Love Takes Wing - a Hallmark Channel Original Movie from the Love Comes Softly series!

MOVIE REVIEW

Love Takes Wing
DVD

Love Takes Wing:

This is the Seventh Movie of the "Love Comes Softly" Book turned Movie Series. The books are originally written by Christian author, Janette Oke and brought to the Movie format originally by Michael Landon, Jr. (The son of Michael Landon - Pa from Little House on the Prairie.) However, for this story... actor, Lou Diamond Phillips directed Love Takes Wing.


CAST:

Sarah Jones ... Belinda
Haylie Duff ... Annie
Jordan Bridges ... Lee
Cloris Leachman ... Miss Hattie
Patrick Duffy ... Mayor Evans
Lou Diamond Phillips ... Ray
Kevin Richardson ... Cyrus Cain

PLOT:

from Hallmark-

When a frontier town is devastated by an unknown illness, a young woman must stand up for those who need her help the most, even if it means standing alone. Academy Award®, Golden Globe and seven-time Emmy® winner Cloris Leachman (“Malcolm in the Middle”), Sarah Jones (“Big Love”), Haylie Duff (“7th Heaven”), former Backstreet Boy Kevin Richardson and Patrick Duffy (“The Bold and the Beautiful”) star in the Hallmark Channel Original Movie “Love Takes Wing”.

When a fatal illness breaks out in a small mid-Western
town, everyone must put aside their prejudices and
trust the town’s new doctor. Ultimately, it’s clear that
a little bit of faith – in oneself and in one another –
can go a long way.

Wounded by the recent death of her husband, Dr. Belinda Simpson (Jones) arrives in the tiny town of Sikeston to take up the post of town physician. Once there, she discovers that many of the town’s residents, including children at an orphanage run by Miss Hattie Clarence (Leachman), have fallen ill to or died from an unknown ailment.

Soon, Belinda begins to worry that she is in over her head, despite reassurances from her best friend, Annie (Duff), and the town blacksmith, Lee (Jordan Bridges, “Turn the River”). Unfortunately, the residents of Sikeston aren’t as trusting of Belinda’s abilities as a doctor – mainly because she’s a woman. As well, many of them don’t even want her to help the orphans, who they blame for infecting the rest of the town. Indeed, they would be happy to see the orphanage close altogether. Opposed by what seems like the entire town, Belinda must trust in her abilities, her friends and her faith to guide her.

Movie Review:

I love the Janette Oke books and each of the movies are sweet and endearing... however, I was slightly disappointed with two features in this movie.

First, it was hard to adjust with the new blonde Dr. Belinda Simpson. The young woman who portrayed her in Love's Unfolding Dream had lovely dark hair. Why the drastic change, here? It didn't make sense with casting. It was hard to think of this woman as being the same from the previous movie.

Another thing... Belinda's husband, Drew, has died, leaving her a widow. This has happened three or four times now in the course of this Love Comes Softly movie series. I only wish the movies could have followed the book series, that I loved, closer.

In spite of those things, however, this is still an absolutely wonderful movie! This is the same wholesome family entertainment... that I've grown to expect, respect, and welcome from the Hallmark Channel.

I loved Cloris Leachman in this... she is such a vibrant and vivacious actress! She absolutely stole the screen whenever she was on!

and...

I also loved the very handsome Jordan Bridges, as Lee, the town's Blacksmith, who falls in love with Belinda. Their love story was the highlight of the movie!

And the children... are so precious and dear at the orphanage!

All in all... a movie I enjoyed and would watch over and over again!


See or Skip:
See... I love Pioneer style movies.


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*Photos: Justin Lubin / 2008 Crown Media