"Trials of the Heart" is the the start of the second season of When Calls the Heart. When Elizabeth receives news that her mother has taken ill, she
returns to Hamilton with Jack as her escort. Once there Elizabeth and Jack are reminded of their different backgrounds as they are surrounded by her affluent family and Elizabeth’s former suitor, Charles
Kensington...and her unexpected first meeting with Jack's brother.
Back in Coal Valley, the trial gets underway in the town with a new judge and a new attorney for the widows who is not what they expected. Abigail meets a family member she was unaware of who provides the key to the outcome of the trial. Jack has to reevaluate his importance in Elizabeth’s
life.
,
My Review: This new season brings new characters and some changes to the town. A couple of my favorites are no longer part of the series, but I am intrigued by new developments with the new characters and further development of some we were previously introduced to. There also seems more of moving on to a new chapter from the tragedy of the deaths of so many coal miners. The trial concludes, bringing some closure to people's lives and turning to a new direction. I did not love this one as much as I have those from season 1, but there were quite a few changes for me to assimilate. It's just my nature to be hesitant when new things come along. But, I have no doubt I will be drawn back into charms of this series. Disclaimer: I received a copy of
this DVD from EDIFY MEDIA. I am
disclosing this in accordance with the FTC 16 CFR, Part 255 'Guides
concerning the use of endorsements and testimonials in advertising. I
was not asked to write a positive review and all opinions expressed are my own.
Keep up with news and other fans. You can search social media sites using #Hearties Follow @WCTH_TC on Twitter Like When Calls the Heart on Facebook Join the Hearties FB Fan Page Group
The series is inspired by Janette Oke’s
bestselling book series about the Canadian West. “When Calls the Heart”
tells the captivating story of Elizabeth Thatcher (Erin Krakow), a
young teacher accustomed to
her high society life, who receives her first classroom assignment in
Coal Valley, a small coalmining town where life is simple, but often
fraught with challenges. Lori Loughlin plays Abigail Stanton, a wife and
mother whose husband, the foreman of the mine,
along with a dozen other miners, has just been killed in an explosion.
The newly widowed women find their faith is tested when they must go to
work in the mines to keep a roof over their heads. Elizabeth charms most
everyone in Coal Valley, except Constable
Jack Thornton (Daniel Lissing) who believes Thatcher’s wealthy father
has doomed the lawman’s career by insisting he be assigned in town to
protect the shipping magnate’s daughter. Living in a turn of the century
coal town, Elizabeth will have to learn the
ways of the frontier if she wishes to thrive in the rural west on her
own.
We already know that Elizabeth has know charmed Jack and that they have acknowledged they have feelings for one another. There also looks like a possible romance for Abigail. And will Jack's former flame cause dissent between Elizabeth and Jack? Season 2 opens with several changes in the air...
Episode 1 – April 25, 2015 – “Trials of the Heart” Part 1 – Coal
Valley’s trial gets underway in the town with a new Judge presiding over
it. Elizabeth gets unsettling news from Hamilton regarding her family,
and must return. Abigail’s case is presided over by an unlikely
prosecutor. Elizabeth’s family meets, Jack. 43min.
Episode 2 – April 25, 2015 – “Trials of the Heart” Part 2 – The
trial’s verdict is rendered by the Judge, which effects the whole town.
Elizabeth readjusts to family life in Hamilton. Abigail is reunited with
a family member. Jack has to reevaluate his importance in Elizabeth’s
life. A new man comes to town with a prospect that can change the
townspeople’s entire future. 43min. I confess that I was privileged to preview the April 25th episodes of "When Calls the Heart" and I can guarantee that fans will not be disappointed. The drama, romance, comedy, suspense, and every other element essential to mesmerizing television is still present. I can't give away anything that happens, but I advise you to tune in. You don't want to miss a moment!
Also keep up with news and other fans. You can search social media sites using #Hearties Follow @WCTH_TC on Twitter Like When Calls the Heart on Facebook Join the Hearties FB Fan Page Group
GREAT NEWS!! For one blessed winner, I have a Season 1 boxed set of DVDs, courtesy of Word Films. Many thanks to Word and to FlyBy Promotions for giving me the opportunity to preview the 1st 2 episodes of "When Calls the Heart" and for the boxed set to give away. This is a perfect gift for either a fan of the series or for someone new who wants to catch up. Enter by leaving a comment no this blog post no later than 10pm (CDT) Thursday, April 30, 2015.
When Calls
the Heart- “Second Chances” is a feature length
film from the episodes of the When Calls the Heart television series. The
When Calls the Heart television series debuted on the Hallmark
Channel to more than 3 million viewers, making it the No. 2 for the night on all
of cable for the primary telecast at 9 p.m and No. 3 overall in
households. Distributed by Word Entertainment, previous DVD’s are
available to purchase in Christian Retail.
Synopsis- As
Elizabeth and Jack fight to restore their relationship, she searches for ways to
help one of her older students learn how to read. Meanwhile, Adam Miller
struggles to adjust to his new disability. With so many difficult changes
affecting the community, can Elizabeth create a Founder's Day play that will
spark hope in everybody's hearts?
My Review: Once again this multi-talented team has produced a high quality film with a storyline that draws you in. Hope and moving onfrom the past andhandicaps is key to this film.Jack and Elizabeth finally decide to pursue a courtship, Abigail moves on to a new level of independence in opening a restaurant, Adam Miller (the only miner to survive the explosion) returns and his family must adapt to his diability, and Elizabeth works to help a student overcome a reading disability.
Watching as each character overcomes fears and failures and works hard to attain goals is inspirational and, not only teaches a lesson to the viewer, but entertains as well. A wonderful balance is struck between the drama and the humor and makes for a wonderful film suitable for the entire family.
I received this DVD compliments of Word Films and Edify Media for my
honest review. I was not required to write a favorable review and the
opinions expressed here are strictly my own.
When Calls the Heart - “The Dance” is a feature length
film from two episodes of the When Calls the Heart television
series. When new miners are hired to help with the reopening of the Coal Valley mine, the town decides to celebrate with a dance. One of those new miners takes a special interest in Elizabeth (Erin Krakow) and showers her with attention and poetry. With Jack's (Daniel Lissing) insistence that the life of a Mountie is too difficult to share with a wife, Billy Hamilton's (Andrew W. Walker) flattery tugs at Elizabeth's heart.
In
a side story, one of the widows (Laura Bertram) is also attracted to one of the new miners (Derek Hamilton.
However, her son (Will Verchere-Gopaulsingh) is not ready to have another man in his mom's life.
Tensions increase as she struggles to extinguish her growing feelings
that equal her son's resentment.
The celebrations of the new miners, a dance and the Miner's Games is not the only cause for joy, though. Widow Carla Noonan (Jill Morrison) is expecting her baby soon. However, the excitement is tempered with trepidation since there is no doctor available. Carla has moved in with Abigail (Lori Loughlin) and Elizabeth has her time grows nearer, but will the women of Coal Valley be able to care for her when she goes into labor early?
My Review: Once again, this is a well acted and well written film that keeps the viewer interested and endears these characters even more. There are a few twists here and there that lend to the excitement of the story, along with the poignancy of letting go and moving forward. You must believe that Jack and Elizabeth will realize their love for one another, but will misunderstandings cause a permanent rift? Also, realizing the hardships many of our ancestors faced gave me a greater appreciation of my blessings. If you haven't seen the previous When Calls the Heart DVDs, you will want to get in on the beginning of the series. You will fall in love with the people of Coal Valley. I received this dvd compliments of Word Films and Edify Media
for my honest review. I was not required to write a
favorable review and the opinions expressed here are strictly my own.
Michael Landon Jr. –
Director: Michael Landon
Jr., son of the late television legend Michael Landon, has been in the film
business for over 25 years. With two of the highest rated films in the
history of the Hallmark channel, and several top ten releases targeted to the
Christian market, Michael has become known for creating heartfelt, inspiring
films that connect to the family. He has developed and/or produced,
directed, and written screenplays for Fox, CBS, NBC, Disney, Sony, Lifetime, and
others.
Brian Bird-
Writer/Producer : Brian Bird is
co-founder with partner Michael Landon, Jr., of Believe Pictures, a film and
television production company. He was co-executive producer and writer on
the successful television series, Touched by an Angel. Adding to Brian’s
success, he had also written and produced episodes of Evening Shade, Step by
Step and The Family Man. Most recently, Bird wrote and produced Gametime,
a two-hour television pilot for NBC, The Shunning, inspired by the novel by
best-selling author Beverly Lewis, for the Hallmark Channel, and Not Easily
Broken, adapted from the novel by T.D. Jakes and released theatrically by
Sony/TriStar.
About Word
Entertainment:A leader in the music
industry for over 60 years, Word Entertainment, a Warner/Curb company, is a
unique, comprehensive entertainment company comprised of multi-faceted artist
service departments including publishing, merchandising, booking, and online
initiatives. Word Entertainment represents some of the top names and brands in
music, including Meredith Andrews, Chris August, BarlowGirl, Francesca
Battistelli, Big Daddy Weave, Jason Castro, Patrick Ryan Clark, Everfound, for
KING & COUNTRY, Group 1 Crew, Love & The Outcome, Dara Maclean, Point Of
Grace and Sidewalk Prophets and is home to 25 Entertainment, Word Distribution
(representing Curb Records and Big Idea/VeggieTales among others), Word Print,
Word Films, Word Music Publishing and Word Label Group’s Word Records, Word
Worship and Fervent Records.
The
new original series "Signed, Sealed, Delivered" (created and executive produced by Martha Williamson of "Touched by an Angel") is a wonderful
combination of romance, comedy and drama that follows the lives of four
postal detectives who transform themselves into a team of detectives
to track down intended recipients of undeliverable mail. Their missions
take them out of the office where redirected letters and packages can
save lives, solve crimes, reunite old loves and change futures by
arriving late but somehow always on time. The
team includes charming Oliver O’Toole (Eric Mabius), the group's leader
is a man of faith who prayerfully approaches his work with the goal of
making a difference in people's lives;
new team member,
Shane McInerney (Kristin Booth), a technophile who brings 21st century
sensibility to the group; free-spirited, “girl next door” Rita Haywith
(Crystal Lowe) who has a photographic memory; and lovable Norman Dorman
(Geoff Gustafson), a master in conventional
research methods.
The show aires SUNDAYS, 8/7c on Hallmark
This incredible series even incorporates scripture in its themes
and in the conversations between characters. In FACT, The American
Bible Society has built a bible study consisting of a 7 day Bible reading to dig deeper into the theme revealed in each episode:
My Review:At first I was not sure what was going on. Since I was thrown into an
episode several weeks into the series, I just saw quirky characters I
knew nothing about and was not positive about the premise of the show.
But, I watched enough to get a bit caught up, and did some research.
This is definitely a work of fiction. The 4 main characters work in the
Dead Letter Dept. of a Post Office. My dad worked for the Post Office
prior to and after this career in the Navy, so it helped to establish
that this is not based on actual practices. I have much admiration for
the USPS, but I don't see them using detective work of this type to get
the mail delivered.
Once I got settled into a clearer idea of
what was happening and was pulled into the story, I slowly fell in
love...with this series. It's not the absolute best I have ever seen on
television, but it is a clean, funny, romantic, poignant show that has
both some mystery and a message. I laughed, I cried, sometimes I rolled
my eyes, but I truly enjoyed it. I wish I could see the series premiere
movie and the other episodes, but that is not likely. However, I advise
YOU, if you like good clean television that can both just be a way to
relax, or a chance to delve further into points being made, to make this
part of your regular viewing.
Watch the trailer below...
Thanks to FlyBy Promotions for giving me the opportunity to review an episode. In exchange, I was only asked to give a fair review.
When Calls the Heart, directed
by Michael Landon Jr. and based on the best-selling books by Janette Oke, tells
the story of a young high society teacher receiving her
first classroom post in a prairie town in the Western Frontier. Determined to prove to her family that
she is brave enough to live on her own,
Elizabeth (Poppy Drayton) struggles with her own fears and doubts until
she discovers her late Aunt's diary.
Her aunt (Maggie Grace), also named Elizabeth, had set off on a similar
adventure as a teacher into the frontier, where she struggled with prairie life
and eventually met and fell in love with a Royal Canadian Mountie (Stephen Amell). Reading her aunt’s words,
the young Elizabeth decides to put her future in God’s hands and embark on her
own adventure where she uses the diary as her guide as well as Edward, another
Mountie (Daniel Sharman), sworn to see her arrive. (press release)
This could be called "The Tale of Two Elizabeths", as the film skillfully interwines the stories of young Elizabeth Thatcher and the aunt whose name she carries. Those familiar with Janette Oke's Canadian West series will recognize the story of Elizabeth Thatcher and Wynn Delaney, but this film is the story of Elizabeth's namesake who is deciding if she is brave enough to head west for her first teaching assignment. Aunt Elizabeth's story is shown through flashback's as her neice reads through the diary her sister "borrowed" from their parent's safe. With her courage gathered, and believing this is what God has called her to do, Elizabeth decides to head west and share her love of learning with the children in a small coal mining town. Against her wishes, her father requests family friend, Edward Montclair of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, to see that she safely arrives at her destination. Her disdain turns to admiration as they journey across the land.
The dvd leaves you wanting more of this story. Fortunately for those who receive the Hallmark Channel, the story does continue as a television series scheduled to begin January 11th. (I did notice that there will be different actors in some of the major roles, but am pleased to see Lori Loughlin in both the film and the series. I also loved seeing Jean Smart in the film!) However, just because this movie is a pilot, it does not mean it is not a satisfying stand-alone film. I thoroughly enjoyed watching the movie and was content with the way it ended. Of course, I want to know more, but I felt that the ending was one that left a feeling of hope and a promise of good things to come. The scenery was gorgeous, and the story was a well told blend of romance, comedy, tragedy, and a touch of history. I have seen and enjoyed several of Michael Landon Jr.'s films, but I do believe that this is my favorite of all. Disclosure: I received this dvd compliments of Word Films and Edify Media for my honest review. All opinions are my own.
"Trials of the Heart" is the the start of the second season of When Calls the Heart. When Elizabeth receives news that her mother has taken ill, she
returns to Hamilton with Jack as her escort. Once there Elizabeth and Jack are reminded of their different backgrounds as they are surrounded by her affluent family and Elizabeth’s former suitor, Charles
Kensington...and her unexpected first meeting with Jack's brother. 
