Lost Heart

Very well executed. Don Most's performance was outstanding. I was also impressed with the character Chip. My wife and I loved it so much we watched it twice. We knew Don from "Happy Days," his singing career, and directing, but this was an Emmy quality performance. A must see.

Thanks to the writers and producers of this film, the public has the opportunity to watch a film that has great acting (especially Melissa Anschutz), great character development (the honesty of the characters are brought to life and you get to know them on a personal basis), and a wholesome movie with real-life situations and a great theme!

Love the way each individual in this movie interacted with each other! They inspired each other, though they all experienced personal challenges in their own unique ways, each were willing to move beyond their issues of the past, and make differences in their own lives as well as the lives of each other... Not a perfect world, but the perfection is in their connections with each other in the most positive ways! Loved the movie, especially in these times...let's support this movie to become the classic it already is!

This is a feel-good movie that is uplifting without trying too hard.

Hannah Sweet, whose real name is Hannah Howard, is right at the point of a drunken career meltdown when she hears of her father's death. Reluctantly but having nowhere else to go, she returns to her northern Michigan hometown of Lost Heart to confront her past. As if the situation were not hard enough as it is, she finds that her abusive, alcoholic father had in her absence become a much loved and respected member of the tight knit community.

Melissa Anshutz is so believable as a burned out country singer that one watches the whole movie before realizing she hasn't sung a note in the whole thing. The singing instead is done by her young niece Elsie (beautifully played by Taylor Dupuis, who also co-wrote the heart-tugging country song that voices the theme of the story). Don Most plays a somewhat unconventional minister whose gentle spirit provides a counterbalance to Hannah's unquenchable anger.

It could all descend into maudlin melodrama, but the script by DJ Perry is filled with a gentle, character driven humor, and director Jesse Low keeps the emotional level honest without getting too heavy. One of the real jewels in this production is Josh Perry, an actor with Downs Syndrome whose character is integral to the storyline and is a delight to watch. Another jewel is SNL alum Victoria Jackson in a role far from her comedic persona, who gives a surprisingly touching performance as Hannah's mother.

The small town vibe hasn't been constructed on a back lot. The location is real and fresh and displays the love the filmmakers have for their native state of Michigan. But while the "look" of this movie may be vintage, rustic Hallmark, this is not a formulaic film of contrived plot twists. The surprises that emerge come out of the humanness of the characters honestly played.

Lost Heart is a movie about the soul and there are spiritual and religious themes at work, but in line with CDI's customary approach, these themes are broached in ways that make the viewer think and not cringe. While it never gets preachy, it does carry a note of uplifting faith. Might just have a tiny touch of the supernatural? Depends. Do you believe in UFA's--Unidentified Flying Angels?

This movie is very well developed with believable sand real life situations. Thoroughly enjoyable. More moves should be made like this. A whole family can watch this. The only mistake I can see is that Hannah and her mother are about the same age. There doesn't seem to be a gap even if her mother were to have gotten married as a teenager. That aside, there are many worthwhile life lessons to be learned here. - such as forgiveness, redemption, and tolerance. It teaches us to also understand people with different physical qualities, not to be judgmental. Our faith in God is the most important of all.