Aries0413
The film exceeded my expectations. Perhaps I was prejudiced about movies that takes place in the Midwest of 1800s. I didn't want to watch a movie about cowboys and defenseless women in distress where they fall madly in love in a very tacky way.Fortunately, I decided to watch it anyway. As a history enthusiast, I was pleased with landscapes and clothes that reflect the era in which the movie takes place. In addition, I was pleased to see that the leading role is far from being a defenseless woman. Maybe she was a little distressed at time but Marty is intelligent, educated and very strong. She has a bold personality that I loved. After watching some of the sequel, Katherine Heigl is definitely the right Marty Claridge. She plays this character with heart and conviction.I would also like to note the performance of the little Skye McCole Bartusiak, who plays Missie. Wow! She moved me, surprised me and sometimes frustrated me. She was pretty talented for a girl her age.I like that the movie was for all ages.
SnoopyStyle
Head-strong book lover Marty Claridge (Katherine Heigl) and her husband Aaron travel out west and find their perfect spot. Aaron quickly dies in an accident. At the funeral, widower Clark Davis (Dale Midkiff) proposes to marry Marty before the preacher is gone till next spring. She struggles with grief and raising her tomboy step-daughter Missie (Skye McCole Bartusiak) who has grief of her own. She has Aaron's baby and plans to go back east when spring arrives. Sarah Graham (Theresa Russell) tells her that she and Ben Graham (Corbin Bernsen) were widowers with children when they got married. They were not in love at first but sometimes, "love comes softly".It's a good story of struggle and faith. It's also a kind of romance that is rarely celebrated in modern stories. Heigl is fitting of this head strong woman. Her relationship with Missie is heart warming. The religious aspects are very prominent but it doesn't get preachy. The production value is competent for a TV movie. This is a nice little movie.
corenasmommy-1
I don't read books much so I didn't know this movie was even a series let alone a book first. With that said, I watched the first of the series today, Love Comes Softly. After I watched the movie I sat and cried for about 10 minutes. Then I began to make dinner not realizing there was a part 2 which I thought was part 2. I was leaving so I hurried around and recorded the movie. When I got back from town I noticed there was yet another one coming on after the 2nd one was over. I was so overwhelmed I started watching it from there. I quickly got on line and found out that there are 6 parts to this series. This is the BEST series I've seen in forever and now I'm ready to go out and buy the books. Let me tell you the movie is addicting!!! I give it a full 10 and a must see!!!
ashulllevy
Unlike many of you, I had never read - or even heard of - Ms. Oke's series of books before seeing this film, despite having been a huge fan of the Laura Ingalls Wilder books (and the show) as a kid. I just happened upon the beginning of the movie as I was surfing channels last week, and I was hooked. I normally like edgier fare (such as "The Daily Show"), but this is such a nostalgic treat! I actually went out and found a copy of the book "Love Comes Softly" (it was in the young adults' section of the second-hand book store) and read it. To tell you the truth, I like the changes that Michael Landon, Jr. chose to make in the screenplay. I prefer Missy as a pre-teen and Marty as an opinionated, well-read young woman who has to come around to Clark's point of view on faith. In the book, she is a bit too much of an empty vessel for his teachings.All of the performances in this film are honest and affecting, if not pitch-perfect. Katharine Heigl uses some of her dramatic opportunities to soaring effect, particularly in her portayals of grief. But Midkiff - wow! He is heartbreakingly perfect in his portrayal of a character that might have come across as preachy and overbearing. It falls to him to hold the audience's hand and deliver the film's broad message of religious faith; but he doesn't grip too tightly, and his quiet manliness and humor are so compelling that...well, is any one else half in love with him? My only complaint is that, in an attempt to make a completely family-friendly film, Mr. Landon has gauzed over some of the physical hardships and intimacies inherent in the plot. This kind of cheats the audience out of some powerful emotional moments that help propel the characters' relationships. I like the fact that the film is wholesome; but it is possible to be clean without being sanitized.
AD
