Sweet Land

I’m not a huge television fan, but occasionally something so engaging comes across the screen that there’s nothing I’d rather do than snuggle up and let myself get swept away to another landscape, another time, another story.

Know what I mean?

For me, there’s no better time to get lost in a good movie than a chilly winter’s night over a holiday weekend.

So, let me share with you my recommendation for your next “me-time” movie night:

Sweet Land.

This is not a husband’s movie (read: action), or a kid’s movie (read: animation), although some of each would certainly enjoy it. At its heart, Sweet Land is a genuine woman’s movie, and a farmgirl’s movie at that.

sweet-land

 

Some of you may have seen this quiet, unsung gem (it was released in 2007 with plenty of critical acclaim, but not a lot of promotion). Those of you who haven’t are in for a treat. The story is simple, rooted in the American aftermath of World War II, but based on a short story by Will Weaver.

What counts most in this movie is its engaging cast of characters …

A gutsy German mail-order bride named Inge lands on the vast plains of Minnesota, where she is to marry Olaf, a young Norwegian immigrant farmer of few words. Forging a marriage under these conditions would have been challenging enough, but the task becomes even more complicated when the local minister forbids the marriage on the basis of Inge’s nationality (anti-German sentiment was still raging in the wake of the war), and the town banker is determined to foreclose on a neighboring friend’s farm.

I won’t say more, lest I give too much away, but I will tell you that friendship, happiness, laughter, and love are as plentiful as wheat in the fields. And the lovely Elizabeth Reaser’s portrayal of Inge adds sass and spice to a seemingly bleak northern town populated by tight-laced settlers.

Here’s the Sweet Land movie trailer for a sneak peek:

 

 

  1. Winnie Nielsen says:

    I have not seen this but I am definitely going to look for a copy. Sounds like my kinda flick! Thanks for the review.

  2. Lisa says:

    MaryJane, as soon as I saw this movie, I had to by the dvd for my library. Really good! They don’t make them like this very often. Would love to hear other’s suggestions for a good farm movie, my favorite kind.~

  3. This movie sounded wonderful and I already have it being delivered by this weekend via Netflix. Can hardly wait.

  4. Lisa A says:

    This is a wonderful movie. I first saw it at a special showing in our local “cheap” theater when it first came out, and then had to buy it! My great-grandparents were all Norwegian immigrants. Even though they were born in the US, my maternal grandparents didn’t learn English until they went to school. I grew up in northern MN and still live in the upper Midwest, now in the SE corner of SD. Lots of Norwegian ancestry here!
    I bought Will Weaver’s book of short stories, including the story this movie was based on. Of course, the movie is a little different. His book is good as well.

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