Parents' Guide to I Heard the Bells

This is an earnest production, seemingly fueled by faith and a belief in the inherent goodness in the world. Given the first scenes are devoted to establishing the blissful family dynamic, things get a bit cutesy as we await the sudden death that changes everything. The representation of Longfellow's beliefs is a bit muddled. It's known that he was a Unitarian and his faith was informed by the teachings of Jesus, but he was less of a steady churchgoer as his life went on, and in the movie, he seems to contradict himself. When his oldest son, grieving the death of his mother, announces that God has either gone to sleep or died, Henry protests, but as the movie moves toward its close, Henry has a moment in which he seems to believe he's found proof that makes him declare that God is in fact not dead. "My poetry lives! God lives!" he shouts.

So, in retrospect it would seem, the movie believes that Longfellow did lose his faith, but regained it eventually. Whether he did or not, sincere and competent performances and a general sweetness carry the mood. The actors, part of a Christian musical theater group, mesh well together and achieve some convincingly tearjerking moments. An actor said this first effort was an experiment for the group and they didn't expect high quality. Henry's wig resembles a mop someone dyed and hurriedly and glued haphazardly onto the actor's head, but hoop skirts and indoor bonnets help place the movie in its time. For some reason, the movie sounds as if it had been dubbed in English, which gives it a stilted feel, but many will be able to overlook this quibble.