Coeurs sauvages

This is a great story, like so many of the shows that have been on Hallmark a great family type show. It would be a show that would be a great series. I liked the characters and the actors who played them well , most of them have been favorites of mine for a long time. We need more shows like this, something that the family can sit down together and watch without any bad language or scenes that need to be censored. The scenery was beautiful and the animals were great.. Reminded me of one of the old time Walt Disney movies that I enjoyed as a young girl. Good triumphed over evil that is the way it should always be. The young people did a great job as well as the old pros.

7.0 stars.

I liked this film solely for how it portrays a sheriff and his daughter. She is a complex individual full of spunk and personality. He is a likable father and lawman. The writers and director do a wonderful job developing her character. Sheriff does his role some justice and they have a good father-daughter bond. My only criticism is that the acting is inconsistent. It tends to be flat at times, and other times excellent. The dialogue is virtually non-existent, so it detracts a bit from the entertainment value. The director produces a nuanced drama with too many silent moments, instead of much needed conversation and tension.

Beside the relational aspects of this movie there really isn't much to enjoy. She is an animal lover and has a gift and affinity for wolves, mustangs, horses, etc.

The plot is interesting, expands into a semi-thriller near the end as there is a crime to be solved and some shady characters are revealed. There is even a bit of an altercation. It doesn't much lend itself to a romance, but there are a few ok kiss moments. It's a generic film, could've had been much better, or worse, however you choose to view it. You can probably make yourself enjoy 'Wild Hearts' just enough to be satisfied.

I tuned this in not expecting much and was very pleasantly surprised! Instead of a formulaic, movie of the week, I encountered an unfolding narrative that quickly drew me in and had me caring about the characters, both human and the animals. The cinematography was spectacular for a relatively low budget TV movie, especially the scenes showing the mustangs running. I thought the acting was uniformly very, very good, with special notice going to young Hallee Hirsh, in the lead role of Madison, who I remember from ER and JAG and many other TV episodes as well as both TV movies and feature films (You've Got Mail). She has grown into a very lovely young woman, beautiful actually, and she is a superb actress - real and believable at all times. And she always makes me cry. I hope to see a lot more of her in coming years. I thought Nancy McKeon was also very charming in her role as the town's new veterinarian. There were nice dynamics between her character and Hallee's character and her character and Richard Thomas's character. The young actor who played Hallee's friend was also very endearing as was the veteran actor who played Hank. Good job Hallmark. Give us more movies like this!

....and that's after watching the first 30 minutes! This just isn't up to par with the often good movies you see on Hallmark. I seem to be in the minority but the I found the most of the actors unbelievable and the dialog awful. God awful! Whoever played the daughter was so miscast...her crying scene made me just want to clobber her - maybe her character was supposed to be whiny and unlikable.

The director/writers seem to depend on rely on old gimmicks to advance what story there is. I guess I shouldn't really expect originality necessarily, but I'd like the story to not be totally derivative and the dialog and action to move the story along without relying on every character talking to wolves as if they're holding a conversation (and from what I could tell, the wolves were the ones with the good lines!).

The cast is perfect! The story lines so interesting. This is a winner!!!

Richard Thomas is great in this role. His daughter on the show is a great and beautifully spirited young woman. And the vet is beautiful. She played in facts of life. I am so impressed.