zendeling84 I reside in Holland. I had this DVD shipped to me, because i heard about Lynn austen's book being made into a movie . . man how sorry i was for spending my money on this . .with all respect to the book which is outstanding.This movie to me had nothing to do with the book, it was just another feel good movie . .with a very uninspiring end. I think the casting of eliza was wrong . .sydney penney didn't feel like eliza to me throughout the entire movie. Jason kendrick (i hope that's how you write it) was better cast but didn't have a lot to work with in this movie. I love the woman who played aunt Batty, liked her a lot actually . But again she had little to do in this movie.My advice; i would skip this movie, it has nothing to do with the book story-wise.

pennysp4 When I sat down to watch this film, I was expecting an engaging story, with fascinating characters. Instead, I knew within the first twenty minutes that all I would get is a sappy love story. How could Lynn Austin allow her incredible book to be horribly blasphemed by this movie? It was worse than Ella Enchanted. The whole story was changed. The setting was changed. The characters were changed or, like Eliza's other son, Jimmy, done away with altogether. In fact, the only things that stayed the same were the characters' names and the skeleton plot--a mother fights to save her farm for her children with the help of a hobo and an aunt. I knew that things from the book would have to go. But this--this...thing desecrated everything Lynn Austin wrote. In the book, Frank Wyatt is portrayed as an evil man, with only greed in his heart. He carries on a pretense of religion, but does not know God. Yet in the movie, he is seen as a man who simply does not know how to say "I love you." He is simply rough around the edges. And I could not stand the movie any longer when Luke says, "I miss him." I was like, "How could you miss him? You were starved for love and affection, and he gave you none! He refused to get help for your father Sam, leading to a horrible and painful death by tetanus! And now you say you miss him??!" (In the book, Frank Wyatt collapses and tells Luke to get help, but instead Luke runs away because of his anger toward him for not getting help for his father) Do not bother seeing this movie, I beg you! It will only ruin your mind. Read the book; it is a masterpiece. When you only see the movie, you miss so much that the book has. There is a back story that I sorely missed in the movie. (It involves Aunt Batty's and Frank Wyatt's younger years) You miss the everlasting themes, and the raw emotion that is poured into the book. The book is worth looking at. The movie is not.P.S. Eliza's real last maiden name is Gerard. In the movie it's Montclair. Come on, it's just a name. Could they not even get that part right? Well, they didn't, and I sorely advise you to avoid this movie like the plague.

aviator602 I watched this movie because Sydney Penny was in it....she never lets us down! How beautifully she portrayed the character, Eliza....Sydney always brings part of herself to her characters (it's underlying, and adds color). Having lived through similar circumstances, I felt a real bonding with all of the characters. Shirley Jones is a real professional...and was totally believable as the aunt. Tom Bosley never fails to please us. He is always "into" his part, and we can feel his emotions. Barry Corbin is one of my favorites, since I first really enjoyed him in The Thorn Birds (he co-starred with Sydney Penny), and various other projects. And last, but not least - Jason Gedrick - he has matured so much in the past few years, and was believable in his role. I feel that this will become a real classic.

nabor7 This movie has several great story lines going on at the same time. One shows the "favorite son" politics portrayed by by the school board, another of the lone black principle in a southern white school district, and the free thinking new teacher. I especially like the irony of the black principle who at first seems to have forgotten she is the same color as her students, but as the movie progresses we find she is only able to keep her position if she remains under the thumb of the Deputy Superintendent which in itself is a figurehead position with no authority. It was easy to dislike Frank Langella's role as the superintendent after seeing him in "Dave". All the story lines were tied together very well and contributed to a little suspense in trying to guess where the individuals were heading. The interaction of Conroy with the students and the portly of the island residents was excellent. The added touch of the Stones only deepened the sense of the residents being forgotten as the world passes them by. I can't remember a movie by Hallmark that I didn't like. This one ranks right up at the top.