Voxitype
Good films always raise compelling questions, whether the format is fiction or documentary fact.
Casey Duggan
It’s sentimental, ridiculously long and only occasionally funny
Anoushka Slater
While it doesn't offer any answers, it both thrills and makes you think.
Philippa
All of these films share one commonality, that being a kind of emotional center that humanizes a cast of monsters.
Kellyann-1
I have enjoyed this hallmark movies series of movies. All eight of them and have liked how the movies changed some things from the books. The changes were good. But this one was just OK to me. I adore Scout Taylor-Compton as an actress but didn't really enjoy her in the role and at times appeared more child like and bratty then a strong young lady wanting to be a doctor. Also I never warmed to Drew. I didn't feel chemistry between the leads.I just couldn't buy or get into the supposed love story of Drew and Belinda. Erin,Victor and Dale were great to see back though.The movie was just OK and out of the movies and the prequel this would rank as my least favorite.
TxMike
Set in the old West in a time when men didn't bother to learn how to read, a woman was supposed to marry and raise a family, and there was one old doctor in town that treated everyone in his home.This is a Michael Landon Jr movie, and it has a definite "Little House on the Prairie" feel and look to it. Pretty Scout Taylor-Compton is Belinda Tyler, smart and assertive, who as a young girl treating kids' scratches, found out how much she enjoyed helping heal people. So she set her goal on becoming a doctor, even reading books on medicine. Robert Pine is good as old Dr. Micah Jackson, the town doctor. He needed an assistant "with medical training" but Belinda asked anyway. He would have no part of it and when he learned of her ambitions was not encouraging at all. Women should not become doctors. Things turned when a townsman came in with pains and Belinda did an initial workup and diagnosis, but her unpolished manner may have frightened the patient. Still, when traveler Nancy Linehan Charles as rich, stubborn Mrs Stafford-Smith became ill, and Belinda correctly diagnosed it as a stroke, she was eventually hired to stay with the patient in a hotel room to care for her and help with rehabilitation. The other complication was young Patrick Levis as Drew Simpson, freshly out of law school back east, who came to town to settle up the estate of a deceased relative. He needed to have the old house fixed up to then sell it. At first he and Belinda were at odds with each other, because of his outdated ideas and her strong will, but they eventually came to like each other.Money was perhaps the biggest hurdle, because of the expense of Medical School, but in the end after Mrs Stafford-Smith had gotten better, she was so impressed with Belinda that she offered to send her through school, and have her live with her back east.Truthfully everything was predictable in this movie, yet it is still a pleasant story. I found it on DVD at my public library.
heh0815
I know that the Janette Oke books that translate into films get a little heat because they tend to deviate from the books (They Killed Willie!) but they are really good films on their own. It's hard to find anything out there "period piece" wise that is good for the whole family.This one centers on the whole "traditional" role vs. "progressive" role for females and Belinda must balance her desire to become a doctor vs. the views of her fiancé. Really kind of takes you back to a time when that was a big deal. It opened up a discussion between my young daughter and I when she asked, "Daddy, why don't they want her to be a doctor?" Again, this is another good one from the Oke series and the producers have a good study guide to accompany the film on their website FoxFaith.com.Give it 9 out of 10 stars.
ID_10_T__Error
My daughter and I have read the books and were disappointed that they strayed so much from them. I can't believe that they killed off Willie, and making Belinda an orphan and having Missy adopt her. They cut out a lot of characters, but I guess that was necessary to make it into a movie. This movie had a different actress playing Belinda. My daughter commented that she and Drew looked like they did in the books. All in all we enjoyed the movie on it's own merits. It was different, and combined several books, but it ended well. I noticed that Michael Landon Jr. was a writer on this one. Still, if you like the movies, read the books. They are wonderful.