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 came to the theater with no great expectations and was pleasantly surprised. The story was interesting and the acting was solid. I found myself interested and engaged throughout, plus I learned a lot about the life of Longfellow.

It's not a stellar blockbuster movie, but I would watch it again at Christmas time because it really does get you in the spirit. I liked how they included Longfellow's other poems throughout the film. And it was religious without being overly preachy or sappy.

A solid decent film. My mother also enjoyed it, as did the other audience members around me. I give it a happy 8 out of 10.

Merry Christmas!

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.

Such a wonderful film and heartfelt story. There are some scenes that might bring tears as well as a smile. Perfect timing for Christmas.

While, I was familiar with much of Henry Longfellow's majestic poetry, I didn't know much about his personal life. Beautifully filmed and acted with sets and costumes that made it feel like the 1860s. Glad that the production depicted the influence of Christianity and faith which had a profound impact upon his life and his family. Highly recommended for family viewing.

My wife and I enjoyed the movie thoroughly. I hope to see this in future Christmas seasons. I look forward to the movie becoming available for DVD and digital purchase and rent in the near future.

This is Sight & Sound's first big film, they usually only do the big plays. For it being their first film it was a great production.

The film helps you better understand Longfellow's poetry and what was going on at the time for him to write it.

It had a great cast, I think not having a big name cast helped the film very well. Great costumes as well.

Usually films like this often "forget" the children exist - not so here and I am so glad they were present throughout the film.

I hope Sight & Sound continues to make more films! Can't wait to see what they do next!

Check out my Youtube channel (RaisedVintage) for more on this film and more!