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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.
score 9/10
ashulllevy 2 November 2006
Reprint: https://www.imdb.com/review/rw1512369/ |
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25-2-2021 12:06:07