Storm in the Heartland (2009)
"Tornado Valley" (original title)

Liz McAdams is haunted by the memories of a tornado that destroyed her home 25 years ago. Now a professional storm tracker, she and her family are in danger once again as another ... See full summary »

Director:

Andrew C. Erin

Writers:

Andrew C. Erin, Aaron Kim Johnston

Stars:

Meredith Monroe, Cameron Bancroft, Pascale Hutton

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Meredith Monroe	...	Liz McAdams
Cameron Bancroft	...	Matt McAdams
Pascale Hutton	...	Ellie Wilson
Rachel Pattee	...	Becky McAdams
Duncan Fraser	...	Hank Wilson
Ashley Michaels	...	Nora
Christine Chatelain	...	Helen
Shaun Benson	...	Bobby
Garry Chalk	...	Vince Johnson
Mark Pawson	...	Young Hank
Emma Karwandy	...	Young Ellie
Jessica McLeod	...	Young Liz (as Jessica Mcleod)
Eileen Pedde	...	Colleen
Ashley Harry	...	Young Nora
Peter Abrams	...	Gerry

Storyline

Liz McAdams is haunted by the memories of a tornado that destroyed her home 25 years ago. Now a professional storm tracker, she and her family are in danger once again as another devastating twister rapidly gains momentum. Caught in the path of destruction, Liz and her estranged husband struggle to save those they love...

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Plot Keywords:

tornado

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Taglines:

This movie will blow you away.

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Genres:

Drama | Thriller

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Details

Country:

USA Canada

Language:

English

Release Date:

1 February 2009 (USA)

Also Known As:

Storm in the Heartland

Filming Locations:

Abbotsford, British Columbia, Canada

Company Credits

Production Co:

Ignite Entertainment, ITV Global Entertainment, Johnson Production Group

Technical Specs

Runtime:

87 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Color:

Color

User Reviews

Seriously?

I'll give this one a (huh?) out of ten.

In terms of plot, we have another Twister clone, only without the budget, and without the F/X, and apparently without a screenwriter who's seen the last 17 Twister clones already made. Compared to most Lifetime fare, Tornado Valley really doesn't stand out from the pack, good or bad. It's a bland, formulaic, run of the mill childhood tragedy, adult baggage, dysfunctional family flick that keeps Hallmark and Lifetime from being 24 hour infomercial channels.

Now for the good stuff. We have the Storm Protection Center in Norman, Oklahoma (in reality, the Storm Prediction Center in Norman), a name which got some giggles from me. What, they have a national storm shelter in Norman? "Hey, there's a bad storm, let's head up the Storm Protection Center."

Then there's Matilda, a device that looks like a plasma globe from Spencer's Gifts at the mall, which can not only help with predicting when and where tornadoes will, but will also prevent "billions of dollars in collateral damage". Huh? So, I'm to believe that Matilda can teleport crops, forests, and office buildings out of the path of a tornado? Maybe it's the funky patterns in Matilda's plasma globe that will distract the tornado from hitting people and buildings?

Remember to keep an eye out for the eco-nadoes. No trees, grass, or small forest animals were injured in the making of Tornado Valley, because these tornadoes only eat humans, houses, and tractors, refuse to drop any hail or rain, and are only slightly windier than a ceiling fan. Could be Matilda working subtly from the start...