Love's Enduring Promise

Love's Enduring Promise is a 2004 Christian Drama made for TV movie based on a series of books by Janette Oke.

The film is the second in the "Love Comes Softly" series of television movies on Hallmark Channel that includes Love Comes Softly (2003), Love's Long Journey (2005), Love's Abiding Joy (2006), Love's Unending Legacy (2007), Love's Unfolding Dream, Love Takes Wing (2009), and Love Finds a Home produced for Hallmark by Larry Levinson Productions(2009)^[1][2], as well as the 2011 prequels Love Begins and Love's Everlasting Courage.

Synopsis

Missie Davis (January Jones) is a hard-working woman who is devoted to both her teaching profession and agricultural labor. She almost fell deeply in love with Grant Thomas (Mackenzie Astin), a railroad heir who begins to court her. However, Willie Nathan LaHaye (Logan Bartholomew), an odd stranger with a troubled past, appears. Willie helps Missy's father after he has an almost fatal accident. Positioned in a dilemma between two distinct men, Missie learns what is truly important.

Cast

Differences from the novel

• This book picks up 3 years after Love Comes Softly, with Missie being 5 years old, Clare (Aaron in the film) being 3, and Arnie being born in the third chapter of the book. The book expands through to Missie's teen years. Missie and Clare are closer together in age than they are depicted in the film.
• Zeke LaHaye and his wife have 3 children in the novel; Tessie, Nathan, and Willie. Tessie and Nathan are not mentioned in the film. Willie's full name in the film is Willie Nathan LaHaye, as mentioned in the novel Love's Long Journey. Willie did not have a younger brother named Mattie in the novel. His Mother also dies in this novel.
• Clark and Marty have a daughter, Elvira "Ellie", and another son, Luke, who are not shown in the film. Many other characters mentioned in the book are not mentioned in the film, such as Nandry and Clae Larson. Though Ellie isn't seen or mentioned in some of the other films in the original series, she is shown as a character with her brother Aaron in the film Love's Christmas Journey
• In the book, Missie only courted Ben and Ma Graham's son before Willie LaHaye.
• Some of the situations in the film were not directly from the book.

Awards

The following people won a Camie Award in 2005 for their part in making the film:

• Robert Halmi Jr. (executive producer)
• Larry Levinson (executive producer)
• Lincoln Lageson (executive producer)
• William Spencer Reilly (executive producer)
• Michael Landon Jr. (director/screenwriter)
• Cindy Kelley (screenwriter)
• Janette Oke (author of original book)
• January Jones (actress)
• Logan Bartholomew (actor)
• Mackenzie Astin (actor)
• Dale Midkiff (actor)
• Katherine Heigl (actress)

Nominations

• Epiphany Prize ... Most Inspiring TV Program from MovieGuide
• Grace Award ... Most Inspiring Television Acting for Dale Midkiff from MovieGuide

Notes

• January Jones is ten months older than Katherine Heigl.

External links

• Love Comes Softly Series site at Hallmark Channel
• Love's Enduring Promise at the Internet Movie Database
• Love's Enduring Promise at AllRovi

References