It’s an especially fun movie from a director and cast who are clearly having a good time allowing themselves to let loose.

The movie's neither hopeful in contrived ways, nor hopeless in different contrived ways. Somehow it manages to be wonderful

It’s fine. It's literally the definition of a fine movie. You’ve seen it before, you know every beat and outcome before the characters even do. Only question is how much escapism you’re looking for.

This movie tries so hard to be funny, yet it falls flat every time. Just another example of recycled ideas repackaged with women in an attempt to appeal to a certain audience.

The film is a good one as it deals with a new theme in a very serious way. The theme being that people, who have lost their mates, marry at once, to provide for surviving children and to ease their loneliness.We saw such sociological occurrences after the Holocaust when lonely survivors in displacement camps wed within 30 days of meeting one another.This film is a salute to the men and women of the 1880s in the west. Through hard work and relentless courage, they were able to survive the vicissitudes of nature.No, this film is not Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman but it's an earnest attempt to bring the struggles of the period down to a very personal level.While stunned by the tragic loss of her young husband, I found Katherine Heigl's performance here to be lacking. She needed more of a breakout in her role as the film went on. Only during the last 2 frames do we see a remote resemblance of that. Throughout the film, she seems to be just saying her lines without evoking any emotion whatsoever.Midkiff is better here; although, there are some parts where I thought he was trying another form of Elmer Gantry.As a whole, the film should be praised to its undertaking of difficult subject matter.

I love this movie!! Never read any of the books or even heard of the author. I'm usually not a person for romantic movies and I don't even read romantic novels, not one for Little 'House on the Prairie' either (thats kids stuff!!), but when I decided to watch this one it touched my heart deeply. I have watched it 4 times since then and only just found out that there are sequels to this movie!! So now I'm in the process of purchasing all the movies that follow on from this one. {UPDATE: Found all the other sequels not very good and a great disappointment. Cannot remember the actress who played the grown-up of the little girl by Dakota Fanning.... but the adult actress was really awful! Very bad acting, and in the other sequels! She spoilt the whole series! I will just stick to this one!}Great acting from all and love Dale Midkiff. Just love his character where he puts God first in his life. Soooooo want to see him in more movies like this - he's a sexy guy!! (I think so anyway!):o) I thought the story was excellent and such a change from all the filth that movies are filled with today violence, swearing, murders, serial killers. AND those endless court cases, BOY!! give us a break!!. Hope more movies are produced like this one as I'm hooked! Love the title and the whole meaning of it.

This movie packed a lot of punch for a quiet movie. Katherine Heigl is mesmerizing as a pioneer woman widowed on the trail. And Dale is superb as the pious widowed farmer who takes her in as a companion and teacher to his annoying rude daughter. But Heigl wins over the young girl and somehow over the course of the film, Katherine & Dale fall in love in a very heartwarming and tender manner. The movie will take you by surprise if you have not heard of it before hand. It is full of an unexpected richness of heart and character. The supporting actors who play their neighbors were wonderful. The ending is sufficiently exciting and satisfying to wrap up this terrific story. I was deeply moved by their love for each other. The only thing missing was a little more physical contact between the two leads. They never so much as kissed each other or put their hands on each other. I would have liked to see a bit more chemistry. Also recommended: THE OUTSIDER with Naomi Watts & Tim Daly.

Unlike many of you, I had never read - or even heard of - Ms. Oke's series of books before seeing this film, despite having been a huge fan of the Laura Ingalls Wilder books (and the show) as a kid. I just happened upon the beginning of the movie as I was surfing channels last week, and I was hooked. I normally like edgier fare (such as "The Daily Show"), but this is such a nostalgic treat! I actually went out and found a copy of the book "Love Comes Softly" (it was in the young adults' section of the second-hand book store) and read it. To tell you the truth, I like the changes that Michael Landon, Jr. chose to make in the screenplay. I prefer Missy as a pre-teen and Marty as an opinionated, well-read young woman who has to come around to Clark's point of view on faith. In the book, she is a bit too much of an empty vessel for his teachings.All of the performances in this film are honest and affecting, if not pitch-perfect. Katharine Heigl uses some of her dramatic opportunities to soaring effect, particularly in her portayals of grief. But Midkiff - wow! He is heartbreakingly perfect in his portrayal of a character that might have come across as preachy and overbearing. It falls to him to hold the audience's hand and deliver the film's broad message of religious faith; but he doesn't grip too tightly, and his quiet manliness and humor are so compelling that...well, is any one else half in love with him? My only complaint is that, in an attempt to make a completely family-friendly film, Mr. Landon has gauzed over some of the physical hardships and intimacies inherent in the plot. This kind of cheats the audience out of some powerful emotional moments that help propel the characters' relationships. I like the fact that the film is wholesome; but it is possible to be clean without being sanitized.