Hearts Are Well Designed To Handle Hurt -- DVD Review

When Calls the Heart: Troubled Hearts

Starring Daniel Lissing, Erin Krakow, Jack Wagner, and Lori Loughlin;

Directed by Michael Landon Jr.; 2016

This movie is number two in season three of the When Calls the Heart series and like all its predecessors, it continues to entertain, challenge and teach us. The series is inspired by the novel of the same name by Canadian author, Janette Oke.

Also like all previous episodes, Troubled Hearts has a host of sub-plots – each one somehow intertwined with the others and each one with a special lesson for viewers.  From young Cody’s hatred for school and those taking care of him as an ‘orphan’ to the women who have suffered the loss of spouses and yet again being betrayed by the men they have dared to be attracted to.  And the criminal element is also well-represented – both at the murderous gangster level (those you’d like to put away for life) and at the weasel level (those whose necks you’d like to wring and make them pay back every cent they embezzled).

Yes, of course, there’s romance.  This time I counted it developing on four fronts for sure and a possible fifth, complete with some very touching moments and the promise of more to come in the future in most cases. Throughout the movie, building trusting and nurturing relationships are paramount. And even though there are numerous characters, all the main ones are well-developed. Villains are dealt with and those that have erred have a change of heart or mind.  Wrongs are made right. But unlike the fairy tales we read as children or the Nancy Drew and Hardy Boys novels we enjoyed, there is no indication that everything has ended well -- the main reason being, of course, that there’s more to come from Michael Landon, Jr.

Finally, I would be remiss if I did not mention that both Oke and Landon, Jr. made a special effort to have some of the movie’s script sound like words from the Bible. It’s done very well and it’s very apropos, but I wonder how many would even recognize it.

We watched with our almost 11- and 13-year-old grandchildren as well as our senior neighbor – and all enjoyed it thoroughly. Highly recommended for the whole family, whether accompanied by popcorn or not.  And yes, I’m looking forward to still more – one of the few “fiction” works I allow myself these days.

By Ken B. Godevenos, President, Accord Resolutions Services Inc., Toronto, Ontario, July 16, 2016. www.accordconsulting.com

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