Listen to Your Heart

November 19, 2005 - After former Charlie's Angel Kate Jackson came back to earth, and after Tim Matheson graduated from Animal House, the two met in this 1983 made-for-TV romance. Fortunately, I caught it on a movie channel, so no commercials.

Jackson plays Frannie Green, a career gal who's just ended a six-year relationship with her boss. She's now moving in with her party girl lawyer best friend and is determined to have some fun herself.

The two go out to a Chicago single's bar, where they pick up Tim Matheson and his buddy. The buddy's engaged, but his fiancée is apparently encouraging him to sow some oats and get it out of his system. Matheson is Josh Stern, a book editor who's ready to put his playboy days behind him and settle down.

Kate goes home with Tim but nothing happens because she's drunk and he's a gentleman. Neither expects to see the other again but, this being a made-for-TV movie, of course they do!

Kate ends up working at the same publishing company as Tim. They decide to start dating, and it takes about five minutes for everyone in the office to find out. Still, they persist, continuing to date until Tim starts yelling at Kate for no apparent reason. She knows he's scared but decides to give him space until he comes to his senses. She's even calm when she catches him kissing another girl. Tim eventually realizes the error of his ways, Kate takes him back, and we can only assume that they lived happily ever after – or until the next made-for-TV movie – whichever came first.

Overall review: ** Big hair, headbands, short shorts, singles' bars. It is what it is: An acceptable way to kill 1:45 on a Saturday afternoon when you’ve slept in, you don't feel much like cleaning, and there's nothing else on.