and would likely have been released to less exacting training via other service dog training organizations or groups for other services, or been made available for a pet adoption perhaps with a contract allowing the breeder to utilize the dog for a single breeding to maintain the gene pool and lineage with the puppies being the property of the breeder then the dog would be spayed or neutered to prevent accidental breeding in the future.

There are scenes where the puppy raiser gives the puppy a salty potato chip, later having a conversation with their child about how unfocused thf puppy is and using it as an excuse for not taking it inside a store or other building. Puppy raisers have a set of guidelines to follow including how to socialize and train the puppy(s). If the puppy was having issues, and proving unsuitable for service, they would have been in contact with the program coordinator.

I won't belabor the many other inaccuracies rife in this movie as the guide dog is clearly considered an unimportant detail to the movie and is simply used as a plot device.

Also, a little known fact is that guide and other service dogs can cost many thousands of dollars, an expense that is usually not paid for by any insurance and depending upon the dog's duties they are often retired by the age of 7 to 9 years old. Many recipients of service dogs are aided by their church or other organizations in fund raising to allow them the independence that a real service dog can provide.

Additionally, there are federal laws, under ADA, protecting trained Service Dogs and their handler allowing them access to many public places. No such protections are provided to or for untrained emotional support animals.
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10/10
Wonderful
jenn_caukwell6 January 2024
I knew with Sarah Drew, this movie would not disappoint.

This was such a lovely movie and done so, so well.

The chemistry between Sarah and her male counterparts was fabulous all around.

Outstanding performances by all - truly.

It felt well developed and wasn't corny like many tv movies. This definitely felt levelled up.

I'm keeping this one on my PVR as I'll definitely be watching again.

(Keep the Kleenex close... I needed it multiple times.)

Having a family member losing their sight, this movie was definitely a tear jerker but also showed me how much those with sight limitations can do.
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10/10
One of Hallmark's best! Heartfelt and Inspiring from beginning to end!
mavisre13 January 2024
The story of Emily, a career woman and natural leader with a love for outdoor adventure, whose eyesight is taken in a freak accident that turns her world upside down. From a bright, optimistic, and headstrong woman, who struggles with changes and her own self-doubt, to climbing out of her personal hell and finding love again, the story packs a lot of emotion into 2 hours. Emily's boyfriend Connor, who struggles with changes and is unable to adapt, further adds to the emotion early on. Drew is Emily's employee, who refuses to let her give up, and eventually gets her whole team involved in rebuilding her life.

In parallel to Emily's story, is the story of Garth, a puppy and new guide dog in training, Garth meets Emily by happenstance early on, and through his own personal journey, their paths cross throughout the story, and Garth's voice always telling him that Emily is his person. When Garth meets Emily for the second time, he senses a change, and even the strongest will shed tears.

Emily's friends and co-workers rally around her to build her confidence and get her back to being the strongwilled woman she was, including Matthew the local owner of a rock climbing business who won't let her give up and helps her regain her confidence again with the help of her neighbor and young friend Zoe. One of Hallmark's best and packed with emotion, this movie will inspire you from beginning to end!
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10/10
Great Movie for Everyone - Especially Women!!
videonutz5 March 2024
Warning: Spoilers
This is a Movie that I Truly Believe You will Absolutely Love!!! The Heart and Soul of the Film is its Story of a Young Woman, who when Faced with an Earthshaking, Negative Adversity in Her Life, finds the Strength, Stamina, and Ability to Pick Herself Up, Dust Herself Off, and With the Support of Friends, Coworkers, and a Lovable Labrador Retriever, Start All Over Again!!! The Female Lead, Sarah Drew is Superb, and the. Dog ( Garth ) is Absolutely Adorable. You'll Always Know what He is Thinking because there is a Voiceover of his thoughts about Everything that is Going on throughout the Entire Movie. This is Truly an Incredible, Uplifting, Heartwarming, and Extremely Entertaining Production!!!
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10/10
This Was Truly Great (and Different) RomCom!
frankjmonaco-4474518 September 2023
Warning: Spoilers
My wife and I have watched a lot of RomComs since the Pandemic (and we rate them on a spreadsheet we can share). Guiding Emily was one of the elite "Very Best" and was very different from many RomComs.

To begin with, all the actors were very good, even the guide dog! It could not have been easy having a sighted actress portray a bind person, but it was done very well indeed! Kindness abounded for someone in need.

And Emily's team love for her, as well as her rock wall climbing beau, were very believable and heartwarming.

Except for Emily's supposed original love interest abandoning her, everything in this movie was different and well done.

We highly recommend this great movie! Thanks!
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9/10
Great Movie
jpyshny7 April 2024
Love movies where the dogs can talk!

If this one doesn't have you crying halfway through, you have no heart.

Garth, the dog, and Emily are meant to be together. But first he must go through rigorous training and be tested.

Emily lost her eyesight and she is being tested too. Her friend and her lover leave her because of her accident (that he caused) she wants to quit her job. She wants to quit life.

But her friends from work, her neighbors, and her friends, friends help her through a horrible transition.

Very well written, and well acted story. Worth your time. Specially, if you like dogs.
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4/10
The idea of the movie is great. Executing it horrible!
saramedh28 October 2023
I was so looking forward to this movie. The idea and the plot sounded great. Unfortunately the actors had not done their job as an actor. I bet they haven't even researched how to be blind or even talked to a blind person. I have seen better actors acting blind. And on a probably lower budget than this movie. It was not believble. The storyline to the dog was horrible too. Oweral the producer or the script also had bad lines. With a 7.8 on IMDb I thought this would be better. But it just shows how much People really don't know about blind people or service dogs.

But hey. If you love gullible love cliché who overact love. With a simple dog to give extra points to the movie. Then yeah. This movie is for you.
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