Un amour si lointain

Kathy/Katrina is a travel writer on the verge of getting a joint travel tv show with her current boyfriend, Jack.

Then her father passes away and leaves his large Amish farmer to her and her sister, so Kathy goes home to her Amish roots. There she reconnects with her old friend/love interest Isaak who is now a widower with an adorable young daughter.

It is a sweet reconnection love story.

(One thing of interest: I thought she was very in sync with her boyfriend at the beginning of the show and I was surprised that she would forget about him so quickly...that seemed off and uncharacteristic.)

I enjoyed it and recommend it...of course I know nothing about the Amish lifestyle.

6.5 stars.

This is not what Amish people are like, just so you know. They are generally very nice and open-minded folk, very welcoming, kind, and easy going. "From the Heart" casts a very negative slant on this quaint group of Amish people that Katrina has left behind in her desire to experience adventures and see the world. She left her Amish upbringing, as is the option of all Amish citizens. In her case, she never came back. Now she's visiting home due to the loss of her father. She must tie up loose ends regarding her inheritance, which is shared with her Amish sister and family.

The twists and turns of plot and the abrupt changes of heart that so many characters experience so quickly is not believable. The story is not convincing, and not true to life. We have several people whose ideological views take an about-face: to be Amish, or not, to be worldly, or not, to be critical, to be in love, to be understanding. The writers make a bold attempt to stretch the imagination with "From the Heart", unfortunately to the point that it leaves a sour aftertaste.

My main focus of this review is to express that Amish folks are generally not so bitter and harsh as this, and I find it very unnerving that Hallmark would portray them as such. Otherwise, this film is simply a variation of the usual Hallmark formula. Why the sudden shift from fervor to complete indifference? It's quite bewildering. Total fabrication and lack of plausibility aside, this was a very moving film for about 15 minutes.

She is hot. She should not be living with these wackos.

I think this is another example of a good cast with a weak script. It feels like a story being told by someone who doesn't understand what they're writing about. The ingredients for a good story are there, it just lacks true understanding, due diligence and polish. Props to hair and makeup, it must have been a chore to subdue the raw beauty of the cast members, it made me wonder how many supermodels are among the Amish. It's not one to avoid, it's just not great.

What happens when a former Amish gal returns home after a decade of living life in the modern world? Even coming for a visit has its difficulties. Trying to fit in and restore relationships seems impossible. The conflicts in the story are compounded when you add in some romance and a heart not fully healed.

This is a heart warming story that shows love can overcome obstacles. Love lived out can heal relationships. The story also points out that sometimes our dreams are only dreams, that reality can be even better when love is present. Love it. James Welch Henderson Arkansas 6/6/21.