Thursday, August 22, 2013

DVD Review - Heart of the Country

Heart of the Country
Directed by: John Ward
Starring: Jana Kramer, Randy Wayne, Shaun Sipos, Anne Hawthorne, Gerald McRaney
Studio: 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment
Release Date: August 20, 2013
Running Time: 89 minutes

Rating: PG

Review:

Arriving exclusively to Walmart stores is the movie Heart of the Country starring the 2012 Academy of Country Music Best New Female Vocalist Jana Kramer (One Tree Hill) as Faith Carraday, an aspiring singer, New York socialite, and the prodigal daughter, who is now returning to home to her Southern roots after her husband, Luke, is arrested for fraud.

Faith's father, Calvin (played by Gerald McRaney), welcomes her back home to the family farm, despite the fact she hasn't spoken to her family in four years. Calvin is a retired widower, who is now making it his duty to help guide his daughter back to grace. Her sister, Olivia, is not as welcoming as their father is about her return.

Music was once her passion, but she has lost that creative spark due to her troubling marriage, but after reuniting with an old friend, Lee, who is now a doctor, the old spark returns.

The only special feature on DVD is a music video "The First Time and Last Time" by Jana Kramer.
I don't keep up with country music, so I never heard of Jana Kramer before watching the movie. With a PG rating, the movie is family friendly, though I can see some people being annoyed with the constant flashbacks. The soundtrack is great, mostly songs by Jana Kramer. The plot of returning to your roots has been done to death and the screenplay writers added nothing new or even exciting, which flows more like a Hallmark Channel or Lifetime made-for-TV movie. Gerald McRaney is the only good actor in the film, though Jana Kramer is pretty decent, everyone else gives a below average performance. The movie was meant to be heartfelt romance, but a lack of direction hurts the film's message of hope and forgiveness. Overall, Heart of the Country isn't a bad movie, but it is a forgettable fluff.



Disclaimer - I received a complimentary copy in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.

1 comment:

  1. Billy, you may want to check out Jana Kramer in "Approaching Midnight" her other co-starring role in a film. The picture is a very strong character drama about a romance between her and a soldier who returns from war. I personally like her acting in it better. The film was premiered to benefit American Veterans Charities in the US and I was pleased to have seen the film in Cobb movie theaters in Tampa, Florida. I am excited to see the DVD which has a ton more special features, including Jana Kramer behind the scenes.

    You can see a trailer at www.montereymedia.com/approachingmidnight

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