A different way of telling a story

In truth, there is barely enough story here to make a film.

The film makes a home in your brain and the only cure is to see it again.

There is, somehow, an interesting story here, as well as some good acting. There are also some good scenes

Noah (Chris Klein) has returned home from WWII, only to find that his parents are deceased, his younger brother is in prison, and his parents' farmland has gone to another family. Sad. A fisherman, Noah meets a man (Robert Prosky) near a river, who recommends a small town in North Carolina for a new home. Taking this advice, Noah shows up and, indeed, the town is very nice. Initially somewhat skeptical of the stranger, the townfolk soon welcome Noah. This includes an adopted mute boy named Frankie (Zach Mills), who wishes to follow Noah around, at times. Fortunately, a war widow named Eleanor (Gretchen Mol) has an empty cabin on the lands of her property and Noah moves in. Soon, it becomes clear that Eleanor may be over her grief and interested in Noah, ditto for him. Will a new love form? Possibly. Also, some of the town's residents make a bet with Noah about the amount of catfish he might catch and the young veteran takes them on. Then, tragedy strikes and Noah may move out of the area, leaving Eleanor behind. Will it happen? This is a quietly lovely romantic drama with a very beautiful setting in North Carolina. All of the actors, including Klein and Mol, do very fine work. Care has been taken by the film makers to re-create another time, so that costumes, buildings, automobiles and such bring back the late 1940's with appeal. Romance fans will also be pleased. However, if you are not in the mood for some heartache, save this for another time, for some tears may swell and drop for most every viewer.

This little gem (scheduled to be out on DVD February 15 at select Hallmark Stores)will make a great addition to any DVD collection. Just the basics here: WWII vet Noah Locke (Chris Klein) returns home to find a world of change on the home front, ala "The Best Years of Our Lives", and he must take his life in a new direction. A kind old gent Hoke Moore (Robert Prosky) directs him to the valley where a change of his life's direction is offered. Great job by Gretchen Mol as the leading lady Eleanor Chatwin. Mol's character undergoes changes of her own after meeting Noah. She is a widow of a WWII vet who ended his life upon returning home from the war and her life is a closed loop. Between caring for her late husband's grandmother(who seems to survive on chocolate bars) and running the farm, she appears to have little else in her life. Just compare the change in her physical appearance from their initial meeting in a general store to the the scene of a good old' sit down catfish dinner in her home....Southern Style! A terrific supporting cast rounds out this Hallmark Hall of Fame gem. The filming locations in Oregon and California fill in nicely for rural, post WWII North Carolina.Tragedy strikes both their lives and threatens to end the blossoming romance between Noah and Eleanor. Noah soon realizes that he was guided to the valley. Several media critics panned this flick, but it came in at #10 for the week in the ratings, tied with "24", so see it for yourself and make your own decision.

Good old-fashioned romance with a post-WWII setting. Like those "good 'ol days" when much of what is said is in the facial expressions and body movements, not the dialog. In those days, dignity and well manners ruled in rural America, so you did not see the kind of emotional violence, 4-letter words, and action common to some of today's movies, and that's OK! Romance ruled here...not the shallow passion you sometimes see today. Good job by Chris Klein (playing Noah) as the WWII vet with post-war anguish. You could see that in his face, but he brightened up well with his interaction with Matthew (played by Zach Mills). Gretchen Mol also did a good job as Eleanor. Perhaps her best scene was the scene when Noah was leaving. Zach Mills as the young boy was very good, even without one word of dialog. I guessed on my own that Hoke was an angel, and it fit in very well. I enjoyed the good old-fashioned bantering and teasing among the characters, and the fact there was no violence. Hallmark was the sponsor, and is the only sponsor I see on TV where I usually cannot miss the heart-warming commercials.

Chris Klein, Gretchen Mol, and Zach Mills steal the show in The Valley of Light, which premiered on CBS's Hallmark Hall of Fame tonight.Klein stars as Noah, a soldier returning home from World War II, who is passing through a Southern town. He is a talented fisherman, and learns of a gigantic bass in a nearby lake, which he aspires to catch. Noah meets Eleanor, a young woman with a kind heart, and Matthew, a young boy who sees him as a father-figure. When tragedy befalls the town, Noah is faced with a tough decision.I loved this movie. I cried through some of it, and really it is a powerful, touching drama chock full of talented actors. Klein is number one here, and I really felt the emotions he intended to convey. Quite impressive was the young actor Mills, who's character was completely believable and really resonated. Definitely worth viewing if you happen about it, but keep a box of tissues handy.