Amy Adler James (handsome Jeremy London) is a rising attorney in the Los Angeles area. Lucky for him, too, is that he has been dating the woman of his dreams, Sadie (beautiful Dorie Barton) and she is his professional equal, being a physician. As they are decorating a Christmas tree, James pulls out a little velvet box and gets down on his knee. Sadie is happy. However, since James has never met her family, she suggests they go to her home in the Rockies for the holidays. Fine, thinks James. But, trouble starts immediately after they arrive. To begin, the relatives all think James is a doofus and a city slicker, since he doesn't know how to ride, shoot or stay away from cooking. Most ornery of all is Sadie's dad, Karl (the wonderfully gravel-voiced James Gammon). He seems to merit a bit of slack, however, since he is a fairly recent widower. Then, James always seems to say the wrong thing, setting teeth to grinding. Most troubling of all, there is some dispute between the ranchers and the Bureau of Land Management and James, being a legal expert, wants to play go-between, which outrages Karl. Will they all be able to accept James as a permanent member of the family? This is a lovely film with glowing scenery from Wyoming or such. Makes one want to get the next ticket to the nearest ranch. Also, the cast is wonderful, with Sally Struthers making an appearance as an aunt and the rest of the supporting cast complimenting the two leads in fine fashion. If you are a romantic at heart and love a mix of comedy and drama, you will enjoy this little charmer.

cgpedley Obviously some people care more about the acting than the whole point of the movie.This is a VERY positive movie showing that one does NOT have to be set in their ways and can change. The father DID NOT like Sadie's boyfriend until he saved him from a wolf and survived outside overnight in the cold mountains.The theme of people being able to change is a theme which is positive and is more important than how great the acting was. I didn't care to observe the acting critically because I was drawn into the movie.After all I thought that's what good acting was .. being able to draw your audience into your story. At least that is what our director told us...a director who does this for a living.I recommend this highly for those who are fed up with the normal Hollywood fare and want a movie that your whole family could watch and admire.

tcleaver2005 I enjoyed this movie very much. I believe it to be very realistic. Many city people really do act like this guy when they go to the country. I found it to be a nice clean movie that the whole family can enjoy! There needs to be more movies like this one made. If you like a good clean romantic comedy, this is a must see. I would recommend it to anyone.I think the actors and actresses do a great job of portraying their parts. You do not see to many movies that are based on reality. This one has hard times and good times. It also has some good morals brought out in it. For instance, the father didn't see the boyfriend's inner self--all he could see was a big city lawyer that he didn't like. He thought the guy was dumb and did all he could to make his life miserable. His daughter, however, remained very loyal to her father and waited for her father's blessing on her marriage. It also shows that crimes don't pay. The ex-boyfriend was out to get her current boyfriend and blamed him for things that he had not done. In the end, the truth came out.The movie doesn't end there though. Everyone that was at odds with each other reconciled at the end. It has a very happy ending. I think that most people would enjoy this movie a lot. It is worth seeing at least once. I myself have watched it several times.

wildbillfisher What I Did For Love has everything. I laughed and cried. My favorite parts are: 1. When Karl Ryder (James Gammon) tries to cheer up Sadie (Dorrie Barton) by giving her her mother's wedding dress. 2. When Travis (Jonny Acker) shows James (Jeremy London) how to start a fire without matches. 3. The rabid wolf part was very well done. 4. All the strikingly beautiful outdoor scenes with the rock formations and the snow capped peaks. 5. The hunting trip was hilarious. I liked all the Ryder family it was well casted, acted, and directed. I sure would like to see a sequel. Even the little dog was cute. The ending is lovingly warm, full of holiday spirit and family values. I think it's another Hallmark classic.