Love's Abiding Joy (2006)

The continued Westward journey of settlers Missie and Willie Lahaye. Their roots now firmly planted as they set up homestead in the far West, Missie begins to realize her passion for ... See full summary »

Director:

Michael Landon Jr.

Writers:

Michael Landon Jr. (teleplay), Douglas Lloyd McIntosh (teleplay),

Stars:

Erin Cottrell, Dale Midkiff, Logan Bartholomew

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Erin Cottrell	...	Missie LaHaye
Dale Midkiff	...	Clark Davis
Logan Bartholomew	...	Willie LaHaye
Frank McRae	...	Cookie
William Morgan Sheppard	...	Scottie (as W. Morgan Sheppard)
Drew Tyler Bell	...	Jeff LaHaye
Brett Coker	...	Mattie LaHaye
Mae Whitman	...	Colette Doros
John Laughlin	...	Samuel Doros
Kevin Gage	...	John Abel
Brianna Brown	...	Melinda Klein
James Tupper	...	Henry Klein
Stephen Bridgewater	...	Frank Taylorson (as Stephen W. Bridgewater)
Blake Gibbons	...	Joe Paxson
Madison Leisle	...	Annie

Storyline

The continued Westward journey of settlers Missie and Willie Lahaye. Their roots now firmly planted as they set up homestead in the far West, Missie begins to realize her passion for teaching as Willie cares for the couple's young daughter Kathy while expanding the family ranch with a little help from sons Jeff and Matthew. When the frontier railroad comes to town, the pleasure of a long-promised visit from Missie's father Clark is suddenly offset by the tragic death of young Kathy. As the untimely demise of their beloved daughter begins to drive an emotional wedge between Missie and Willie, the devastated father unexpectedly accepts an offer made by the powerful Samuel Doros to assume the role of town sheriff. Their faith shaken and their once close-knit bond suddenly torn asunder, Missie and Willie desperately attempt to bring their crumbling family back together as son Jeff faces a series of dangers while hopelessly falling for Doros' beautiful daughter Colette.

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Plot Keywords:

faith | sheriff | ranch | framed | prayer | 

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Genres:

Drama | Western

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG for mild thematic elements

Details

Country:

USA

Release Date:

6 October 2006 (USA)

Also Known As:

A szerelem örök

Filming Locations:

Los Angeles, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$3,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend:

$42,120 (USA) (13 October 2006)

Gross:

$252,726 (USA) (20 October 2006)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Alpine Medien Productions, Larry Levinson Productions, RHI Entertainment

Technical Specs

Runtime:

87 min

Color:

Color

Did You Know?

Goofs

When Missie goes out into the rain, her father follows. When the camera is aimed at Missie, it's pouring rain, but when it is aimed at her dad, it is completely dry.

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Connections

Follows Love's Enduring Promise (2004)

User Reviews

Hmm.

I'm concerned that the morality of the film series is gradually slipping away. In Love Comes Softly, the wedding ring was frequently displayed, and there was an incredible sweetness to the presentation of sound values. In this movie, when the evil Doros takes a neighbor for everything he has, the victim replies that he used to be a good preacher, but he isn't anymore. As in, he's gonna deal with Doros violently if necessary. And there's the overwhelming sense that we're supposed to cheer at that. We're supposed to cheer that he's not the good preacher. And that he plans on using violence to solve his problems. Moreoever, the young unmarried couple (Sonny's younger brother and Doros's daughter) take off into the darkness together. That kind of thing wasn't in the first movie. The low-cut dresses on her. This movie uses the fact that the father was evil to encourage us to cheer when his daughter defies him and tells her young forbidden lover that she's been driving her father nuts since she was old enough to tell him what dress she wanted to wear. And it's the *evil* father that wants to send his daughter to a Christian boarding school. The context of his character is supposed to make us ashamed for thinking that's wise. So here, Christian values are couched in an incredibly evil man, and so by association we're against the conservative side of him and we're supposed to think it's okay when she wears low-cut dresses and takes off into the night with the neighbor boy. And of course, there's never any implication that we're supposed to be concerned about any of this. I hope this isn't another subtle, gradual departure from values by throwing us a moral bone in the first movie, and then after gaining our trust, leading us where Hollywood wants the Christian community to go. Unless there's a serious return to Christian values in the next movie, I'm done.