Drama / Tearjerker
2003 / 99 min
RATING: 7/10

On the trek west to settle their own section of the American plains, Jed and Martha lose their two young daughters to cholera. Martha is inconsolable, and blames God for their deaths. But when she is left in charge of an awkward orphan boy named Danny who still trusts God despite losing even more than Martha, her cold heart begins to thaw.

Cautions

This is a family film, with some gentle hijinks, and nothing all that scary except for a brief appearance of a pot full of garter snakes – Danny doesn’t know how to put away his toys properly! But the topic of dealing with grief and loss – the theme throughout – may turn off some sensitive children.

Conclusion

Set in 1862, this is a story of pioneer resilience and how they had to deal with loss on a scale that is much larger than we are used to.

Seasons of the Heart isn’t a Hallmark production, but has some of that feel – a sweet story with a a resolution that is neat and tidy, and thus not all that realistic, and accompanied with acting that is certainly not great, but isn’t bad either. Overall a nice, gentle, and safe choice for most, unless, perhaps, you have experienced a recent loss yourself.

You can watch it for free below. (The picture is AI-generated, and doesn’t actually match the movie’s look, or the look of the actors.)