Love's Long Journey
Love's Long Journey is a 2005 made-for-television Christian drama film based on a series of books by Janette Oke. It was directed by Michael Landon Jr. and was originally aired on Hallmark Channel on December 3, 2005.
| Love's Long Journey | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Written by | Douglas Lloyd Mcintosh Cindy Kelly Michael Landon Jr. Janette Oke |
| Directed by | Michael Landon Jr. |
| Starring | Erin Cottrell Logan Bartholomew Frank McRae Irene Bedard W. Morgan Sheppard James Tupper |
| Theme music composer | Kevin Kiner |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Original language(s) | English |
| Production | |
| Producer(s) | Brian Gordon Erik Olson |
| Editor(s) | Andrew Vona |
| Running time | 88 min |
| Release | |
| Original network | Hallmark Channel |
| Original release | December 3, 2005 |
| Chronology | |
| Preceded by | Love's Enduring Promise |
| Followed by | Love's Abiding Joy |
It is the third movie in the Love Saga, which includes Love Comes Softly (2003), Love's Enduring Promise (2004), Love's Abiding Joy (2006), Love's Unending Legacy (2007), Love's Unfolding Dream (2007), Love Takes Wing (2009), and Love Finds a Home (2009),[1][2] as well as the 2011 prequels, Love Begins and Love's Everlasting Courage and was produced for Hallmark by Larry Levinson Productions.
Synopsis
Missie's (Erin Cottrell) surprise discovery - her pregnancy - sets her on a new course that's at once thrilling and terrifying. After all the planning and dreaming, she and her husband, Willie (Logan Bartholomew), have headed west in a covered wagon, leaving behind the prairie home of Missie's parents. Later on they meet Jeff Huff and his older brother Sonny. They later make new friends among them Henry Kline a preacher turned farmer out of family loss in his words: 'The Lord giveth and the Lord taketh away' though Henry does not specify what Lord did that but then by and by returns to the Gospel and spend Christmas together all of them in a friendly Christmas holiday with Willie reading from The Gospel according to Luke. He also tells Willie while working together he s very happy for him for the MW initials for the herd farm including her and saying that according to Genesis a Wife is something to be treasured... Now, caught between the excitement of the new adventure and the pain of not knowing when she'll see her family again, Missie copes with the challenges and cherishes the rewards of her new homestead.
Missie and Willie LaHaye travel west to Tettsford Junction. Missie is afraid to tell Willie of her pregnancy. When they arrive on their new homestead, it is nothing like what Missie pictured. She meets a native woman who becomes her friend, and while praying with her friends she and her friends are tied to the fence and held at gun point by thieves and Missie is forced to show one of the thieves where she put their money but Jeff finds out that Sonny has been a thief all along. Sonny is shot and later dies. That night Missie goes into labor and gives birth to a baby boy named Matthew (after Willie's brother).
Cast
| Actor | Role |
|---|---|
| Erin Cottrell | Missie LaHaye |
| Logan Bartholomew | Willie LaHaye |
| Frank McRae | Cookie |
| Irene Bedard | Miriam McClaine |
| Gil Birmingham | Sharp Claw |
| W. Morgan Sheppard | Scottie |
| James Tupper | Henry Kline |
| Johann Urb | Fyn Anders |
| Jeff Kober | Pacey |
| Richard Lee Jackson | Sonny Huff |
| Graham Phillips | Jeff Huff |
| Stephen Bridgewater | Mr. Taylorsen |
| Diane Salinger | Diane Louise Salinger |
| John Savage | Trent |
| Dale Midkiff | Clark Davis |
Differences from the novel
- In the novel, while Willie goes on out to the homestead, Missie stays with the Taylorsons in Tettsford Junction for 3 months so she can be near a doctor when she delivers her baby. Willie's ranch in the novel is a 6-day wagon trip from Tettsford Junction. A new town is later built near the ranch in Love's Abiding Joy
- Willie and Missie name their son Nathan Isaiah in the novel. Nathan is the middle name of both Willie and Clark; Isaiah is after the Bible verse they memorized for the journey west. Nathan Isaiah is the name shown in the films end-credits, instead of Matthew Isaiah, the name in the film.
- There is no Sonny or Jeff in the novel. There is also no native family living near the Ranch. The novel depicts a family of Mexicans.
Awards
The following people received 'Camie Awards in 2006 for their role in making the film:
- Larry Levinson (executive producer)
- Brian Gordon (producer)
- Erik Olson (producer)
- Michael Landon Jr. (director & screenwriter)
- Cindy Kelley (screenwriter)
- Janette Oke (author of book)
- Erin Cottrell (actress)
- Logan Bartholomew (actor)
Notes
Missie was portrayed by January Jones in the second movie.