Love Comes Softly

Name: Love Comes Softly
Genre: Christmas, Rural/Farm, Fake Relationship, Enemies to Lovers, Pet
Released: 2003-01-01
Duration: 1 h 28 min
Rating: 7.1
Cast: Katherine Heigl, Dale Midkiff, Corbin Bernsen, Skye McCole Bartusiak, Theresa Russell

7.1/10 · 7,567 ratings20031h 28mChristmasWeirdness 4/10Bingo card

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The premise

A young woman on her way to a new life in the 1800's suddenly finds herself a widow. Now she must live with a recently widowed young man and his daughter. Can any of them find love again?

Themes:faith and providence healing from grief found family frontier resilience the nature of love

How unusual is it?

Middle of the road, with a twist — a fake relationship, an enemies-to-lovers arc and a historical setting keep it from being totally by-the-book.

Who’s in it

Our Girl

Katherine Heigl

as Marty Claridge

Our Guy

Dale Midkiff

as Clark Davis

You’ve seen this pairing before: Katherine Heigl and Dale Midkiff have made 2 Hallmark movies together.

Alongside them

Show all 10 cast

Behind the camera

Show

Directed by

Michael Landon Jr.

Written by

Wait, what?

The quirks and curveballs that make this one a little weirder than your average Hallmark. No spoilers, promise.

The hero proposes marriage to the heroine at her husband's funeral while the body is barely cold.
Marty explains pregnancy to Missie by saying her husband's love 'spilled over' and made a baby.
A skunk attack is used as a major character-bonding plot point.
The marriage is performed by a preacher who is literally on his way out of town and can't wait five minutes.

Every trope, all in one place

Here’s everything this one has going on, from the setting to the way it wraps up. Tap any of the 30 to find more movies that do the same thing.

Why we’d put this one on

The film that launched a whole prairie franchise, and a great gateway into Hallmark's quieter, faith-and-frontier side. A young Katherine Heigl plays Marty, newly widowed on the 1800s trail, who agrees to a marriage of convenience with a widower and his daughter just to survive the winter. It earns its 7.3 with patience and real grief. It is also quietly strange in spots, like a proposal offered at a funeral and a skunk attack that somehow becomes a bonding moment. If you like slow-burn warmth over big twists, this is the one.

How it all plays out

Already seen it, or just can’t wait? Open this up for the whole story, ending included.

Full story (spoilers)

The film opens with Marty and Aaron Claridge arriving in the American West, filled with dreams of building a homestead. However, tragedy strikes almost immediately when Aaron is killed while attempting to retrieve a runaway horse. At his funeral, Marty is approached by Clark Davis, a local farmer and widower. Recognizing that Marty has no means of survival and that his daughter Missie needs a woman's guidance, Clark proposes a pragmatic marriage of convenience. He promises to pay for Marty's passage back East in the spring if she stays through the winter to help raise Missie. With the last wagon train of the season gone and the preacher leaving town, Marty reluctantly agrees, and they are married that same day. The initial months are defined by friction; Marty is a refined woman of the East who struggles with basic farm chores like milking cows and plucking chickens, while Missie is a tomboy who deeply resents Marty's presence. Marty soon discovers she is pregnant with Aaron's child, a fact Clark accepts with grace. Over the winter, Marty uses her collection of books to teach Missie how to read, which begins to bridge the emotional gap between them. Clark’s unwavering faith and patience slowly win Marty over, particularly after he rescues her during a life-threatening blizzard. After Marty gives birth to her son, Aaron Luke, with Clark's assistance, the bond between the three of them deepens into a genuine family unit. However, a devastating barn fire destroys Marty's wagon and her original belongings, symbolizing the end of her old life. Despite the fire, Clark remains committed to his promise and offers to pay for her journey home. In the climax, Marty boards a wagon to leave, but she quickly realizes that her heart no longer belongs in the East. Clark chases after the wagon to confess his feelings, and Marty returns to the farm, finally embracing Clark as her true husband and Missie as her daughter.

Beat by beat

Opening
Marty's husband Aaron dies in a horse-related accident shortly after they reach their new land.
Inciting Incident
Clark Davis proposes a marriage of convenience at Aaron's funeral to provide for Marty and his daughter Missie.
Midpoint
Marty struggles to adapt to frontier life and Missie's resentment while hiding her pregnancy.
Rising Action
Clark rescues Marty from a dangerous blizzard, and Marty later gives birth to her son, Aaron Luke.
Climax
A barn fire destroys Marty's wagon; Clark offers to send her home anyway, and Marty initially boards the wagon to leave.
Resolution
Marty realizes she loves Clark and Missie, returns to the farm, and they commit to being a real family.

Did you know?

A few things that make this one stand out once you stack it up against every other Hallmark movie.

It's 1 of only 14 Hallmark movies to combine a fake relationship that turns into enemies-to-lovers.
Among everything Hallmark put out in 2003, this is the highest rated on the site — 7.1 out of 10.

30 tropes in one movie

We counted 30 distinct Hallmark tropes packed into this one — a genuine greatest-hits reel.

The backstory

Music by Ken Thorne.

Love Comes Softly is a 2003 made-for-television Christian drama film set in the 19th century, based on a series of books by Janette Oke. It originally aired on Hallmark Channel on April 13, 2003. It was directed by Michael Landon Jr.. It stars Katherine Heigl as a young woman named Marty Claridge and Dale Midkiff as a widower named Clark Davis.

From Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA.

How it stacks up

Where this one’s rating lands against every other rated Hallmark movie.

Higher-rated than 94% of every rated Hallmark movie. The median is 6.4.

Where this one fits

The corners of the catalog Love Comes Softly belongs to — handy if you’re after more of the same.

Love Comes Softly SagaPart of the 11-film Love Comes Softly Saga series.

BINGOA handwritten note or letterA snowball fight, sledding or skatingA pep talk that changes everythingA love triangleA refined Easterner fumbles a farm choreA runaway horse causes troubleBooks are used to teach readingThe leads laugh at the same momentSet on a farm or ranchA quiet moment under string lightsA charming local cafe or dinerA calendar reminder raises the stakes★A character loses their memoryA heart-to-heart on a porch or benchThe leads kissA first impression that turns out completely wrongSomeone races to catch the other before they leaveA harsh prairie winter sets inA shared errand turns into bondingTwo characters fake being a coupleFaith is offered as comfortThe two leads are forced to work togetherA cute dog or catA scene-stealing cute kid

Hallmark Bingo

Your Love Comes Softly card is dealt.

Twenty-four squares pulled from this movie’s own quirks — the cosy classics, a few only-in-this-one curveballs, and a couple of decoys. Mark them as you watch.

Open your card

Lines worth quoting

The lines that stuck with us — the ones you’ll be repeating after the credits roll.

“Sometimes love isn't fireworks. Sometimes love just comes softly.”
— Sarah GrahamExplaining to Marty how her own marriage of convenience turned into true love.
“The truth of God's love... is not that he allows bad things to happen. It's his promise that he'll be there with us when they do.”
— Clark DavisComforting Marty after the barn fire and discussing their faith.
“In the pages of a book, you are a princess in a tower... or the best shot in the West. In those pages, there are no limits.”
— Marty ClaridgeEncouraging Missie to learn how to read.

Meet the characters

Who’s who before you press play. Nothing here gives the ending away.

Marty Claridge
Lead
Homesteader/Teacher
stubborneducatedresilientgrieving
Clark Davis
Love interest
Farmer
Husband by marriage of convenience
devoutpatientkindpractical
Missie Davis
Supporting
Student/Farmhand
Step-daughter
tomboyishrebellioushardworkingloyal
Sarah Graham
Supporting
Neighbor
Friend and mentor
wisematernalstraight-talking

Questions people ask about Love Comes Softly

Where can I watch Love Comes Softly?

Love Comes Softly is available via UP Faith & Family Apple TV channel, PixL Amazon Channel, and UP Faith & Family Amazon Channel. Streaming options change often, so check current availability before settling in.

How long is Love Comes Softly?

Love Comes Softly runs about 1 hour and 28 minutes, and was released in 2003.

Is Love Comes Softly a Christmas movie?

Yes. Love Comes Softly is a Hallmark Christmas movie, set during the holiday season.

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