Seasons of the Heart (1993) User Reviews

A woman's journey through grief

[overseer-3 · 10/10 · 11 February 2007]

Seasons of the Heart is a lovely and lyrical film about loss, grief, recovery, and spiritual renewal. Beautiful cinematography and a gorgeous musical soundtrack serve as a foundation and poignant backdrop for solid performances by an entire cast of exceptional actors: Leigh Lombardi, perfect as Martha, who loses her two golden-haired daughters to cholera while on a trek out west to Oregon in 1862, handsome and rugged Sam Hennings, as Jed, the patient and kind, loving husband, and little freckle faced red-haired Logan Hall as Daniel, a boy who has lost both parents on the journey west, who is adopted by Martha and Jed. Rounding out the cast is Claude Akins in his last film role as a wise, kindly preacher, and Yvonne De Carlo (who recently passed away) doing the narration of the old Martha, looking back over the events we are witnessing during the film's storyline.

One does not need to be a religious person to enjoy this film. It touches on universal themes of loss and restoration. We all know what it's like to lose someone we love through death: this film chronicles the grieving process of the human heart. It goes through seasons: winter, the deepest cut of grief, summer, when grief blisters and starts to heal, autumn, representing a step backward, and spring, when the heart finds acceptance and peace and looks forward to a new beginning.

A highly recommended film for the entire family to enjoy and learn from together. If you've recently experienced a loss in your own family due to death this film might just help you to heal, even a little bit.

10 out of 10.

Seasons of the Heart

[kristinaresilly · 10/10 · 5 December 2011]

I am a mother who is grieving. I have had two young children die within a short amount of time. In watching the movie, I saw many of Martha's struggles and feelings in my own life. My oldest daughter and I watched this movie together. I have to say, this is the most realistic movie on grieving that I have ever seen and I highly recommend it for families that have lost a child/children. We were able to discuss the movie together and it helped give me a tool to show her that what we have felt, and things we have been through are normal and there is hope for our future. I was able to talk about God with her in a very realistic way about real life things. I am going to encourage my husband and my other daughters to watch this movie. I am also going to encourage my mom, my dad, and my own sisters to watch as well. I think this is a movie that can bring healing if watched at the right time in the grieving process.

Watchable film...

[MovieAddict2016 · 23 August 2003]

MILD Spoilers!

Sappy but watchable Christian film (why are they all like this?) about a woman named Martha (Leigh Lombardi) who loses her twin daughters, only to have a mischievous boy be adopted by her husband, Jed, years after their death. Not over the death of her daughters, she ignores and hates the boy, until she sees him reenacting the birth of Christ (with toys, not literally) in a barn shed. Weepy sentimentality will make the females cry and the males cringe, but it is a pretty watchable - though sappy and low-budget - Christian film, with a good message and totally clean material suitable for the ENTIRE family (how many times can you say that nowadays?).

3/5 stars -

John Ulmer