the audience applauded

Save your money for something good and enjoyable

This movie was so-so. It had it's moments, but wasn't the greatest.

The story, direction, characters, and writing/dialogue is akin to taking a tranquilizer shot to the neck, but everything else was so well done.

It's nice to see two great actors from earlier comedies - John Ritter of Three's Company and Markie Post of Night Court - star together in this romantic comedy. Not the funniest show I've seen, but it has its moments. Great chemistry between Ritter and Post, which was the highlight of the show I think. Grade B-

I loved Hearts Afire, and I was surprised it was mentioned in the kiss- and-tell book You'll never make love in this town again, when a hooker talks about her 9 1/2 sex romp with John Ritter, who was in Hearts Afire. It turns out she later appears as an extra in an episode of Hearts Afire, and hooks up again (pardon the pun) with John after filming, and engage in further sexual adventures (the bathroom sink is referred to) at her apartment.

I think I preferred the show best when it was set in Washington D.C. over Arkansas. Anyway, the relationship between Markie Post and John Ritter sizzled on screen. They had a terrific supporting cast like Billy Bob Thornton, Conchata Farrell, Beth Broderick, Wendie Jo Sperber, etc. The show was created by Bill Clinton's friends, Bob and Susan Thomason. The show never appeared to be a huge success but the show's writing was alright but the cast was first rate with sitcom veterans Post and Ritter. I think the show could have lasted longer but CBS who also had Evening Shade and Designing Women must have had problems with the show's creators. I don't know what happened but I still think the show had legs but the network didn't give it a chance to shine. It could have sizzled if time was allowed for it to adjust.

As the plot summary says, this was originally about a married couple working for a Senator in Washington, DC. The second and third seasons were about the same couple, having moved to a small town, running a newspaper. The two locales had different supporting casts except for John Ritter, Markie Post, Billy Bob Thornton, and the kids. The second incarnation of "Hearts Afire" was superior--owing much to the more relaxed, quirky atmosphere of the small town, and to supporting characters there played by Conchata Ferrell and Leslie Jordan. The friction/chemistry between Thornton and Ferrell was great.