Lettres à un soldat

I don't write many TV related reviews. In fact I have not written one in many years. Having said that, I was clicking my way through the 350 or so FIOS channels on this rainy and cold day and caught in progress (I missed the first 10 or so minutes but it was easy enough to pick up the plot) this movie on the Hallmark Movie Channel. The HMC is not one of my favorite channels and I always thought of it as an LMN type channel with silly plots with outrageous detours along the 2 hour route.

What a pleasure watching a movie for a change without cursing, screaming, sex, etc. OK so it has a nice predictable ending but it was even nicer the way they got to the ending. How great it is to sit through a 2 hour movie without the usual distaste along the way. See it for yourself.

I loved this story because I served in the military and I know how lonely it can be for many who haven't any family that give a darn to send their very best, so they don't send anything at all. It was like that for me, but now I realize just how badly I wanted to leave my home state and head into the service to get so far away from them that it didn't matter. It stinks to be that way, but what use and good were they to me back then? They proved the same while I was in the service, so I stayed away and rarely looked back. Now I'm back home and most of my family are the same as they were back then, go figure! You think all those years would have made a difference, but not really. But back to the movie, it hit home for me because I could relate to the service member. He found love in a very unique manner. It was a heart-felt, touching Hallmark beauty! Without going into any details, it's just one of those movies you have to see to appreciate. I've experienced love during my military career, some the best ever and some like 'what the heck was that?'. Regardless, I never had a pen-pal like the service member in this movie did. We need more of this in our world, helping find unique ways to truly pour our hearts out to those who join our military and risk their lives by going into harm's way. We could be thinking outside the box about things we can do to support those who fight for our country's freedom. It's paramount that we stand for this. Most don't understand how important it is to support our military forces. Don't take what they do lightly, as that would be taking them for granted here. Some of them truly have a passion to put an end to the resistances against us in foreign lands. These movies, touch me deeply because of the duty I gave with my service commitment. But I hope you enjoy the movie as much as my household did. Lori Loughlin is a natural. She has been in many Hallmark movies that I've loved. And Johnny Messner, what a phenomenal actor! He has the best eye contact I've ever noticed in a movie. I definitely have to see what other movies he has been in. There's a wonderful display of emotions just in his eyes.

I loved this movie. I was supposed to go to a dance tonight and got caught up in this movie and never left the house! I hope there is a sequel. The story line was great and the acting was so natural. It's coming on tomorrow and I will be right here to watch it! It was great to see Stephanie Powers acting again. The movie was just so down to earth and wholesome. It was great to see a story that had no cursing, no violence, no sex, no police, no crime - just a genuine story of love, caring and affection between people. I certainly hope the writer is working on the second part of this movie because there certainly should be a follow-up to the story. It also helped me to appreciate the sacrifices of our military families.

Here's the premise. A recently divorced mom takes her 10 year old son and moves in with her mother in California. The kid's dad was mostly absentee. The kid wants to play baseball, but stinks. For a school project he writes a Army sergeant in Bosnia.. In one letter he tells him about his problems with baseball. The sergeant gets shipped home and ends up where? You guessed it. 20 miles up the interstate from the kid. Now sit down and write the plot outline for the rest of the movie. Say maybe 5 or so plot points. At least half the people who do this will write the exact outline of this movie. The rest will miss only a couple plot points.

So why did I enjoy this? It's simple and wholesome. Forget about Lori Loughlin's criminal history. Unfortunately that hurts her reputation as Miss Wholesome, but it does change the fact that she fits that part 100%. This is a nice feel good romance with decent chemistry. I thought it interesting that there was a whole lot of kissing, but even the kissing was simple.

There's no surprises. The only tension is Vince's looming deployment.

Both newly divorced Lori Loughlin and her small son Charles Henry Wyner are moving west to live with grandmother Stefanie Powers who looks mighty good for a grandma. Both have some adjusting to do, Loughlin at a new job and Wyner with a new school and no friends. But a teacher's assignement to write to a soldier whose unit is headquartered at nearby Fort Sebastian, but whose unit is on peacekeeping duty in Kosovo starts a nice change of events.

The soldier is Sgt. Johnny Messner who's had his own relationship problems, but the unit is recalled back to their base at Fort Sebastian and this gives Messner a chance to meet the family of his young pen pal.

As this is a Hallmark romance movie, need I say more? Both Loughlin and Messner have a lot to work through, but they are getting all kinds of encouragement from everyone around them.

This one's a winner from Hallmark.