FOLLOW THE STARS HOME

REVIEWED BY CHARITY BISHOP

Our rating: 5 out of 5

Because of: positive, pro-life themes

Rated:

Hallmark Hall of Fame is known for its award-winning television specials such as the Sarah, Plain and Tall trilogy, and even the magical six-hour miniseries The 10th Kingdom. Follow the Stars Home is no exception in excellence. Dianne Parker (Kimberly Williams) is a beautiful young independent who dearly loves working with wood. Under the care of her loving mother Hannah (Blair Brown), she is secretly fond of the compassionate young pediatrician, David McCune (Campbell Scott)). That is, until she meets his sweet-talking brother Mark (Eric Close). Eagerly she accepts his proposal, little knowing that their happily married life is soon to hit a devastating rut.

When Dianne learns she's pregnant, everyone is thrilled. Baby booties and dreams of happy children are on everyone's mind... until a final checkup reveals that the child will be born with a genetic defect. She will never walk nor speak more than a few words, and will outgrow her lungs, eventually suffocating and dying at a young age. Dianne is horrified, but determined to have the baby; Mark begs her to get an abortion, even going to his brother David for help. But David would never encourage the death of an unborn child and refuses. Mark abandons a very-pregnant wife and the divorce papers come through a few months later. Dianne gives birth to Julia and with David's help, keeps her child alive. The quiet, withdrawn pediatrician secretly loves her from a distance, but Dianne pushes away all of her mother's attempts to bring them together.

Knowing Julia is too much for a single mother to handle, he encourages Diana to hire as a helper Amy (Alexa Vega), a twelve-year-old from a distraught home. Amy's mother is an alcoholic and her live-in boyfriend abusive. Amy immediately seeks a friendship with Julia and the two create an almost inseparable bond while Dianne watches in amazement. A shadow lingers on the horizon and a deviating turn of events will throw Mark back into her life. The touching premise of the story itself -- that a woman is fully prepared and determined to have and raise Julia despite her problems -- is enough to make this a five-star film for any family. The film addresses abortion in a negative light, speaks of God and His master plan with respect and appreciation, and does have a happy ending. The viewer is immediately swept up into the lives of all involved, from the quiet and reclusive David and his gentle but obvious love for Dianne to Amy's troubled household in a home where her mother is verbally and physically assaulted day after day.

Fortunately the film strays from the darker aspects, hinting rather than showing (for the most part) the troubles in the girl's home. We learn from a bruise on her mother's arm that the boyfriend is abusive. We hear the slaps and raised voices from downstairs rather than seeing a violent scuffle. In one instance, the boyfriend shoves Amy against the table, kicks the cage in which her puppy sleeps, and demands that she bring him a pillowcase. Amy flees with her puppy but is caught, thrown into the back of the van, and the puppy (still tied in a sack) is dropped over the side of a bridge. There is no language or immorality, nothing to warrant discretion other than the aforementioned traumatic experience and the fact that some non-graphic violence is present. It's implied that two characters are hit by a cab in the city (which, essentially, is the first scene shown). Dianne has a bad dream about being unable to rescue Mark from drowning in a storm. David and Mark scuffle in a diner after Mark accuses his brother of moving in on Dianne. 

The lessons are worthwhile, even provoking a few tears. The wonder of this child who can neither speak nor walk but somehow maintains a happy, loving existence is nothing less than touching. Kimberley Williams glows in the role, casting off the reluctant schoolgirl image of the Father of the Bride films while maintaining that same emotional level as her character in The 10th Kingdom. Campbell Scott may seem too lethargic and dry at first, but one grows accustomed to his quiet way of speaking and discovers that it is not the actor at fault, but that he is playing his character to perfection. Follow the Stars Home was yet another film, like Mermaid, that my mother said when it was through, "We should buy this." For some it may linger on dark and oppressive, but others will be as enthralled as we were with a film that beautifully illustrates the power and pitfalls of love.