Love's Enduring Promise
Love's Enduring Promise is a 2004 made-for-television Christian drama film based on a series of books by Janette Oke.
| Love's Enduring Promise | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Written by | Cindy Kelley Michael Landon Jr. Janette Oke |
| Directed by | Michael Landon Jr. |
| Starring | January Jones Mackenzie Astin Cliff De Young Cara DeLizia Dominic Scott Kay |
| Theme music composer | Kevin Kiner |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Original language | English |
| Production | |
| Producers | Lincoln Lageson Randy Pope |
| Editor | Colleen Halsey |
| Running time | 88 min |
| Release | |
| Original network | Hallmark Channel |
| Original release | November 20, 2004 |
| Chronology | |
| Preceded by | Love Comes Softly |
| Followed by | Love's Long Journey |
The film is the second in the Love Comes Softly series of television movies on Hallmark Channel that includes Love Comes Softly (2003), Love's Long Journey (2005), Love's Abiding Joy (2006), Love's Unending Legacy (2007), Love's Unfolding Dream, Love Takes Wing (2009), and Love Finds a Home produced for Hallmark by Larry Levinson Productions(2009),[1][2] as well as the 2011 prequels Love Begins and Love's Everlasting Courage.
Synopsis
Missie Davis (January Jones) is a young woman working as a school teacher who spends much time reading. Her father has a near-fatal accident but is saved by a mysterious stranger with a troubled past (Logan Bartholomew) whom Mr. Clark davis characterizes as God's "enduring promise" making his Daughter think & offering them the chance to plough and plant some wheat ad corn together for the harvest everyday starting at Sun-up, Missie's Gymnasium being closed for planting season and Willie living currently as a jobless trapper reaching for his Father, Zeke. When she meets Grant Thomas a very and cultured rich young man who is just like the heroes in the novels she reads (Mackenzie Astin), she is torn between them and has to decide what is really important when She contemplates her school hair blue ribbons returned by the man. She chooses to face Lifewith humble plow&plant neighbor Willie Nathan LaHaye than unreal American Romantique Master G. thomas, marrying and healing father Old Zeke LaHay's soul, Missie & Willie leaving West for their own cattle farm together, with Missie looking back from the cart to her crying Father - happy & heartbroken!
Cast
| Actor | Role |
|---|---|
| January Jones | Missie Davis |
| Mackenzie Astin | Grant Thomas |
| Cliff De Young | Zeke LaHaye |
| Logan Bartholomew | Willie Nathan ('Nate') LaHaye |
| K'Sun Ray | Aaron Davis |
| Cara DeLizia | Annie Walker |
| Dominic Scott Kay | Mattie LaHaye |
| Logan Arens | Arnie Davis |
| Dale Midkiff | Clark Davis |
| Katherine Heigl | Marty Davis |
| Michael Bartel | Willie ('Nate') age 15 |
| E.J. Callahan | Asa |
| Katia Coe | Clara |
| Douglas Fisher | Edward Trumball |
| Joshua Michael Kwiat | Surveyor |
| Robert F. Lyons | Doc Watkins |
| Blaine Pate | Sam |
| Matthew Peters | Brian Murphy |
Differences from the novel
- This book picks up three years after Love Comes Softly, with Missie being 5 years old, Clare (Aaron in the film) being 3, and Arnie being born in the third chapter. The book takes them up to Missie's teen years. Missie and Clare are closer together in age than they are depicted in the film.
- Zeke LaHaye and his wife have three children in the novel: Tessie, Nathan, and Willie. Tessie and Nathan are not mentioned in the film. Willie's full name in the film is Willie Nathan LaHaye, as mentioned in the novel Love's Long Journey. Willie did not have a younger brother named Mattie in the novel. His mother and sister die.
- Clark and Marty have a daughter, Elvira "Ellie", and another son, Luke, who are not shown in the film. Many other characters mentioned in the book are not mentioned in the film, such as Nandry and Clae Larson. Though Ellie isn't seen or mentioned in some of the other films in the original series, she is shown as a character with her brother Aaron in the film Love's Christmas Journey
- In the book, Missie only courted Ben and Ma Graham's son before Willie LaHaye.
- Some of the situations in the film were not directly from the book.
Awards
The following people won a Camie Award in 2005 for their part in making the film:
- Robert Halmi Jr. (executive producer)
- Larry Levinson (executive producer)
- Lincoln Lageson (executive producer)
- William Spencer Reilly (executive producer)
- Michael Landon Jr. (director/screenwriter)
- Cindy Kelley (screenwriter)
- Janette Oke (author of original book)
- January Jones (actress)
- Logan Bartholomew (actor)
- Mackenzie Astin (actor)
- Dale Midkiff (actor)
- Katherine Heigl (actress)
Nominations
- Epiphany Prize ... Most Inspiring TV Program from MovieGuide
- Grace Award ... Most Inspiring Television Acting for Dale Midkiff from MovieGuide
Notes
In real life Jones, who portrays Heigl's almost-adult stepdaughter, is 10 months her senior.