Love's Unending Legacy
Tags: christian film

Plot synopsis:
Missie LaHaye bids a reluctant goodbye at the grave of her late husband Willie, who died two years previously in the line of duty as the sheriff of Tettsford Junction. Even after giving up her job as the town schoolteacher, Missie has found running the ranch on her own overwhelming, so she has resigned herself to letting her son Jeff and his new bride take control of it jointly with her brothers Aaron and Arnie.
Missie and her ten-year-old son Mattie travel back to her hometown to live near the farm of her parents, Clark and Marty Davis. She goes back to teaching school. At her first Sunday service, Missie and Mattie learn from the Pastor that an "Orphan Train" with homeless children in need of good homes will soon arrive from the Children’s Aid Society of New York. Outside the church, Clark introduces Missie to sharp-tongued biddy Mrs. Pettis, who disdains the orphans as "ragamuffins." At the same time, Missie catches the eye of a passing horseman: bachelor Sheriff Zach Tyler, another target of Mrs. Pettis’ vitriol. Claiming that Zach is not a godly man, Mrs. Pettis passes her judgment on him, implying he has a shameful past on the wrong side of the law.
On her way to work, Missie passes the church just as the orphan distribution is underway. Although she is firmly determined not to grant Mattie’s request for a new sibling, she goes in—just in time to witness 14-year-old Belinda behaving belligerently toward the Pettises as they choose eight-year-old Jacob—looking on him as a farm worker rather than a son. Realizing that the lone orphan Belinda will be sent back to the foundling home in New York, Missie volunteers to adopt her.
Unbeknownst to all, Belinda is Jacob’s sister. She kept this secret to prevent potential parents from breaking up siblings because they see her as "too old" to adopt. With Jacob secured in a home nearby, Belinda can figure out a way for them to flee; she believes that their father had given them up for adoption with the full intention of reuniting with them in the near future. She is so sure of this that she resists family life within the loving embrace of Missie, the Davises, Zach, and the community; she sneaks out of Missie’s home nightly to reassure Jacob that soon they will leave together. She becomes more determined after learning that the Pettises beat and starve him.
Missie tells her mother Marty that she feels as if a voice inside told her to adopt Belinda, but she still can’t explain why. Perhaps, says Marty, "God knew that Belinda needed you. And maybe, for some reason you don’t understand yet, you need her." Zach attempts to court Missie, but she resists, explaining she could never love anyone the way she loved her late husband. Missie then struggles to convince herself that although she is not in love with the sheriff, at least he would make a good marriage partner.
While Missie discusses Belinda’s disturbing nocturnal disappearances with Zach, who has warmed her heart with his kindness toward the young girl, he states he has no faith in God if a child can suffer like Belinda. Later, Missie tells her mother she couldn’t love a man who didn’t share her faith. Zach and Missie discover Jacob’s plight, but are anguished that they can’t rescue him unless he exposes the Pettises, which he won’t out of fear of reprisal. While Missie and Zach appreciate their mutual desire to help the boy, they clash over how to save him. An angry Belinda berates them for their inability to help Jacob, claiming her father will soon come to their aid.
Exasperated by Belinda’s rejection, Missie visits Marty, who reminds her that Missie once had trouble accepting Marty as her stepmother. Sagely, she tells Missie that "loving a child has nothing to do with giving birth" and "being a family is a choice, not necessarily something that just happens because you’re related by blood." Belinda shows Missie a note written by her father. Belinda can’t read, but is sure the note explains how he’ll come back for her and Jacob. Missie then reads her the note, and Belinda learns that her father had actually left them at the orphanage for good.
Later, Zach visits Missie at the school to explain his lack of faith: his fiancée was an innocent victim of murderous bank robbers. Missie then relates the story of her husband’s death.
After Missie again fails to rescue Jacob, Belinda runs away with him into the stormy night. Everyone joins a desperate search for them. Amid the lightning-laden thunderstorm, Zach prays. He then hears a voice over the din and follows it to the abandoned mine where the children have sought shelter. Zach tells Missie it was God’s miracle that guided him in the wilderness, but as she later admits to her father, she doesn’t know how to "let go" of her late husband. Clark tells her love doesn’t die when a person passes away; it stays in a person's heart forever as she moves on to a new life with a new chance for happiness. Missie takes that chance by marrying Zach. They adopt Jacob as well and begin their lives as a family of five.

Review: can't get past the books.
While I appreciate having decent,wholesome movies to watch, the movies based on the Janette Oke "Love Comes Softly"series are such a disappointment.
I know some of the messages suggest "if you can just get past the books" you can enjoy the movies.
I love those books and do not understand why it is so hard to make movies that align more with stories and plots in them.
I know some books are hard to make into movies and need some dramatization, but I don't think these books need THAT much help.
I watched the first three but by movie number four, I'm reading the back of the DVD and I'm thinking "No thank you!" It really is a shame, these could have been terrific movies..
It's three years after Missie LaHaye lost her husband Willie shot in the line of duty as sheriff.
She moves back east to her parents Marty Davis and Clark Davis with her young son Mattie.
She takes the teaching job.
She adopts bitter orphan Belinda who is the last without a home.
Her little brother Jacob had been taken by the Pettises looking for a farm hand.
Sheriff Zack Tyler falls for Missie.The adoption story is compelling.
The overall feel is a bit disjointed especially at the beginning.
The story improves as it concentrates more on Belinda and the adoption.
That's the more dramatic part and a real tear jerker.
This is a sincere faith-based movie.
It's the fifth in the series.
It's the fifth in the series.
The TV movie does have its charms but also has its limitations..
Belinda and Missie.
These two are perfect for each other and I love Belinda's story.Once again the movie diverges from the book.
Still a great story..
5. The stories of Missie and the orphan siblings: Uniting again with a new family..
The fifth one in the Hallmark's 'Love Comes Softly' movie series.
Once again the story skips to a couple of years forward.
I remembered last time I said the movie was better than what others thought about it, but this time it was not the same case.
It was a little letdown, especially in the first half.After losing the husband, Willie, in the line of duty, Missie and her son Mattie moves back to be near with her parents and to start afresh life.
It is a changed town now, less opportunities and more competitive for everything.
Missie decline's her parents offer to help her financially.
The mother and son rent a small house and settles down with enough earnings to support themselves.
Until one day an orphan girl joins them and changes the course of the narration in a new direction."I couldn't save Jenny...
And you couldn't save Kathy.
But we can save Jacob."The first three films were so good in the series, but I kind of feeling it beginning to decline as the rest of the movies followed, especially since the previous one.
It was so wonderful to introduce some interesting characters, but did not capitalised with the fetchable scenes.
In this, the second half was so much better than the first.
The movie regained its strength because of what came forth.
Otherwise, it would have been the worst in the series, but still it is like the least satisfying film by far.Eliminating the character, Willie, was severely criticised from all the quarters, that mean the movie is not following the book as it should have been.
I think being accurate to the book might have brought the justice.
But I won't come to any conclusion comparing with both the format since I have not read the book.
They might have thought changes could give a new look for those who have read the book, but seems the idea did not clinch well.The two new characters and their quest were the highlight.
Some of the issues it talked were inspired by the real ones.
From the societal perspective that was a good thing.
Kind of refreshes from the regular perspective of the storytelling like ranch, school, especially deaths.
Yep, so far, the series had deaths in each film, but none in this one.
There was one prior to this story commence, which was kind of told in a flashback or from recollecting the memory.
Anyway, it was a passable product, like as always hoping to get better in the next.6½/10.
A good TV movie with a poor musical score.
What could have been a good TV movie was weakened by an overdone and unsuitable musical score.
I found this was an annoyance during the first half of the movie.
Performances overall were not that bad but the this mood music (that didn't seem to suit a western film) played over the actors as they spoke in many scenes and this became a real distraction.In one scene, which takes place in the church, a pastor is asking a congregation to volunteer to take care of homeless children lined up across the platform behind him.
All the dialog in this scene is underscored by this deep emotional mood music which is unnecessary and distracting..
Disappointed...yet again.
I wasn't really looking forward to seeing this latest addition to the "Love" series but curiosity got the better of me.
I wasn't thrilled with this movie at all.
Killing off the character of Willie LaHaye was a really dumb thing to do because his character does not die in the books!
The scene where they show Willie getting killed was really poorly done.
They sure didn't need to be showing that one over and over again.
There was so much of the movie that didn't seem right.
Like Missie and Zachs relationship was pretty much non-existent throughout the whole movie but at the end she ends up marrying him.
They knew one another for what a month?
I know in LCS Clark and Marty knew one another for like two days or whatever when they married but the whole Zach/Missie thing didn't seem right.
He just kept popping up from out of nowhere - like the writers didn't know what to do with him.Missie losing her necklace was another rather stupid part.
I know the necklace was originally given to her by Marty in Love Comes Softly but you'd think she would have treasured and guarded it with her whole heart being it was the last thing that Willie gave to her before he died.
I am saying that because he bought it back for her at the end of LAJ.
You'd think she would have looked a lot harder for the necklace then she did being it meant so much to her.
What happened to Henry and Melinda or Cookie and Scottie?
Where are Jeff and Aaron and Arnie Davis?
The three of them aren't even mentioned once in the movie but are mentioned on hallmarkchannelpress.com as taking over Missie's ranch.
The ranch isn't talked about once or even seen for that matter!
Another annoying thing was Clark and Marty's house.
When Clark, Missie, and Maddie all pulled up in the wagon I was like didn't they just leave there?
The house is Missie and Willie's house with different windows and a porch stuck on the front of it.
I was expecting the house to be like the one from LCS or LEP.
Did they think fans wouldn't notice?
What was up with Marty?
There really was no explanation as to what her "condition" was.
Was she supposed to be sick or pregnant?
We'll probably never really know what was/is wrong with her because the next movie Love's Unfolding Dream takes place quite a few years after Love's Unending Legacy.This movie was a lot better then Love's Abiding Joy but I was still disappointed with it.
There were to many loose ends.
I felt like I was watching an episode of Little House on the Prairie.
I know that some things need to be changed to make the transition from book to movie possible but these movies are getting so out there..
Average but not bad for what it is.
*might contain spoilers*When looking up this movie, I noticed another movie due out later this year.
I wonder if they had to rush this one in some fashion given they had two so close together.
This might explain the somewhat lackluster nature of the film in some respects.Still, I overall appreciated the film, though you saw what was happening a mile away.
Missy was good here, the actress playing the role emotionally true.
The foster daughter also was decent enough, a few very touching scenes.
As to the locket mentioned, I do think that was handled a bit badly ...
like just as a set-up device.
The whole thing did seem a bit rushed/thin at spots, but overall, it still had some true heart.
Given the number of films already out there, it still having such life is impressive.A word on the new mother ...
the original obviously off the bigger things.
She had some illness (maybe it was explained at some point, I didn't see all of the film or series).
She also seemed to have a slight accent (Southern?) that the original didn't have.
But, she did a good job in her role, fairly small, but a few important scenes.As to the hubby dying at the beginning, I didn't mind it ...
as to the flashback bits, I think they did the job adequately enough.
In real life in the late 19th century, life was perilous, and a sheriff is a risky job.
Of course, we have a plot device and parallels to the original film in a fashion.I actually liked parts of this better than the past two, of which I had trouble getting into in some ways.
Overall, a bit thin, surely, but worth a look for fans.