LOVE COMES SOFTLY
US, 2002, 88 minutes, Colour.
Katherine Heigl, Dale Midkiff, Corbin Bernsen, Theresa Russell, Oliver Mc Cready, Sky Mc Cool Bartusiak.
Directed by Michael Landon Jnr.
Love Comes Softly was produced by the Faith and Values Organisation in the United States, associated with the Hallmark Channel. In fact, this film is very much the Hallmark Channel kind of values film oriented towards the average audience. It is in the tradition (with Michael Landon Jnr co-writing and directing) of Little House on the Prairie and The Waltons.
The film was adapted from a series of very popular novels by Janette Oke.
It is a film about pioneers, travelling west. There are no signs of Indians or other difficulties, the film focusing only on a young couple who move from the city westwards. The husband is killed almost on arrival and the pregnant wife is taken in by a widower, grateful that she can look after his daughter. The daughter is still grieving her mother and particularly cantankerous towards the young woman. Inevitably, of course, things work out well with the young woman finally getting the idea to make a dress for the young girl out of one of her own dresses that the young girl had admired imagining it for her own mother.
There are some action sequences, especially a quite effective snowstorm with the young woman lost. Otherwise, it is a pleasing study of pioneers, life in the American west, glimpses of the hospitality of the townspeople. (No Law and Disorder in this place.)
Katherine Heigl has a charm as the young woman and former action star Dale Midkiff is persuasive as the widower, a devout man not afraid to pray and sing out aloud to God as well as discuss the presence of God, especially in suffering. Corbin Bernsen and Teresa Russell have small roles as kindly neighbours, Teresa Russell having the speech where she explains that love is not necessarily overwhelming but can come softly. Sky Mc Cole Bartusiak is quite rugged as the young girl.
1.The appeal of this kind of entertainment? The family? The values element, the religious element?
2.The American west, the open plains, the mountains, the river and the valley? The small American town? The seasons, the snowstorm? The musical score?
3.The title, Sarah’s explanation to Marty? The nature of Marty’s love for her husband? Her coming to love Clark, to love the little girl? The birth of her own child and her comment about the overwhelming experience of love?
4.The opening, travel, Marty and her books, her pragmatic husband? Suddenly finding the valley? Settling down, the search for the lost horse, the accident, Ben and his bringing Aaron’s body home? Marty’s grief, the funeral, Sarah trying to help?
5.The comparison with Clark, his being a widower, memories of his wife, his daughter and her missing her mother? The couple coming together? Sarah and her explanation of her being a widow, having two children, meeting Ben and his two children, their marrying, supporting each other – but eventually love coming softly?
6.The set-up with Clark and Marty, her bargain to help the little girl, the chores, teaching her? Her settling into the house, her accidents, the little girl taunting her? The battle between the two, the practical tricks, Marty and her having to cope, learn to cook, milking the cow and the little girl joking with her and despising her ignorance? Not wanting to learn to read or spell? Marty and her determination to overcome the difficulties?
7.The antagonism, its growth, Clark allowing this and knowing that this is what his daughter needed to come through, encouraging Marty to reach her? The episode with the dress on the bed, the girl remembering her mother, Marty seeing this, the little girl’s anger, Marty’s idea and making the dress, breaking through to the girl? Her wearing it – and still attacking the young boys who were amazed at her in the dress? The change, the preparation for Christmas, the Christmas tree, the dinner, the gifts? Marty and her determination to cook, catching the chicken, plucking it, cooking? The bonds between them?
8.Marty’s pregnancy, her being lost in the snow after finding the horse, Clark and his finding her, the girl and the shots, banging the dish to guide them back? The drama of this sequence?
9.The birth of the child, Mary not wanting Clark there, depending on him, the little girl going in to see the baby?
10.The time for Marty to leave, the preparations, her not wanting to go, her watching Clark singing his prayer, discussing the fire in the barn and the destruction of her property, her not being able to believe in God (and her saying that the Christmas story was not read in her household)? His explanation of God’s being present in suffering? The collage of her remembering her life? Her writing the note, the accident of its being dropped, leaving and Clark not asking her to stay? The sadness, his return home, the little girl upset, his finding the note, riding the horse – and the happy reunion?
11.This kind of film for an American audience, wider? The lack of sophistication? The tugging at heartstrings? The didactic tone of the presentation of values via this kind of easy and popular story?
