Love's Enduring Promise (2004) (TV)

Director:

Michael Landon Jr.

Writers:

Cindy Kelley (teleplay) &
Michael Landon Jr. (teleplay) ...

Release Date:

20 November 2004 (USA)

Genre:

Drama

Plot:

Plot Keywords:

Apostrophe In Title | Father Son Reunion | Plow | Punctuation In Title | Farm

Awards:

1 win & 2 nominations

Cast

January Jones	...	Missie Davis
Logan Bartholomew	...	Willie / Nate
Dale Midkiff	...	Clark Davis
K'Sun Ray	...	Aaron Davis
Logan Arens	...	Arnie Davis
Mackenzie Astin	...	Grant Thomas
Cliff De Young	...	Zeke
Matthew Peters	...	Brian Murphy
Michael Bartel	...	Willie at 15
Katherine Heigl	...	Marty Davis
Dominic Scott Kay	...	Mattie
Blaine Pate	...	Sam
Cara DeLizia	...	Annie Walker
Robert F. Lyons	...	Doc Watkins
Douglas Fisher	...	Edward Trumball

Runtime:

120 min (including commercials) | 88 min (DVD version)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Certification:

Singapore:PG | Australia:PG

Filming Locations:

Paramount Ranch - 2813 Cornell Road, Agoura, California, USA

Company:

Hallmark Entertainment

Trivia:

January Jones is actually 10 months older than Katherine Heigl, who plays her step-mother.

Goofs:

Continuity: In the goodbye scene where Missy looked at the ribbon Willie gave back to her, you'll see Willie's hand in the corner of the screen. His hand shouldn't be there because he had already left the room.

Quotes:

Willie: Actually I'm headed for the west.
Missie Davis: You got land to farm?
Willie: No, not yet. And when I do claim my land it will be for raising cattle not crops. I worked on a couple cattle ranches and thats what suits me.
[turns to Missie]
Willie: The thing is, I came by today, because I didn't want to make the same mistake. I wanted to see you, um, and to give these back to you.
[hands Missie the ribbons]
Missie Davis: My ribbons. You've kept them all these years?
Willie: Probably seems silly to you.
Missie Davis: No, not silly. It's sweet.
Willie: Well, anyway, Thats what I came for. To give you those and to say... goodbye.
[...]

Movie Connections:

Followed by Love's Long Journey (2005) (TV)

A letdown

This followup to LOVE COMES SOFTLY follows the further adventures of the pioneering Davis family. Pa Davis (Dale Midkiff) injures himself while splitting wood, putting the farm is in jeopardy. Ma Davis (Katherine Heigl) and Pa Davis's daughter Missie (January Jones, stepping in for Skye Bartusiak from the original), try to keep things going, but the work proves too difficult. Out of nowhere, or so it seems, a handsome young stranger (Logan Bartholomew) appears and helps save the farm. You know the movie is in trouble when the opening credits read "with Dale Midkiff," the star of the first movie. Indeed, Midkiff -- and Heigl -- are relegated to supporting roles while Jones and Bartholomew are moved to the forefront as a sort of Okie version of WUTHERING HEIGHTS' Cathy and Heathcliff. The intensity and strong acting of the first movie are almost completely missing here. Jones in particular is a lackluster Missie, and yet she is expected to carry this tedious TV movie. Hard to believe this was made by the same director as the original.