This is the first movie I've seen from writer/director Craig Clyde, a prolific filmmaker who has made a number of family movies. Having heard negative reports about his films, plus learning that this particular one got a seal of approval from the Dove foundation, I was prepared for the worst. To my surprise, I thought that the movie was solid for the most part. Refreshingly, it isn't loud, fast- paced, and obnoxious like so many modern family movies. It also isn't sugary and stupid. In fact, the movie has a serious attitude throughout. It deals with some serious topics from racism to death of loved ones, and in thoughtful and intelligent ways. There is also some good character development, with various characters evolving in believable manner from start to end. It certainly helps that the amateur cast gives good performances to these well written characters. As a bonus, the movie has a very nice musical score as well as some good scenery. The only parts of the movie that don't work are the fantasy/dream sequences, which come across as kind of embarrassing and cheap, though fortunately they only consist of a sliver of the total running time. One word of warning, however: Make sure you get a good print of this movie. I saw this movie through the Echo Bridge "6 Family Movies" DVD pack, and the print that was used looked TERRIBLE. It's kind of a shame that a fine family movie like this was treated so shabbily.
Review of The Long Road Home
