Just perfect...

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

It's the kind of movie you'll want to see a second time with someone who hasn't seen it yet, to remember what it was like to watch it for the first time.

One of the worst ways to make a cult movie is to set out to make a cult movie.

Noah (Chris Klein) has returned home from WWII, only to find that his parents are deceased, his younger brother is in prison, and his parents' farmland has gone to another family. Sad. A fisherman, Noah meets a man (Robert Prosky) near a river, who recommends a small town in North Carolina for a new home. Taking this advice, Noah shows up and, indeed, the town is very nice. Initially somewhat skeptical of the stranger, the townfolk soon welcome Noah. This includes an adopted mute boy named Frankie (Zach Mills), who wishes to follow Noah around, at times. Fortunately, a war widow named Eleanor (Gretchen Mol) has an empty cabin on the lands of her property and Noah moves in. Soon, it becomes clear that Eleanor may be over her grief and interested in Noah, ditto for him. Will a new love form? Possibly. Also, some of the town's residents make a bet with Noah about the amount of catfish he might catch and the young veteran takes them on. Then, tragedy strikes and Noah may move out of the area, leaving Eleanor behind. Will it happen? This is a quietly lovely romantic drama with a very beautiful setting in North Carolina. All of the actors, including Klein and Mol, do very fine work. Care has been taken by the film makers to re-create another time, so that costumes, buildings, automobiles and such bring back the late 1940's with appeal. Romance fans will also be pleased. However, if you are not in the mood for some heartache, save this for another time, for some tears may swell and drop for most every viewer.

Just a warning to any men reading this. This is definitely a chick flick. But it's so good you will enjoy watching it, too. You just won't be able to admit to anybody that you did. (Unless you are as secure in your masculinity as I am of course. Ahem...Then you can even admit it had you in tears in parts, but you'll still feel guilty at that, too.) Noah is a Soldier on a mission...Running from his past. His family is gone except for one loser little brother who's just barely out of his teens and on the way to a life of crime already. And Noah blames himself for not being there for the family, for his brother, and for his unit where many of his friends were killed, leaving him with survivor guilt. On the run he's told about a special place to go fishing, something he has an affinity for. And taking the stranger's advice he finds himself involved in the lives of the small town folks and especially a beautiful young widow and her mute son. All of them looking for some kind of sign that life is still worth living.The plot is predictable in some parts but unpredictable in others so there is enough play in the line (to use a fishing metaphor) to make it interesting. As I say, everyone will enjoy it. Though there is one very traumatic scene that may not be appropriate for small children. Not violent or anything, just very sad (and adults watching it may become upset which may upset any children in the room).Having said that, enjoy. With popcorn and Kleenex.A surprise ending (at least for me) which only emphasized that, although this movie has some bad theology, the overall positive note is a sound one. And the best part is, the reality is even better than the fiction. In a world of uncertainty there are signs all around us that GOD really does care and life really is worthwhile, if we will only look and listen and act upon the situations and people He sends our way and most of all His Word (the Bible)...though this is not a "preachy" film or Bible-thumping movie at all and in fact stays rather generic. It is a great movie that may take you unawares.

This little gem (scheduled to be out on DVD February 15 at select Hallmark Stores)will make a great addition to any DVD collection. Just the basics here: WWII vet Noah Locke (Chris Klein) returns home to find a world of change on the home front, ala "The Best Years of Our Lives", and he must take his life in a new direction. A kind old gent Hoke Moore (Robert Prosky) directs him to the valley where a change of his life's direction is offered. Great job by Gretchen Mol as the leading lady Eleanor Chatwin. Mol's character undergoes changes of her own after meeting Noah. She is a widow of a WWII vet who ended his life upon returning home from the war and her life is a closed loop. Between caring for her late husband's grandmother(who seems to survive on chocolate bars) and running the farm, she appears to have little else in her life. Just compare the change in her physical appearance from their initial meeting in a general store to the the scene of a good old' sit down catfish dinner in her home....Southern Style! A terrific supporting cast rounds out this Hallmark Hall of Fame gem. The filming locations in Oregon and California fill in nicely for rural, post WWII North Carolina.Tragedy strikes both their lives and threatens to end the blossoming romance between Noah and Eleanor. Noah soon realizes that he was guided to the valley. Several media critics panned this flick, but it came in at #10 for the week in the ratings, tied with "24", so see it for yourself and make your own decision.

I loved the way this movie was done. I know many won't like it because it dares to leave out sex, violence, profanity, etc., and just tell a simple tale that makes you feel good. For those people there are nearly an infinite number of choices to see. For the rest of us, this is a rare movie that feels like something from a time before I was born- and it left me feeling happy, and not many of today's movies do that for me.Also, as most of my closest friends and my oldest nephew live and breath fishing, I'm thinking they'd enjoy it as that is always in the background.If you watch this, don't go in expecting something convoluted and complex, but rather a very pleasant distraction from all the unpleasantness we usually see in the movies.