Tinsel
Many evangelical girls grew up reading the “Love Comes Softly” series by Janette Oke. The cross of “Little House on the Prairie” homesteader setting, overt faith, and romance proved irresistible to young churchgoers.
The latest in the series to be adapted into a DVD release movie, “Love Begins,” continues the story by going back to tell how the matriarch Ellen met and fell in love with her first husband Clark.
Ellen (Julie Mond) and her sister Cassie (Abigail Mativy) maintain the homestead after their father’s death. When a man named Clark (Wes Brown) finds himself in jail after a fight, the only way he can pay for the damage is to work on Ellen’s farm. She has him pegged a reprobate, but he might just prove her wrong.
The production is about what you would expect from a TV movie. Most notably, accents come and go.
However, the story moves along with an emphasis on faith and character. Fans of the series will like the unashamed portrayal of prayer and conversion, even if the more cynical among us squirm in the cornier moments.
It’s the kind of story the multiple generations of family can watch together and these days, that’s exceedingly rare.
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