Barry Watson stars in "Far from Home", an UP Original Movie

MOVIE REVIEW

Far from Home

Network: UP Original Movie

Original Air Date: February 9, 2014

CAST:

Barry Watson ... Nicholas Bell
Stefanie von Pfetten
Barbara Pollard
Eli Goree
David Allan Pearson
Patricia Harras
Keith Martin Gordey
Lorne Cardinal
Christina Jastrzembska
Paul McGillion ... Graham Westlake
Venus Terzo
Aleks Paunovic ... Dale Cottonwood
Trevor Lerner ... Ray Schugren
Wesley MacInnes ... Writing Class Student

PLOT:

Barry Watson (well known as Matt Camden in the TV drama series 7th Heaven) plays Nicholas Bell, who angrily left his small island town after a terrible fight with the uncle who raised him and owned the local newspaper where Nick began his writing career. After cutting off all ties with his uncle and going out on his own, Bell wrote a wildly successful novel, Broken Windows, which led critics to declare him to be the “voice of his new generation.”

After 15 years of failure to come up with a meaningful follow-up novel, Bell settles into teaching undergraduate writing at a small university. When he learns thast his uncle has died, Bell returns to his hometown for the funeral, suffering one mishap after another. The local townspeople are glad to see the famous homegrown talent return — at least partially because his uncle left him the family’s local paper and key property. Eager to divest himself of the newspaper and return to teaching, Bell finds himself wedged in the middle of a bitter fight over the future of the island — and face to face with the real reason behind what sent him so far from home for so long.

Movie Review:

They say you can’t go home again...

Old wounds that were once buried in the past, come again to the surface when Nicholas Bell, teacher and writer, returns to his hometown, following the death of his uncle.

Since the two have been estranged for many years, it is a complete surprise to Nick, when he learns his Uncle Charley has left him his business, the local newspaper, The Beacon. Nick thought he has closed that chapter in his life long ago.

No love is lost between Nicholas and the past, as he is eager to pay his respects, sell off the paper and go back to his life. However, a phone call from the school comes one day and he learns he has lost his teaching position at the university.

With no job to return to, Nick is left wondering what to do. He has no prospects of writing another great novel since his one and only bestseller, “Broken Windows” and he makes it clear to his uncle's attorney, Libby Wainscott, that he has no interest in the island, or the paper.

My favorite scenes in the movie are when people ask Nicholas what book he is currently writing and he gives them all wild crazy story plot ideas. It’s quite funny, especially when Irene, one of the townspeople and book store owner, asks him with great enthusiasm and excitement, and he tells her a wonderful historical story based in the modern day, at Walmart. Her reaction is priceless!

The townspeople are so enthusiastic over Nicholas’ return and are hopeful he can help them, as a famous writer, save the newspaper, which is failing financially, and Marrow Island, which is about to be taken over by greedy land owners and corrupt bankers.

Nick is at a crossroads now, in his life, yet with help from new and old friends, on the island, he has found himself in the midst of helping to turn things around.

They say you can’t go home again... but for Nicholas Bell, they were wrong!



See or Skip:

See. It is a nice story, and once you get into it, you find yourself cheering on Nicholas and the town to save their island from the land developers.

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