Love's Abiding Joy
| Love's Abiding Joy | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Genre | Christian drama |
| Directed by | Michael Landon Jr. |
| Produced by |
Brian Gordon Erik Oslon |
| Written by |
Michael Landon Jr. Douglas Lloyd McIntosh Bridget Terry Janette Oke |
| Starring |
Erin Cottrell Logan Bartholomew Frank McRae Drew Tyler Bell Mae Whitman W. Morgan Sheppard |
| Music by | Kevin Kiner |
| Editing by | Colleen Halsey |
| Country | USA |
| Language | English |
| Original channel | Hallmark Channel |
| Release date | October 6, 2006 |
| Running time | 87 min |
| Preceded by | Love's Long Journey |
| Followed by | Love's Unending Legacy |
Love's Abiding Joy is a 2006 Christian Drama made for TV movie based on a series of books by Janette Oke. It was directed by Michael Landon Jr. and stars Erin Cottrell and Logan Bartholomew. It is the fourth movie in the Love Saga, which includes Love Comes Softly (2003), Love's Enduring Promise (2004), Love's Long Journey (2005), Love's Abiding Joy (2006), Love's Unending Legacy (2007), Love's Unfolding Dream (2007), and 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.
Synopsis
Clark goes out West to visit his daughter and son-in-law. During his visit, Kathy, the infant daughter of Willie and Missie, dies. A ruthless land baron and mayor, Doros, hires Willie as town sheriff, since grief-stricken Missie has quit her job as schoolteacher and the LaHayes need the money. Doros uses Willie as sheriff to try to evict ranchers that have fallen behind on payments. Missie helps one family by selling most of her most prized possessions, including the gold locket her mother gave her.
During this time, Doros' daughter, Colette, begins to like Willie and Missie's adopted son, Jeff. Collette is an eastern-schooled girl who is home from school on break. Jeff is a well-read young man who must take over for Willie on the ranch. Colette visits the ranch frequently and helps Jeff with his chores. Jeff also visits her at Doros' ranch. Doros secretly discovers this, but does not let on.
As Collette prepares to leave for school, she and Jeff share a kiss. Her father lays a trap for Jeff using the unwitting Colette. Upon her departure, Doros charges Jeff with horse theft and demands that Willie arrest his own son. Doros swears that Jeff stole the horse, but Willie produces Colette, whom Doros thought left for school on the stagecoach. In the end, Clark realizes that his daughter Missie is in great hands with her husband, Willie and returns home.
Cast
| Actor | Role |
|---|---|
| Erin Cottrell | Missie LaHaye |
| Logan Bartholomew | Willie LaHaye |
| Frank McRae | Cookie |
| Drew Tyler Bell | Jeff LaHaye |
| Mae Whitman | Colette Doros |
| W. Morgan Sheppard | Scottie |
| James Tupper | Henry Kline |
| John Laughlin | Samuel Doros |
| Kevin Gage | John Abel |
| Brett Coker | Mattie LaHaye |
| Stephen Bridgewater | Mr. Taylorsen |
| Brianna Brown | Melinda Kline |
| Blake Gibbons | Joe Paxson |
| Dale Midkiff | Clark Davis |
Differences From The Novel
- Marty and Clark both visited Missie in the novel, where Clark came alone in the film.
- Missie and Willie have another son, Josiah, in the novel, but is not in the film. They later have two daughters, Melissa and Julia, mentioned in later novels. Missie is pregnant with Melissa at the close of this novel. Melissa comes east to stay with Clark and Marty in Love's Unfolding Dream. They do not have a daughter named Kathy who died as a baby.
- Clark is seriously injured while attempting to rescue two boys from a cave in. He is near death, but his life is saved by a neighbor doctor who amputated his leg.
- Willie does not become the town Sheriff in this novel.
References
External links
- Love Comes Softly Series site at Hallmark Channel
- Love's Abiding Joy at the Internet Movie Database
- Love's Abiding Joy at allmovie
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