Love Takes Wing

Belinda comes into this movie with her husband having recently died from disease. As a result, Belinda is bitter with God. This faith based movie centers on her struggle.

In the previous movie, Belinda, as a teen, had a chip on her shoulder as she face a male dominated world with the dream of becoming a doctor. In this movie, that chip has become a mountain, and it makes her completely unequipped for the challenge before her. If she isn't facing enough of a challenge, her attitude can do nothing to help her deal with townspeople who are already suspicious of a stranger and a woman. It also doesn't make her winsome for the viewer.

Lee is a saint and a little too perfect, but he is likeable. Unfortunately, Belinda is so bitter, it's hard to see any chemistry.

Lou Diamond Phillips is the director and as an actor plays a character that is totally one dimensional. It is a terrible job of acting and only he can be responsible. None of the acting is outstanding. Sarah Jones shows almost no spark but much of that is the result of the character's bitterness.

The story is somber. There is a complication or two that really aren't altogether clear as to how they impact the outcome. Despite all the negatives, the underlying story comes through. Of course it is sappy, and ultimately predictable, but there is room to enjoy the finished product.

There is a scene near the end that has no subtlety whatsoever. When you see it, you'll know it.

7.7 stars.

The very first of the series was an astonishingly wonderful film, but 'Love Takes Wing' is better than some, I'd say it's slightly above average in comparison to most.

The "Love..." series of almost ten movies never fails to provide a good old-fashioned inspirational feeling. They knew they had something really special, so they went with it. Good for them. I have always been entertained just enough to enjoy each and every film in the series, and I think it's because they found a recipe and they stuck with it. It's kinda like a batch of cookies. You love it when Grandma makes that same batch of chocolate chip, maybe they aren't your favorites, but they are always delightful enough with a glass of milk, and if it isn't broke...

No matter what the story, the method and the material are always consistent and authentic feeling. They use the right music and direction to create a similar atmosphere, and the acting is always decent. Look who directed it. Interesting. I like his rendition of the town loser, but they sorta left that unresolved.

Before I begin, I'll say that I have always been a fan of Jeanette Oak and her work. I am not however, a fan of Hallmark channel movies.(I've always thought them to be too predictable and repetitive)The Love comes Softly series is no different, except for the fact that it is set in the 1800's. The constant playing of dramatic music is irritating and the acting is far too modern for a western movie.And to be honest, it doesn't stray far from the other Love Comes Softly movies. Girl meets boy, they fall in love and get married, then have a child who repeats the same thing in the next movie. I'll admit that the plot is intriguing enough to keep you watching,and if your looking for a good family film, then this is for you.All in all this movie is your typical, feel good, western-love story.If thats your cup of tea then you will enjoy this, otherwise don't watch it.

In the Old West, a young woman (Sarah Jones) arrives in Sikeston, Missouri, by stagecoach to take over as the town's physician. As she tries to figure out what disease is making people deathly ill, especially the kids in the orphanage, she develops a friendship with a helpful blacksmith (Jordan Bridges). Haylie Duff plays her colleague, Cloris Leachman the manager of the orphanage, Patrick Duffy the mayor and Lou Diamond Phillips a grim citizen. Lou also happens to direct.

"Love Takes Wing" (2009) had a budget of $2 million and debuted on TV (Hallmark), but it's worthy if you don't mind realistic Westerns that sneer at the Western staples of fast-draw shootouts and so forth. There are, to be expected, a couple of schmaltzy or predictable bits, but it's otherwise well-done and the drama keeps your interest.

I particularly liked the addition of intravenous therapy (aka IV), which inspired me to look up its history. I was in the hospital for several weeks years ago and was always hooked up to an IV. Now I know why. Diseases like Cholera kill through dehydrating the victim. Intravenous therapy ingeniously fixed the problem, but it's easy to take for granted now. This interesting and enlightening element took the movie to the next level for me.

Geographically, Southern Cal doesn't look anything like Missouri, but I guess it doesn't matter much since it's mostly a town-bound story. Yet the overall vibe is of the Southwest, which is a far cry from the milieu of the Show Me State.

This was the seventh film installment taken from Janette Oke's Love Comes Softly book series. It's followed by the last sequential film, Love Finds a Home, which debuted later the same year (not to mention two prequels in 2011). You don't have to see any of the other movies to view this one; it's self-contained and is the only one I've seen. Interestingly, none of the events depicted occur in the corresponding novel.

It runs 1 hour, 28 minutes, and was shot at Melody Movie Ranch in Newhall, California, which is the southern section of Santa Clarita, a 40-minute drive northwest of Los Angeles in the high country.

GRADE: B.

How does a pure red head turn into a blond? The biggest thing that bothered me during the entire film was this hair situation. Belinda was a red head on Movie 5 and 6, now she is suddenly a golden blond; it makes no sense. Further more if they were going to pick a different actress, why not pick an older actress, possibly in her thirties? Belinda has just graduated from Medical school and yet she's in her early 20's, I can easily understand why no one will take her seriously. The most disappointing thing about the movie is that the Love Come's Softly films have fallen into this annoying pattern - Woman is married. Husband dies. Woman adopts child and remarries. Orphan grows up falls in love and marries - repeat. If the films art going to follow the books properly then why can't they come up with a new story and plot line? Something new and interesting. Don't get me wrong, Love Takes Wing still has the family vibes and is a nice clean film, but the quality is very poor with cheesy lines and terrible acting.