Love's Abiding Joy

:Spoilers:

I was very disappointed in Love's Abiding Joy. I had been waiting a really long time to see it and I finally got the chance when it re-aired Thursday night on Hallmark. I love the first three "Love" movies but this one was nothing like I thought it was going to be. The whole movie was sad and depressing, there were way to many goofs, and the editing was very poor - to many scenes out of context. I also think the death of baby Kathy happened way to soon and Clarks appearance in the movie just didn't seem to fit. It seemed like none of the actors really wanted to be there - they were all lacking emotion. There seemed to be no interaction between Missie and Willie at all.

I think the script writers should have went more by the book. It seems like every movie that's been made so far just slips further and further away from Janette Oke's writings. I mean in the movie they never mentioned a thing about the mine and the two boys or Clark getting hurt because of it. And I think Missie and Willies reactions to Kathy's death could have been shown and heard rather than just heard.

Out of the four movies that have been made so far I'd have to say that Love's Abiding Joy is my least favorite. I hope with the next four movies that more of the book is followed and if Clarks character is in them I hope he's got a bigger part and I hope his part isn't so bland. I also hope there is more of Scottie and Cookie and maybe even Marty but who knows what the script writers will have in store next.

This is the fourth film in Hallmark's Love Comes Softly pioneer series based on the Janette Oke book series of the same name and probably one of the most difficult to watch as it deals with mental illness.

Missy's father Clark comes to visit the LaHaye ranch for the first time and in the first 24 hours Missy and Willie's baby daughter passes away. This sends Missy in a downward spiral of depression that has her questioning her faith and worrying about her marriage with Willie, who takes a sheriff position to try to help make ends meet. The sheriff's job proves challenging as the town's mayor values money over people. Meanwhile the Mayor's daughter Collette, who is home on break from her finishing school, sets her sights on Missy and Willie's eldest, Jeff who shares her love of books.

This is a wonderful pioneering family drama that leans into the strong faith of it's characters. Times were tough and this story doesn't shy away from telling some of those tough stories.

Again this was one of the hardest to watch in the series and had a heavy message around usury. I think if you are a fan of the series you will enjoy this film, but be prepared for the difficult content.

This movie didn't have much in common with the story in the book. That does it make it less of a touching story, but it doesn't seem right to keep the same title.

The Christian message was a little less intense in this one. There was a great message of charity to others.

The conflict was a little contrived especially at the end.

Missie LaHaye is the school teacher and Willie LaHaye is offered the job of sheriff. Clark Davis arrives to visit his daughter Missie. Her daughter Kathy dies. Missie is lost and leaves her job. With the struggling ranch, Willie takes the sheriff job working for ruthless land baron Mayor Sam Doros. His daughter Colette Doros takes a liking to the LaHaye's adopted son Jeff despite her father's disapproval. The LaHayes struggle to overcome their grief. Doros holds a loan on LaHaye friends, the Klines (James Tupper, Brianna Brown) and threatens to evict them.

It's the fourth in the Love series. It's a fair continuation of this TV movie series. The lost offers this movie the opportunity for some great acting possibilities. However, it never elevates beyond its TV movie DNA. The young love of Graham Phillips and Mae Whitman is good. It's a fine foil to the somber tone of the LaHayes. Sam Doros is a good villain but it would be better to get a bigger actor. This works for the most part as a TV movie.

The fourth movie in the Hallmark's 'Love Comes Softly' movie series. It continued a few years after where the previous one ended. LaHaye family comfortably settled down running a ranch in the wild west and Missie is now a full time teacher in a local school. This story apprises the struggles and introduces a proper villain for the first time in this series. Unlike the title, the story travels in the opposite direction. Time to test your faith in this series. If you manage to get through, you would continue or feel tediousness.

Hold on, I did not say the movie was good as the previous ones. Until now I had not seen a substandard in the series. Maybe the word 'substandard' is very rude. It can be explained in another way as well like the story considerably focuses on the misery side of the LaHaye family. Missie's father came a long way to spend time her and his grandchildren. But then the visit came at a wrong time, especially the entire region is suffering from the drought. The troubles only extends without a sign of ending. Some of the LaHaye's family friends living in their worst nightmare.

"The only thing we both want... We won't ever see again."

In a parallel layered narration, Jess is near the 20 or something and he tastes his first love. Not without the obstacles. Because the girl who is associated with him is from highly influenced family in the town. It was a pretty good romance track, deserved to be told as one side his family is grieving and other hand his (Jeff's) own struggle. Sad faces are seen everywhere and I'm happy it is not all about the happiness, though there are sad narrations as well in the series.

So, it was the story composition intensely created that way to display. But the viewers are not thinking about the possibilities of what a family could go through in a such situation. Rather, they are pointing out the movie as a downfall, not the story that talks about the downfall. That is why the whole film looks grim and depressing, only if you did not get it. Anyway, it is a long movie series and all kinds of mood, genre, theme of the tales are expected in the each film. I believe the next one would get better and that's what I'm thinking right now.

7/10