Truly Dreadful Film

Better Late Then Never

Although it has its amusing moments, in eneral the plot does not convince.

This is a dark and sometimes deeply uncomfortable drama

This is one of those rare occasions where I did both, I saw the movie and I read the book. They are basically faithful to each other. Having seen the movie first, as I read the book I was able to visualize the characters as the actors who played them. However, I must say the actors are more attractive than I would have visualized them, based on the descriptions in the book.It is 1944 in Colorado. American GIs were everywhere, as well as POWs and Japanese-Americans required to live in camps and to help farmers with their crops. Everyone was expected to pull together for the war effort, and fuel was not to be wasted on unnecessary driving.Keri Russell is Livy, the least attractive of several sisters from Denver. At a social event she meets a soldier, she is surprised he warms up to her instead of one of her sisters, but it seems real. After a few encounters she does what she never thought she would do, she slept with him and of course became pregnant. In the meantime he shipped out, he never wrote as he promised, and Livy never knew if she would hear from him again.Livy's dad was a minister and especially in those days and that family circumstance, having an unwed daughter at home was not an attractive option. So her dad contacted a minister in another part of Colorado and arranged for Livy to be married to a single man, a farmer.Skeet Ulrich is good as Ray Singleton, lone resident of a large, fairly prosperous farm. His parents were gone and his only brother had joined the war effort and was killed in the Pearl Harbor attack. He is a raw man, who gets up before dawn and works various parts of the farm until dark. That is his life. But he also has a soft side, however lacking in culture, and he welcomes Livy, even embracing the thought of their having a baby from a different man, a stranger.So the movie really is about Livy and Ray, a 20-something couple thrust together under very unusual circumstances, during a very difficult period in our history. Livy's sisters are expecting her to have the baby, divorce Ray quietly, and return to her home and continue on her path towards accomplishing great things. But Ray is expecting Livy to become his wife for life, for both of them to fall in love with each other. Ray's sister and other relatives and friends make Livy feel very welcome. Thus the movie explores this dynamic, and how each of them grow in new ways.There is a very interesting side story of two Japanese-American teenage girls that Livy gets to know. She first encounters them chasing and drawing butterflies. They eventually become good friends, they enrich each-others' lives in many ways.I've always liked Keri Russell since I first saw her on the TV series "Felicity". She was also good in other movies. She is certainly very cute, but she is also a believable actress. Ulrich I was not really familiar with, but he was also very good here.SPOILERS: The two sisters get themselves into trouble, by befriending two German POWs, and getting Livy to give them a ride south, to New Mexico. Livy was duped, but the escapees got caught and the teens were tried for treason. In time Livy learned that she indeed was falling in love with Ray, and as the movie ends we feel that they will stay together and become a happy family. Livy never learned the fate of the father of her child, he might have died in the European fighting.

Lovely movie, subtle and well acted in major and minor roles. Funny at times, the way country characters can be funny once you know them. Beautifully filmed, and gorgeous music.I loved the slow telling of the story. How the characters were kept apart by philosophy (city vs country), nature (hurt vs shy) and interests (world vs home). I loved how so much was shown in body language, and how her prejudice was erroneous, although not malicious, and not entirely tolerated by Ray despite his patience. I loved how much he loved her - and understood that she disliked herself.The downside of the movie is the internment camp and POW story. I agree with others that it was a distraction and not entirely believable, and not necessary. I fast forward through that section.Not a movie for Van Damme fans.

I loved this movie. I saw it on Hallmark Hall of Fame and my husband went and purchased the DVD for me as a gift. My heart just clenched when Ray asked Livy, "Livy, is there anything you like about me?" This movie was about a mail-order marriage that turned out to be on the same scale as Hallmark Entertainment's 'Love Comes Softly' series. I could not have been happier with the uplifting ending and I have never been disappointed with any Hallmark movie. This is a movie worth seeing if you like movies that have happy endings. Keri Russell did a superb job in the role of Livy, and Skeet Ulrich was a believable Ray -- shy and trying hard to make Livy feel welcome -- although not quite on the scale of Billy in 'Scream'. All in all, I don't think anyone could be unhappy with this movie.

In a day and age when movies are often filled with profanity, sexual content, and violence, along comes a gem like this one. The whole family can watch this film without worrying about "content". Skeet Ulrich and Keri Russell do a wonderful job acting in this movie, and the supporting cast is excellent. The story revolves around a young women (Russell), who's pregnant out of wed lock, and is forced into an arranged marriage with a farmer (Ulrich), during World War II. This movie also teaches a few life lessons, such as forgiveness, and the difference between sex and love. An enjoyable way to spend a hour and a half of you're time. You won't regret watching this film.