Posted: 11/20/2011

Love Begins

(2011)

by Adrienne Jill Foon

This movie is apparently the prequel to the series Love Comes Softly shown on the Hallmark channel. The show had undertones of Little House on the Prairie in its earnestness, the likeability of its characters, and the Christian undertones. It takes place in a small, Western-style town and focuses on two young women, 18-year-old Ellen Barlow and 13-year-old Cassie who live by themselves in an old farmhouse. Their father passed recently and their mother died giving birth to Cassie. The leading man, Clark Davis, passes through this small town with his best friend, a mere stop for their destination to California to take part in the “Gold Rush”. A turn of events leaves Clark stranded in the small town to pay off debts for some trouble he and his friend got into. Ellen agrees to hire him to help repair the dilapidated farm and a relationship slowly begins.

In all fairness, I do not watch these types of films. The Christian teachings are a little too earnest and forced, but fortunately, they are sparse throughout the movie. The dialogue is very flat and one-dimensional, which may explain the stiff acting by the two sisters at the beginning, but by the middle of the movie they start to settle into their characters and are more engaging. Clark is a wonderful actor and handsome man. It is easy to give full attention to him and his struggles. He has a strong knowledge of himself and sticks to his convictions when challenged.

Overall, though, the movie is a bit slow, perhaps reflecting the pace of life at the time.

Adrienne Jill Foon is a native of Los Angeles. She received a degree in Marketing at the University of Southern California and has worked in the music industry for over 10 years in tour booking, publicity, and management. She is currently working on a book of poetry to be completed this year.

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