We all know that reviews of this genre of movies tend to be filled with two types of people;. those who have some connection with the movie (I know her! My niece is so good in this!) or those that fully embrace each and every faith film, regardless of its merits or quality. This movie is no exception. The reviews are filled with words like "heartwarming" "inspirational" or if you really want to push it, "this year's best movie." Of course it isn't any of these things. A more accurate description would use words like "trite," "shoddy," "cheap," and "insipid." Yet they continue to churn out these movies because they have this ready made (and more importantly easily pleased and devoutly uncritical) audience. Sure, they have had to set up their own distribution networks because normal avenues of distribution would not carry such pabulum. But as far as they can tell, the faith community will swallow just about anything in the name of their faith.

This latest faith offering is a perfect example of why, as Pastor Jared C. Wilson argues, Christian/faith movies are so terrible. Lost heart, like so many others, is more a piece of propaganda than art. The "faith message" is all important, relegating the story, characters, and motivation as secondary importance.This movie also suffers from what Wilson calls Christian sentimentalism. The good "faith filled" characters are far too earnest, gifted with inspirational dialogue that is so divorced from real life as to make the whole effort trite and implausible. This, in turn, creates a far too scripted feeling about the whole story. Every message, every platitude, is carefully placed, perfectly timed, giving the whole production a sweet cheesy soft sledgehammer feel.You know from the first scene you are going to be taught an important message of faith that with be served to you without any ambiguity, subtlety, or nuance. Lost Heart has all the earmarks that make it, in Wilson's own words, a terrible movie.

If you were hoping for a Hallmark type movie, this kinda comes close, but not quite. It does have the typical combo of cloying sweetness and dark secrets that those kind of straight to TV movies have, but it severely lacks in areas like acting, story, and the all important lessons to be learned. Not even the "epic talents" of Don Most and Victoria Jackson can save this mediocre production. The story is so predictable and simplistic that there is very little room for the actors to play it subtle or sophisticated. Not only do you know right from the start where this is all going, it begins to feel like you're being beaten over the head with a big sign that says "Here's the message!" You know you've missed the mark when you can't even compete with Hallmark movie level refinement.