I Heard the Bells

I'll start this by saying that sappy, feel-good movies are not my personal taste. Keeping that in mind, this film was a delight. The acting, costuming and script were all meticulous and successful in transporting the viewer to the world of Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. While this movie was certainly Christmas-themed, and had moments of sappy merryness, the approach tied in strongly with character development and plot. The strong character development led to multiple tearjerker moments interspersed with a few appropriate moments of lightheartedness. I definitely appreciated the attention to detail present in this film, especially since Christmassy and religious movies often get a pass from viewers because the movie is generally "wholesome" or "Christian". I Heard the Bells definitely benefits from the atmosphere of Christmas but doesn't use it or Jesus in general as a crutch like oh so many other religious movies do. Highly recommended, especially for Christmas movie lovers who despise the genre's predicability and poor character development.

Note for potential viewers: there is roughly 10 minutes of behind-the-scenes footage after the credits.

I knew the story of Longfellow's life and his writing of the poem before seeing the movie, so I was apprehensive about how honestly and accurately they would tell the story. Also as someone who studies material culture of the mid-nineteenth century, I was afraid that obvious inaccuracies would be permitted. Fortunately neither of my fears or apprehensions were realized. The movie honestly shows the doubts and depression Longfellow had. The sets and costumes were more authentic than most big budget Hollywood films. Details like hats and hairstyles as well as the set were all correct. In one scene we noticed a picture had been hung over a modern light switch to make the room authentically 19th century. Kudos for the accuracy and the emotional authenticity.

This is a moving story of sorrow and grief, joy and redemption. The cinematography and score are beautiful, and Stephen Atherholt delivers a powerful performance in the lead role. The film combines elements of "Shadowlands" with "The Man Who Invented Christmas," delivering a drama that rings true with all the emotions of life. There is no cheap sentimentality here. This is a story of a man whose faith and hope are challenged and stretched to their breaking point by life's hardest trials. Where do we turn when love is lost, when right fails and wrong prevails? Is "peace on earth, goodwill to men" just an empty promise, or is it an anchor for the soul in the fiercest of life's storms? This film provides the inspiring answer, giving viewers a poignant Christmas gift.

I was incredibly surprised at what a great movie this was! Knowing that this was based on fact makes it that much more amazing. Such a incredible story of sadness and faith. I was in tears from the beginning of the movie to the end of the movie. Was cast really well and sets were very authentic looking. I honestly didn't think this was going to be a movie that I would be that interested in, but the ratings were good so we decided to see it. We were not disappointed!! What a nice inspiration of faith to start the Christmas season. One of the most powerful movies I've seen this year. I hope this company continues to produce more of these.

I think this movie was very touching and sweet!! A little long, but I also know they were very detailed in every shot! It is also very accurate based on the true story of Henry Longfellow! I think the cast is decent, it does have a little bit of Pureflix acting if you know what I mean, but most of the characters were decent overall! Please note that it starts off VERY slow so just prepare yourself! It starts to pick up around halfway and is a solid movie by the end!! Overall the Sight and Sound storyline was well written! Hope to see more of their movies in the future! (Definitely a Christmas movie!)