movie review of i heard the bells

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I Heard the Bells

Where to watch.

Rent I Heard the Bells on Fandango at Home, Prime Video, Apple TV, or buy it on Fandango at Home, Prime Video, Apple TV.

Audience Reviews

Cast & crew.

Joshua Enck

Stephen Atherholt

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

Jonathan Blair

Charley Longfellow

Rachel Day Hughes

Fanny Longfellow

Screenwriter

Jeff Bender

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• DVD & Streaming

I Heard the Bells

• Biography/History , Christian , Drama

Content Caution

In Theaters

• December 1, 2022
• Stephen Atherholt as Henry Wadsworth Longfellow; Jonathan Blair as Charley Longfellow; Rachel Day Hughes as Fanny Longfellow

Home Release Date

• November 14, 2023
• Joshua Enck

Distributor

• Sight & Sound Films

Movie Review

It was an innocent suggestion, made in the most innocent of days. The Longfellow family was enjoying the earliest hours of Christmas morning in 1860, their Massachusetts house ringing with children’s laughter as, outside, the church bells rang in the holiday.

Frances Longfellow turned to her husband and told him that he should write a poem about Christmas.

“Christmas is already a poem, Fanny,” Henry Wadsworth Longfellow told her. “It doesn’t need my help.”

Most of America would’ve sided with Fanny, though.

Henry, who penned “Paul Revere’s Ride” And Evangeline , was the rare poet who mattered. His works were known not just by Ivy League literature professors, but by the guy who cleaned the professor’s chimneys. Back in the day, some said that Longfellow wasn’t just the country’s most famous poet : He might be its most famous person .

That Christmas, it would indeed seem as though America’s poet and his family had everything that could be wished or hoped for. Henry’s income paid for necessities and luxuries alike. Henry and Fanny were still deeply in love. Their home echoed with laughter and song.

But it was the last Christmas they would know such joy.

If you listened carefully underneath those peeling bells, you could hear the thunder of war drums. Abraham Lincoln had been elected President just the month before—a leader that the slave-owning South would not tolerate. The Civil War was only months away. Charley Longfellow, Henry’s oldest son, would love to join the Union army, if only his father would let him. But Henry once lost a daughter. He’s not about to lose a son, too.

And while Henry couldn’t know it then, another sort of devastation would visit him in the year to come—one that would scar him physically and emotionally, one that would leave him in a state of despair.

Christmas is already a poem , Henry said. But the Christmas of 1861 would be a very different day. Christmas that year needed all the help it could get.

And Henry Wadsworth Longfellow was in no shape to give it.

Editor’s Note: While the events documented in this movie took place more than 150 years ago, they’re not necessarily that familiar to most folks. And some are critical to the content sections that follow. There will be spoilers ahead.

Positive Elements

Longfellow, of course, was a real poet—though today, few of us know much more about him than his name. I Heard the Bells gives this semi-forgotten literary lion new life, telling us something about his triumphant, sometimes tragic, story.

We learn, for instance, that he was one of the era’s best-known abolitionists, writing poems that pleaded for the cause of the South’s enslaved population. (One of his poems is dramatically read by a former slave during a dinner party.) He instilled that zeal into his son, Charley, who wanted to fight for the Union cause. Henry never wanted his son to fight in the war, and I think we can laud both Charley’s willingness to serve and Henry’s desire to protect his son.

But Fanny just might be the film’s best hero. I Heard the Bells stresses that she’s pretty talented in her own right (Henry credits her for editing his poems), and she’s perpetually encouraging Henry’s own work. “We need poets to change the world, Henry, not politicians,” she tells him.

Spiritual Elements

Fanny is also deeply religious. Entries that Henry finds in her journal prove as much. He reads that, for her, taking her first communion (and thus entering the community of Christ) was a life-changing moment. “I seemed already a new creature,” she writes.

Given her deep faith and character, Fanny’s death rocks Henry’s own faith mightily.

Even before Fanny’s passing, Henry doesn’t seem as though he’s a big fan of church. He thinks the pastor is “creepy” and seems thrilled when the Christmas Eve service is over, preferring to frolic outside in the snow with his youngest daughter. But when Fanny died, Henry later admits to the pastor, his faith seemed dead as well. (The pastor insists that she, and God, are very much alive, and Henry can spend time with both through their writings.) Though Henry still clings to vestiges of faith, he’s clearly not sure of much of anything in Fanny’s aftermath. “If God gave me the voice of a poet, then why did he take away my poetry from me?” He thunders at one point. “I will never write again.”

Still, he believes enough to be horrified when he clashes with Charley over his secret enlistment into the army. “This is not God’s will for you!” Henry tells him.

“You still believe in that?” Charley shoots back. “What do you think He was doing when [Fanny died]? Was He sleeping? … I will not put [hope] in a God who’s sleeping. Or a God who’s dead.”

But when Charley is injured in the war, he’s taken inside a ruined church, where he sees the church bell lying beside him. When he recalls that time later, he admits, “I was scared that I was right … about God being dead.” He says, though, that he had a near-miraculous revelation there as well. And as we listen to his story, we catch a glimpse of a stained-glass window that Charley saw in that church, the glass adorned with a depiction of Jesus.

Henry too has a spiritual turnaround. As he writes for the first time in a while (near what looks like a piece of wood that says “I will not forsake thee), he ultimately shouts, “My poetry lives! My God lives!” The poem that he writes, “Christmas Bells,” contains several Christian allusions and statements, especially in its triumphant closing stanza. And the movie itself ends with a quote from Longfellow’s “The Musician’s Tale; The Saga of King Olaf”:

The dawn is not distant, Nor is the night starless; Love is eternal! God is still God, and His faith shall not fail us; Christ is eternal!

Sexual Content

It’s obvious throughout this biographical story that Henry and Fanny love each other. They’re in a constant state of affection when they’re together, and they sometimes mildly flirt. Henry tells Fanny how beautiful she is.

We learn that Henry was married once before. His first wife died, and Henry tells a clergyman that he feels responsible for her death, because he put his career before her (and forced her to go across the Atlantic with him when she was in a delicate state).

Charley also has a love interest here, whose name is Mary.

Violent Content

I Heard the Bells documents a tragedy and a near-tragedy in the Longfellow family, both of which are rather violent.

First, Fanny’s death. History tells us that she burned to death when her dress caught on fire while Henry was taking a nap. The movie doesn’t show us the explicit details of Fanny’s demise, but it does show her dress ablaze as she screams for help. Henry tries to smother the flames, but he can’t before it’s too late to save her. When her funeral is held, Henry doesn’t attend: He’s laid up in his own bed, face disfigured and his hands bandaged from his own burns. (In real life, Longfellow was famous for his beard—a beard he grew to hide the burn scars on his face.)

Next, Charley. Though Henry tried to call in some favors to ensure his son’s safety, both Charley and a commanding general had a different idea. The general sends Charley off to scout an area around a church, but it proves to be an ambush. We don’t see the bullet that wounds Charley, but do see the young soldier with blood pooling around the middle of his torso. He was shot in the back, and we’re told he nearly died.

We hear an officer talk about how wagons will soon “be stacked with bloody heaps of men.” Charley recalls how the church where he was taken was riddled with a “million bullet holes.” In happier times, Henry pegs a pastor in the face with a snowball. A few men go duck hunting. We hear about how Charles Sumner, a politician and one of Henry’s best friends, was beaten with a cane in Congress for his abolitionist views.

Crude or Profane Language

Drug and alcohol content.

After Fanny dies, Henry turns to ether to cope with both his physical and mental pain. (In real life, we’re told that Longfellow’s post-Fanny drug of choice was an opioid called Laudanum .) Charley accuses his father of not leaving the house except to get more of it.

Wine is served with dinner.

Other Negative Elements

After Fanny’s death, Henry largely withdraws from his family. We see his son, Ernest, helping to take care of his three daughters. And when Henry tells Charley that he can’t leave, that the family needs him, Charley snaps back, “To replace their absent father and dead mother?”

Charley goes behind his father’s back to sign up for the Union army.

We hear Longfellow’s poem “There Was a Little Girl,” which makes a rather disparaging comment about said little girl. (“When she was good, she was very good indeed/But when she was bad she was horrid.”)

Sometimes we lose sight of the meaning of Christmas.

Oh, I think most anyone who might be reading this review has a good idea of why we celebrate Christmas: The birth of Jesus is certainly worth celebrating.

But as important as that event is, all the lights and food and, yes, bells that go along with it can distract us from the context of that celebration.

We celebrate Christmas on December 25, near the very darkest (and for many, the coldest) days of the year. For centuries, it was a bleak, difficult time. Christmas not only commemorated the birth of our Savior, but it reminded believers that with that birth came hope . The world wasn’t always going to be so cold and dark: A light had come into the world.

Today we lose sight of some of that historical darkness. Our streets are lit with Christmas decorations. We talk about the Christmas season , and we associate that with outrageously decorated trees and holiday parties and cookies and television specials and just oodles of anticipation. When we ask someone whether they’re feeling the Christmas spirit, we all know what that means.

Longfellow’s age had its own Christmas season and spirit—perhaps not as lavish or as commercialized as our own, but still there.

But in I Heard the Bells , Henry Wadsworth Longfellow finds darkness in the days before Christmas. Tragedy has covered the season in black. “How inexpressively sad are the holidays,” he tells us. “’Merry Christmas’ say the children. But that is no more for me.”

But in the darkness of the story we see light. We see hope.

I Heard the Bells is a product of Sight & Sound Theatres, an organization known for its lavish stage productions of biblical stories. Most people who’ve gone to one of their productions in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, or Branson, Missouri, rave about them.

Now, Sight & Sound is expanding into the movie business—not stage productions that are recorded and shown on screen, but productions made to be movies from the get-go. I Heard the Bells is the company’s real experiment in that world.

That lack of experience shows here a bit. The movie still feels like a stage production. The stage demands big movements and exaggerated emotion to make it to the back row. Movies, on the other hand, reward a certain subtlety—a product of experience, which Sight & Sound will gain as it finds its footing in this new medium.

Meanwhile the core story—one little known today—carries this film. Longfellow’s journey from joy to grief to rekindled hope is a powerful one—and embodied by the poem that inspired the movie itself.

Then pealed the bells more loud and deep: “God is not dead, nor doth He sleep; The Wrong shall fail, The Right prevail, With peace on earth, good-will to men.”

Paul Asay has been part of the Plugged In staff since 2007, watching and reviewing roughly 15 quintillion movies and television shows. He’s written for a number of other publications, too, including Time, The Washington Post and Christianity Today. The author of several books, Paul loves to find spirituality in unexpected places, including popular entertainment, and he loves all things superhero. His vices include James Bond films, Mountain Dew and terrible B-grade movies. He’s married, has two children and a neurotic dog, runs marathons on occasion and hopes to someday own his own tuxedo. Feel free to follow him on Twitter @AsayPaul.

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4 Things You Should Know about I Heard the Bells , Sight & Sound's First Movie

• Michael Foust CrosswalkHeadlines Contributor
• Updated Dec 06, 2022

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow is a well-known poet who has shaped the views of 1800s America with his mind and penmanship.

The public knows him as the author of Paul Revere's Ride .

His children, though, only know him as the energetic and loving father who brings joy to their home. He's always laughing, always playing, always singing.

But then tragedy strikes. A close family member dies, sending Henry into a spiral of grief that causes him to question life itself.

"If God gave me the voice of a poet, why did he take my poetry?" Henry asks. "I will never write again."

Will Henry ever find the will to live?

The new Sight & Sound movie I Heard the Bells tells the faith-based true story of Henry's battle with grief and his recovery to pen a famous Christmas carol.

Here are four things you should know:

Photo courtesy: ©Sight & Sound, used with permission.

1. It's Sight & Sound's First Theatrical Film

Sight & Sound is best known for its Broadway-style Bible-based musicals that feature a 300-foot wraparound stage, live animals, elaborate sets, a massive LED screen (the "world's largest flying LED screen"), special effects and dozens of cast members. Sight & Sound's productions – they have locations in Lancaster, Pa., and Branson, Mo. – just may be the best Bible-based musicals on the planet. (Recent musicals spotlighted Moses, Noah, David and Jesus.)

"We want to move people's hearts towards truth through the power of story," Josh Enck, president and chief story officer of Sight & Sound, told Crosswalk. Enck directed it.

"One of the ways that we can keep production costs down is to do it ourselves," Enck said. "We have a whole company full of carpenters and costumes and wigs and even animals."

2. It Spotlights a Hero of History

Perhaps you've never heard of Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. But if you lived in 1800s America, you would have. Longfellow (1807-1882) wrote the famous poem Paul Revere's Ride (1861) that propelled Revere into American folklore. Years earlier, Longfellow penned Poems on Slavery (1842), publicly establishing himself as an abolitionist. Both works are referenced in I Heard the Bells – Longfellow's son Charles is popular among fellow Civil War soldiers due to his famous father – but the film's climax is Longfellow's writing of Christmas Bells , which later was set to music and became the famous Christmas carol, I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day . Longfellow was friends with Charles Dickens.

"[Longfellow] was America's most famous person," Enck told Crosswalk. "He was a celebrity."

Sight & Sound's movies , Enck said, will "portray the stories of figures and events from history that changed the world, because Christ first changed them."

The company has plans for a second film (spotlighting a different historical figure).

"I've already started working on it," Enck said.

3. It's about Tragedy … and Hope

Longfellow wrote Christmas Bells in the wake of a personal tragedy that caused him to question life itself. We see him lying in bed, depressed and inconsolable, wishing he were dead. We watch as he sits at the dinner table, quiet and despondent, as the rest of his family laughs. His son, Charles, wants to serve in the Civil War. Yet Longfellow can't stand the thought of his son possibly dying.

"You never leave the house," Charles tells him. His father has "written poems that "inspired the union" but is wasting away in his current state.

The film urges the audience to ask: What is the purpose of tragedy? How do we move on? What role can faith play? How can we help others who are going through tough times?

Later in the film, Charles returns to his faith, telling his father, "You are not done ringing." In the final minutes, Longfellow pens his famous poem. It includes a lyric that testifies to his spiritual journey: "God is not dead, nor doth He sleep."

I Heard the Bells , Enck said, is "really a story about hope."

4. It's Fantastic … and Family-Friendly

The timing couldn't be better for Sight & Sound's filmmaking venture. Hollywood movies are growing more coarse, more "non-family-friendly." In other words, we need more G and PG content, and Sight & Sound Films could help fill that void.

I Heard the Bells  includes no coarse language or sexuality. It has a few mature thematic elements – a family member dies, a son goes off to war, and individuals question their faith – but stays firmly within the boundaries of a PG film. (Technically, I Heard the Bells  is unrated .)

The actors and actresses are solid and believable. (It uses cast from the Sight & Sound stage productions.) The plot keeps you guessing. (It has plenty of hope and inspiration but also friction.) The score adds to the emotional tug-at-your heart. It looks and feels different than most faith-based films.

"Our films are going to have a theatrical flair to them," Enck said. "I'm a daddy of four kids, and … I want all of our stories to be able to be family-friendly. And this one, I believe, is."

Visit  IHeardtheBellsMovie.com . I Heard the Bells is unrated. (It contains minor war violence and tragedy – we briefly watch as someone is killed by fire – but no coarse language or sexuality.)

Entertainment rating:  4 out of 5 stars

Family-friendly rating:  4.5 out of 5 stars

Photo courtesy: ©Sight & Sound,  used with permission.

Michael Foust has covered the intersection of faith and news for 20 years. His stories have appeared in Baptist Press ,  Christianity Today ,  The Christian Post , the   Leaf-Chronicle , the Toronto Star and the Knoxville News-Sentinel.

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Thursday, December 1, 2022

[review]—"i heard the bells" is a beautiful historical film.

3 comments:

This looks wonderful! I love the costumes, and I love this Christmas carol as well.

More movies of this caliber should be made, thank you.

I would love to take my family to see this movie!

I adore reading reader feedback! I will, however, remove all spam and pointless comments. Please take note that I have the right to delete comments from this site. Please only post constructive and respectful feedback.

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This Henry Wadsworth Longfellow movie is now my favorite family Christmas film

This new movie explores how longfellow navigates personal tragedy and the heaviness of the civil war.

By Hanna Seariac

American poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow wrote the words to the famous hymn “I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day.” Now there’s a movie that tells us more about him.

Sight & Sound, a ministry production company, released “I Heard The Bells” for this Christmas season. This is the company’s first feature film , according to the Sight & Sound production company website.

The film is rated PG-13 and does show brief scenes of violence and implies violence as well.

‘I Heard The Bells’ review

The movie is about the American poet Longfellow. According to the National Park Service , Longfellow was a burgeoning author who wrote prolifically and he was also written about prolifically during his life. One of the most significant moments of his life was when his wife Fanny died of burns in 1861. As he mourned his wife, he turned to writing the words that became the hymn, “I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day.”

From beginning to end, I loved this movie.

It’s a heartwarming story.

This new movie explores how Longfellow navigates personal tragedy and the heaviness of the Civil War. Longfellow’s personal journey highlights his faith, his abolitionist writings and how he interacts with subjects like family, unity and experiencing joy through sorrow.

The narrative of the film shows Longfellow as a complex figure. He’s a complicated person in the film, but also a deeply sympathetic one. Family is a major part of the film, especially as Longfellow navigates what his abolitionist work means for those who die in war.

His relationship with his wife is tender and the audience will appreciate the clean romance that this film shows.

The production quality of the film is impressive, especially considering that this is the first movie from the company. The picture was crystal clear and the filmmakers succeeded in recreating the atmosphere in which Longfellow lived.

The themes throughout the film were interesting, particularly the juxtaposition of hope and grief. The religious elements of the film deserve praise.

This was a Christian movie that was not over the top about being a Christian movie. Christianity was weaved through the plot seamlessly and the viewer was able to appreciate the deepening of Longfellow’s conversion without feeling preached at. I especially enjoyed how Longfellow experienced a real darkness of the soul and then emerged hopeful.

Overall, this movie is a great family Christmas movie that has a positive message. It’s one not to miss this season.

I Heard the Bells

Where to Watch

Stephen Atherholt (Henry Wadsworth Longfellow) Jonathan Blair (Charley Longfellow) Rachel Day Hughes (Fanny Longfellow) Zach Meeker (Ernest Longfellow) Carl Anderson (Josiah Wilson) Jacob L.T Bates (Civilian on Porch) Jared Frederick (Massachusetts Infantryman) Jeremiah Hornbaker (Man at train station) Daniel Stargel (Senator Charles Sumner) Wes Wise (Richard)

Joshua Enck

The inspiring story behind the writing of the beloved Christmas carol and its author, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow.

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Movie Review: I Heard the Bells

This biopic from Sight & Sound Films tells the story of American poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow’s struggle to hold on to his faith in the wake of family tragedy and the horror of the Civil War. 

Read the Plugged In review: https:// www.pluggedin.com/movie-reviews/i-heard-the-bells-2022/

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I HEARD THE BELLS

"god’s faithfulness frees the bonds of grief".

What You Need To Know:

Miscellaneous Immorality: Many of the conversations surround grief, including the death and miscarriage of Longfellow’s first wife and child, and conversations about Franny’s death and the death of their first child, but the grief ends on an inspiring note of hope and gratitude for God’s faithfulness.

More Detail:

I HEARD THE BELLS is a dramatic telling of the true story behind American poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow’s famous poem turned Christmas carol, I HEARD THE BELLS.

The movie starts with one of Longfellow’s quotes, which reads, “Every man has his secret sorrows which the world knows not; and, oftentimes we call a man cold when he is only sad.” The movie cuts to the famous American poet, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, as he sits down at a writing desk, picks up his pen and begins writing in his Cambridge home in 1863. The movie flashes back to Christmas Eve three years earlier, as Longfellow, his wife Franny and their four children are in a church service.

The family home is full of artists, but times are tough as the North fights to free the slaves in the South. Longfellow is renowned worldwide but only manages to cope with the limelight because of the support of his wife. The couple are invited to dinners with senators, and his poems about the horror of slavery are read during dinner.

Despite the difficult times, the Longfellows are happy to be together as a family. However, tragedy strikes on July 9, 1861, when Franny dies due to her dress catching on fire. Henry is badly burned after trying to put the fire out.

Distraught and angry, Henry stops writing and grows distant from his children. His eldest son, Charley, wants to enlist. Against his father’s wishes, Charley joins the Northern Army. Henry, who’s friends with a Massachusetts senator, asks that his son be promoted so that he doesn’t fight on the front lines.

However, while fighting in Virginia, Charley is shot and badly injured. Longfellow goes to find his son and bring him home. While Charley makes a recovery from his injuries, he discusses his anger and grief with his father. Charley reveals that he expected to die, but that he found hope and faith again in God.

Inspired by his son and thankful for his survival, Longfellow stays up late on Christmas eve in 1863 to write the words to his famous poem, “Christmas Bells.” However, what was meant to be a hopeful poem about God’s faithfulness to his people, Longfellow is overwhelmed by his grief and puts the poem down until morning.

Will the Christmas morning light help Longfellow realize the goodness of God to him and his family?

I HEARD THE BELLS is incredibly well-acted and produced. Despite its truth about the tragedy in Longfellow’s life, the movie ultimately champions the gifts of family, faith, and hope in the face of the darkness of family tragedy and the violent chaos of the Civil War. The movie suffers from some slow pacing, but it’s a wonderful Christmas movie with scenes of prayer, church, salvation, communion, and song. I HEARD THE BELLS points viewers to the goodness of Jesus Christ and the freedom that comes through Him. However, because of some violence and mature themes about grief, MOVIEGUIDE® advises caution for younger children.

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I Heard the Bells

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Not suitable under 10; parental guidance to 11 (violence, scary scenes, themes)

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• overall comments and recommendations
• details of classification and consumer advice lines for I Heard the Bells
• a review of I Heard the Bells completed by the Australian Council on Children and the Media (ACCM) on 8 December 2022 .

Overall comments and recommendations

About the movie.

This section contains details about the movie, including its classification by the Australian Government Classification Board and the associated consumer advice lines. Other classification advice (OC) is provided where the Australian film classification is not available.

ACCM review

This review of the movie contains the following information:

• a synopsis of the story
• use of violence
• material that may scare or disturb children
• product placement
• sexual references
• nudity and sexual activity
• use of substances
• coarse language
• the movie’s message

A synopsis of the story

Set in the 1860’s at the start of the American Civil War, I Heard the Bells tells the story of America’s much loved poet, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (Stephen Atherholt). Henry is happily married to his wife, Frances (Franny) (Rachel Day Hughes), and lives a seemingly idyllic life with his five children. He is well known and admired for his poetry throughout the country. The oldest son, Charley (Jonathan Blair), wants to go and fight in the war but at 17 he needs his father’s permission, which Henry refuses to give and Frances makes Henry promise that he’ll never allow their sons to fight.

Tragedy occurs, however, when Frances dies due to her dress catching on fire. Henry does his best to save her, and is himself badly burnt in the process, but he is unable to. After his wife’s death, Henry withdraws from life and vows to never write again. Charley also feels the loss of his mother greatly and loses his faith in God. Subsequently, he is compelled to go to war and forges his father’s signature to do so. Through Henry’s connections, he is able to protect Charley from the front line, but Charley is eventually shot and wounded in the war. Charley is taken by his comrades into a destroyed church, and is lying on a pew when he sees the church bell on the floor next to him. Close to death, Charley hears the bells ringing loudly, which gives him the hope he needs to cling to life. Henry writes the hymn with the title of the film as a result.

Themes info

Children and adolescents may react adversely at different ages to themes of crime, suicide, drug and alcohol dependence, death, serious illness, family breakdown, death or separation from a parent, animal distress or cruelty to animals, children as victims, natural disasters and racism. Occasionally reviews may also signal themes that some parents may simply wish to know about.

The American Civil War; Slavery; Death; Tragedy; Hope and Faith in God.

Use of violence info

Research shows that children are at risk of learning that violence is an acceptable means of conflict resolution when violence is glamourised, performed by an attractive hero, successful, has few real life consequences, is set in a comic context and / or is mostly perpetrated by male characters with female victims, or by one race against another.

Repeated exposure to violent content can reinforce the message that violence is an acceptable means of conflict resolution. Repeated exposure also increases the risks that children will become desensitised to the use of violence in real life or develop an exaggerated view about the prevalence and likelihood of violence in their own world.

There is some violence in this movie, including:

• Frances walks through a room and accidentally knocks over a candle, which sets alight her flowing dress. This scene is quite intense as she screams for Henry who is asleep in the next room. Although briefly shown, Henry rolls on top of her to extinguish the fire, suffering terrible burns to his hands and face. Frances dies as a result of her burns.
• Scenes of war are shown with soldiers firing rifles and cannons.
• Charley and Henry have a heated argument at the dinner table. The other children cry.
• Henry and some other men go duck shooting.
• Two confederate soldiers with rifles hide behind the church as Charley approaches on horseback. Shots are heard and Charley is seen wounded. He has blood on his face and is unable to move.

Material that may scare or disturb children

Under five info.

Children under five are most likely to be frightened by scary visual images, such as monsters, physical transformations.

In addition to the above-mentioned violent scenes, there are some scenes in this movie that could scare or disturb children under the age of five, including the following:

• The scene when Frances’s dress catches on fire is particularly disturbing.

Aged five to eight info

Children aged five to eight will also be frightened by scary visual images and will also be disturbed by depictions of the death of a parent, a child abandoned or separated from parents, children or animals being hurt or threatened and / or natural disasters.

In addition to the above-mentioned violent scenes and scary visual images, there are some scenes in this movie that could scare or disturb children aged five to eight, including the following:

• A funeral is held which all of the family attend, except for Henry who is still bedridden. Everyone is dressed in black and the children all cry. Charley goes outside of the church to weep.
• Henry is seen in bed with bandages on his hands and his face badly burnt. He cries when he remembers it’s the day of their 18th wedding anniversary.
• Frances is shown lying in her coffin.
• Charley storms off after fighting with his father. The scene is intense with thunder, lightning and rain. Annie asks if Charley is going to die too.
• Soldiers returning from the war are shown on crutches, with bandages around their heads. Charley arrives on a stretcher, looking like he’s about to die.

Aged eight to thirteen info

Children aged eight to thirteen are most likely to be frightened by realistic threats and dangers, violence or threat of violence and / or stories in which children are hurt or threatened.

In addition to the above-mentioned violent scenes, there are some scenes in this movie that could scare or disturb children aged eight to thirteen, including the following:

• The American Civil War divided the nation on the subject of slavery. The Union wanted an end to slavery and Henry wrote several poems about it. At a dinner, a former slave reads out one of these poems in very dramatic style. He drops a set of chains onto the table, startling everyone, and is so passionate in his reading that it moves the people in the room to tears.
• Henry questions why God took Frances away from him.
• Charley asks his father how he can still believe in God after allowing his mother to burn to death. What was God doing at the time – was he asleep or dead?
• Charley is teased around the army campfire because he has been made a 2nd Lieutenant. This obviously embarrasses him and makes him more determined to see some action.
• An army lieutenant tells Charley how he’d just ordered 200 men to march into a slaughterhouse.
• Henry tells the Minister that Frances was his second wife. His first wife, Mary, died after miscarrying a baby at 6 months.

Thirteen and over info

Children over the age of thirteen are most likely to be frightened by realistic physical harm or threats, molestation or sexual assault and / or threats from aliens or the occult.

• Nothing further of concern.

Product placement

• None noted.

Sexual references

There are some sexual references in this movie, including:

• Henry and Frances dance closely together and kiss.

Nudity and sexual activity

Use of substances.

There is some use of substances in this movie, including:

• Henry takes ether for the pain.
• One of the soldiers smokes a pipe.

Coarse language

In a nutshell.

I Heard the Bells is an inspirational movie about hope and faith. Henry Longfellow’s faith is sorely tested when he loses his most beloved wife, Frances. The film shows the despair of loss of life but also the hope that people live on through their work and deeds. It is a very emotional and intense film, best suited for families with older children.

The main messages from this movie are that people live on through their legacy; and that there is hope after death.

Values in this movie that parents may wish to reinforce with their children include:

• The importance of family
• Hope and faith
• Caring and compassion.

This movie could also give parents the opportunity to discuss with their children attitudes and behaviours, and their real-life consequences, such as:

• The film could give parents the opportunity to discuss the reasons for the American Civil War and the abolition of slavery.
• Parents could also discuss their own beliefs.

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Movie Review: I Heard The Bells

by Fr. Edward Looney Advent and Christmas , Movie Reviews and Recommendations

Church bells will soon be summoning worshippers on Christmas Eve and Day. All types of believers will fill church pews for one of the holiest days of the Christian year. Some will be regulars, others occasional, and some will be those who attend only on Christmas and Easter. Each believer will bring their own unique experiences and past to the Christmas celebration and the message of Christ’s birth will impact each person uniquely. Church bells will ring out Christ’s birth as we remember the incarnational moment of salvation.  

I Heard The Bells

People familiar with the towns of Lancaster, PA or Branson, MO might know of the Sight & Sound Theatre that brings the bible to life on stage. They recently branched out and decided to do their first theatrical feature on film with the movie I Heard the Bells . If you listen to Contemporary Christian Music, you’ve probably heard the Christmas song by the band Casting Crowns.  The song is much older and has a long backstory to it. The song is based on the poem Christmas Bells written by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow in 1863.  Sight & Sound’s new movie, I Heard the Bells strives to tell the origin story of the beautiful poem turned song. 

4 Things To Learn From I Heard The Bells

Here’s what you can expect to learn from the film I Heard the Bells in theaters December 1, 2, and 5.  

1.  You will learn the story of one of the great American poets.  Let’s be honest, we live in an illiterate culture.  Maybe you’ve heard the name Longfellow, but what do you know about his life?  You will be introduced to his life and family.  

2.  You will learn of the tragic death of Longfellow’s wife and how that affected him for many years and how it halted his creative genius. Through his struggle, you will see how he overcame the trials of his life with the help of a local preacher.  

3.  You will see how a broken relationship between a father and son can be healed and reconciled.  

4.  And you will learn the story of why he wrote Christmas Bells .  Let’s just say, it’s more than just church bells ringing on Christmas Day.  It is a multi-layered and filled with meaning.  

The story of Henry Wadsworth Longfellow is one that you don’t expect.  It’s a story of remembrance and triumph, a story of redemption and restoration of faith.  It’s a story about a bell that will ring again.  Will you hear the bells?  This film is in theatres for a limited time on December 1.  It is part of a Fathom movie release.  You can learn more about the film and how to buy tickets at:  https://www.iheardthebellsmovie.com/ .  

Catholic FAQ On I Heard the Bells

Is this film ok for Catholics to see?

Yes- It’s a movie with a Christian message and does not contradict Catholic teaching.  

Is this film ok for children to see? 

Maybe- The movie is set in the era of the Civil War and so there are some battle scenes.  Also, the death of Longfellow’s wife might be a difficult scene to watch for a child.  

Fr. Looney’s Rating: 

10/10- It was a well-told story that kept my interest and impacted my heart and soul.  

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I Heard the Bells Reviews

• 1 hr 50 mins
• Drama, Fantasy
• Watchlist Where to Watch

Known as America's Poet, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow leads an idyllic life – until the day his world is shattered by tragedy. With a nation divided by Civil War and his family torn apart, Henry puts down his pen, silenced by grief. But it's the sound of Christmas morning that reignites the poet's lost voice as he discovers the resounding hope of rekindled faith.

I Heard the Bells

Cast & crew.

Stephen Atherholt

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

Jonathan Blair

Charley Longfellow

Rachel Day Hughes

Fanny Longfellow

Zach Meeker

Ernest Longfellow

Carl Anderson

Josiah Wilson

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© 2022 Pinnacle Peak Pictures, LLC. All Rights Reserved.

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I Heard the Bells Parent Guide

This film may be flawed, but that doesn't diminish the power of its hopeful message of faith and triumph over darkness..

Theaters: Based on a true story, this film recounts the soul-wrenching experiences that led great American poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow to stop writing - until he penned a beloved Christmas carol.

Release date December 1, 2022

Run Time: 110 minutes

Get Content Details

The guide to our grades, parent movie review by kirsten hawkes.

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (Stephen Atherholt) is America’s most popular poet – but he has sworn never to write again. One bereavement after another has left him emotionally spent and unable to summon up the energy or imagination to put words to paper. The final straw is when his eldest son, Charlie (Jonathan Blair), joins the Union Army without his father’s consent. As Charlie rides off to war, he shouts at his father that he will no longer “put hope in a God who is sleeping or a God who is dead.”

With his own faith frozen, Longfellow pulls strings to keep his son away from the front lines of the Civil War and then waits in dread for the feared knock at the door. As the poet descends into a dark night of the soul, it seems unlikely that inspirational words will ever flow from his pen again. How then, does this wounded and grieving man become the author of the beloved Christmas anthem, “I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day”?

What goes wrong with this movie? Its biggest weakness comes in the first act of the film, which feels stage-y. It too often seems that the actors are reciting lines, not having authentic conversations. At the worst moments, I felt like I was watching community theater (good community theater, but still…) Most distracting of all is Longfellow’s wig. It’s almost impossible to describe how bad his wig is: I don’t know what it’s made from but it never looks like real hair. In some scenes it looks like he’s dressing up as Karl Marx, which I am 100% sure is not the look the wardrobe department was trying to achieve. The rest of the movie looks good, I just wish the production staff had spent a bit more money on better wigs for their lead actor.

On the flip side, this movie has a lot to recommend it to family audiences (and particularly to Christian viewers). Negative content is minimal with just enough violence to provide historical accuracy and to keep the narrative moving. The film provides a touching depiction of a strong, loving family and honestly portrays the challenges of maintaining faith in a world of suffering and anguish. It’s a triumphant shout from the battle raging in a man’s soul; a powerful witness of how his renewed faith in God brings light into the darkness of grief and isolation. This message never grows old and as Christmas 2022 approaches in a world gripped by war, famine, and plague, a reminder that “The wrong shall fail, the right prevail, With peace on earth, good will to men” is as timely as it was in 1863.

About author

Kirsten hawkes, watch the trailer for i heard the bells.

I Heard the Bells Rating & Content Info

Why is I Heard the Bells rated Not Rated? I Heard the Bells is rated Not Rated by the MPAA

Violence: There are scenes of distant war violence and mention of injuries and death. A soldier is shot and is seen with bloody injuries. There is mention of miscarriage and maternal death. A woman burns to death when her dress catches fire. A man is seen with burns on his face and hands. A woman’s dead body is briefly seen in her coffin. There is mention of an abolitionist politician being beaten by a slave owner. Sexual Content:   None. Profanity: None. Alcohol / Drug Use: A soldier smokes a pipe. Alcohol is seen at a dinner party and people hold glasses of what is presumably alcohol, but no one is seen drinking it. A bottle of ether is seen on a bedside table and it is suggested that a main character is abusing the drug to cope with emotional distress.

Page last updated January 20, 2024

I Heard the Bells Parents' Guide

Why does Charlie believe that God is dead or sleeping? If you are a religious person, have you ever faced a challenge to your faith? How did you respond to it? How do Charlie and his father address their loss of faith? What helps them recover their faith?

Loved this movie? Try these books…

If Longfellow’s story is meaningful to you, you can look for the picture book about the writing of the Christmas carol. Entitled I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day, the book is written by Lloyd and Karmel Newell and illustrated by Dan Burr.

To learn more about this influential poet, you can read Cross of Snow: A Life of Henry Wadsworth Longfellow by Nicholas A. Basbanes.

A complete collection of Longfellow’s poems can be read for free online at Project Gutenberg.

Related home video titles:

A Civil War Christmas is featured in Little Women , a movie adaptation of Louisa May Alcott’s classic novel.

The Man Who Invented Christmas is a fanciful account of how Charles Dickens (a friend of Longfellow’s) came to write his immortal novella, A Christmas Carol.

Christian writer C.S. Lewis struggles with his faith when his wife becomes critically ill in Shadowlands.

Tolkien follows J.R.R. Tolkien to the horrors of World War I, and illustrates how those experiences influence the development of his faith and his literary works.

The spirit of the season encourages soldiers on opposite sides of the battlefield to lay down their arms and celebrate Christmas 1914 together in Joyeux Noel.

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In the wake of an environmental collapse that is forcing humanity to shed 20% of its population, a family dinner erupts into chaos when a father's plan to enlist in the government's new euth... Read all In the wake of an environmental collapse that is forcing humanity to shed 20% of its population, a family dinner erupts into chaos when a father's plan to enlist in the government's new euthanasia program goes horribly awry. In the wake of an environmental collapse that is forcing humanity to shed 20% of its population, a family dinner erupts into chaos when a father's plan to enlist in the government's new euthanasia program goes horribly awry.

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We take a sharp turn away from what I had originally planned for December. Let's look at Longfellow's "I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day" and see what believers and non-believers alike can gain from it.

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Screen Rant

The flash vanishes today in the cw's 'future' & i am not ready to accept it's been a decade.

It's been nearly a decade since The Flash premiered and, according to the pilot episode, April 25, 2024 is the day Barry Allen vanishes in Crisis.

• Today, April 25, 2024, marks the day when The Flash was originally meant to disappear during Crisis on Infinite Earths.
• The Flash's pilot episode tease of the Crisis event came to pass earlier than originally expected in the Arrowverse timeline.
• Despite the end of The Flash series, its legacy continues with the TV show being the defining adaptation of DC's speedster hero.

In the final scene of The Flash pilot episode, the front page of a future edition of The Central City Citizen newspaper reports "Flash Missing: Disappears In Crisis," and today, April 25, 2024, is the date of that report. The scene was exciting for a few reasons — not only did it tee up The Flash season 1 's time-travelling villain Reverse-Flash, it also teased the Crisis on Infinite Earths storyline five years before it came to pass. However, now that the date of Barry Allen's (Grant Gustin) disappearance has come, it's difficult to believe it's been almost 10 years since The Flash premiered.

In the last decade, the Arrowverse expanded greatly, growing from only The CW's flagship DC TV show, Arrow , to include multiple spinoffs like The Flash , DC's Legends of Tomorrow , Supergirl , Black Lightning , Batwoman and Superman & Lois . The franchise was known for its annual crossovers, which brought heroes from multiple series together to battle massive threats, all culminating in the five-episode Crisis on Infinite Earths crossover that aired in late 2019 and early 2020. Now, more than a decade after Arrow premiered, the Arrowverse has essentially ended, and real life is catching up with the future that The Flash teased in its very first episode.

Superman & Lois is the last remaining Arrowverse show, with its final season set to air in 2024. However, in the season 2 finale, it was confirmed to take place in a different universe to the franchise's Earth-Prime, so the main timeline ended with The Flash in 2023.

All The Flash Seasons, Ranked Worst To Best

The flash's pilot episode tease never truly came to pass, crisis on infinite earths happened earlier in the arrowverse than 2024.

One rule of time travel established in The Flash season 1 is that the future can always be changed, and the present can be impacted by going back in time — this was especially explored in The Flash season 3 when the series loosely adapted the Flashpoint storyline from the comics. As such, the newspaper seen in the pilot episode underwent a few changes throughout The Flash series' run . Partway through season 1, the author of the story changed to become Iris West-Allen, confirming her future marriage to Barry and career as a journalist.

Moreover, the Crisis referenced in the newspaper arrived five years earlier than the Arrowverse's originally teased timeline. The Flash season 5 finale hinted that the events of the show had sped up Crisis's arrival, which was confirmed in the season 6 premiere. Instead of 2024, The Flash would vanish on Dec. 10, 2019 , the date that the show's episode in the Crisis on Infinite Earths crossover aired in real life. However, it turned out not to be Gustin's version of Barry Allen who died in Crisis. Rather, it was the Earth-90 version of The Flash, played by John Wesley Shipp from the 90s TV show, who sacrificed himself .

The Flash Remains Active In Arrowverse Canon Until 2049

The flash series finale teased new speedsters joining barry allen's legacy.

Although The Flash season 9 ending concluded Gustin's run as the Scarlet Speedster, in Arrowverse canon, Barry Allen continues operating as The Flash until at least 2049 . This makes sense since the tease of his disappearance was already resolved during the Crisis on Infinite Earths crossover. By the time The Flash season 9 premiered, the show had already paid off its biggest pilot tease, though Barry Allen still faced off with Reverse-Flash once more during that final season.

One other future tease in The Flash's pilot episode, Wayne Tech's merger with Queen Inc, also never occurred in the Arrowverse.

However, the ending of The Flash also set the stage for more speedsters to join the Arrowverse, with Barry sharing his connection to the Speed Force with three new heroes: Avery Ho, Max Mercury and Jess Chambers . All three are speedsters in the comics, and the first two were either introduced or hinted at during The Flash season 8. This means that not only did The Flash not vanish on April 25, 2024, in the Arrowverse, but even more speedster heroes are running around helping Barry Allen protect the DC universe.

A Decade Later, The Flash Remains One Of The Arrowverse's Biggest Successes

It became the longest-running arrowverse series with 9 seasons.

Though it was the second DC TV series to join the Arrowverse, The Flash became the longest-running show in the franchise with nine total seasons and 184 episodes. It was also critically well-received throughout its run, holding an average 89% critics score on Rotten Tomatoes - which is only bested by Black Lightning's score of 92%. All told, The Flash has cemented its place as one of the Arrowverse's best series and its biggest successes.

Which is why it's so bittersweet that today is a reminder of how much time has passed since The Flash premiered. It marked a turning point for the Arrowverse, proving the then-burgeoning TV franchise could become an interconnected universe and going on to become so well-developed, it's only true rival was the Marvel Cinematic Universe. At the time, it would've been impossible to predict that from 2014-2024, not only would superhero fans see the rise and fall of the Arrowverse, but even the DCEU and MCU would face their own struggles — the former moreso than the latter.

The Flash TV Show is the gold standard against which all other adaptations will be measured.

Now, it's also worth appreciating everything the Arrowverse, and The Flash specifically, achieved during its time. The Arrowverse pulled off a massive feat in delivering a truly spectacular event with its Crisis on Infinite Earths crossover, and produced a number of well-liked DC TV shows. Additionally, Gustin's Barry Allen is so beloved, that his has become the defining performance of The Flash. All told, though there have been adaptations of Barry Allen before and since, The Flash TV Show is the gold standard against which all other adaptations will be measured. And even 10 years later, it remains to be seen when, if ever, a better adaptation of The Flash will be produced.

*Availability in US

Not available

After witnessing his mother's murder, and his father wrongly convicted, Detective West and his family take in Barry Allen (Grant Gustin). Becoming a forensic scientist, Allen tries to uncover the truth about his mother's murder, which leads him to Harrison Wells' particle accelerator. When the accelerator causes an explosion, Allen is struck by lightning and enters a coma. When he wakes up, he learns he has the ability to move at superhuman speeds, though he is not the only meta-human created in the wake of the explosion. Based on one of the most popular characters from DC Comics, the TV adaptation of The Flash was developed by Greg Berlanti, Andrew Kreisberg, and Geoff Johns. The series ran for nine seasons on The CW and is one of the most popular shows in the network’s “Arrowverse.”

‘The Heart of Rock and Roll’ Review: Huey Lewis and the News Jukebox Musical Is Easy to Like, Harder to Love

By Frank Rizzo

Frank Rizzo

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When a character in the new musical “ The Heart of Rock and Roll ” tries to convince his ex to leave her job at a factory that makes shipping materials, he is stunned: “Oh, my god. It’s cardboard !”

But there can be real appeal to the humblest of materials — and the same can be said of this unpretentious, silly and, in the end, rather fun show. For all the familiar jukebox musical templates of thin characters, unsurprising plot developments and oldie pop/rock songs shoehorned into the narrative, there’s something to be said for simple packaging that knows what it is and does it well.

But many of the News’ infectious, throbbing tunes — penned by various writers including Lewis — sort of merge into a continuous, corrugated whole. That makes it a challenge to craft a show that doesn’t sound like it’s on a loop, at least for dramatic purposes.

But here the musical’s clever creators, led by director Gordon Greenberg and choreographer Lorin Latarro, decide to just go for the pleasant middle which neither offends nor inspires, just entertains. It also reflects the broad, easy-going appeal of the music — at least for certain generations — which makes this show’s future promising, if not in this Broadway run then certainly for the road.

Derek McLane’s colorful set design and Jen Caprio’s witty costumes (love the cardboard skirt) echoes the late ‘80s, and signal mindless escapism is the key.

The musical rom-com’s nutty exuberance is also reminiscent of another show: “Hairspray.” Here, too, are oddball jokes, loopy characters and winking period references (Sam Goody’s, Trader Vics, boom boxes and the Walkman — “Why not a Walkwoman?” snaps one female visionary.)

But he also doesn’t want to let down his old bandmates (F. Michael Haynie, Raymond J. Lee and John-Michael Lyles) when there’s a chance to get an unexpected record deal.

But there are complications, natch, with Bobby’s wooing of Fjord (Orville Mendoza), the Swedish furniture magnate, for a big contract while simultaneously competing with Cassandra’s ex-fiancee and Gordon Gekko wannabe Tucker (Billy Harrigan Tighe, a triple-threat performer, as well as a comic virtuoso in every scene and song.)

Humor and brightness is what fuels this engine whose musical repertoire is not infinitely varied. So “Hip to Be Square” is sung by the box factory workers with dancers doing tap on bubble wrap. “Stuck with You” becomes a hilarious fantasy of domestic doom. “I Want a New Drug” turns into Bobby’s love song to a seductive electric guitar.

Throw in a scene in a sauna and another in an aerobics studio led by a Richard Simmons-type (Tommy Bracco) and you have enough diversions to keep you from thinking too much about the story.

Adding sly comic asides is a very funny Tamika Lawrence as Bobby’s HR ally. She gets the biggest laughs with the subtlest of takes, and slays the show’s wind-up song, “The Power of Love” (a tune that also fuels Broadway’s “Back to the Future”).

“The Heart of Rock and Roll” only betrays itself when it dips its toe too deeply into the pool of seriousness with an overwrought 11 o’clock number (“The Only One”). Until then, Bobby is an appealing enough go-getter, but sudden father issues takes the show down a different road.

Cott, who was impressive as the lead in “ Bandstand ,” sings the hell out of the songs. But his striking good looks, not to mention his well-displayed biceps and abs, makes him perhaps too much of a slick outsider to be thoroughly credible in Huey’s working-for-a-living world.

Still, since the show keeps its ambitions in check with its sensibly-scaled production and low-stakes book, it doesn’t really matter that it thinks inside the box. After all, cardboard has its uses.

James Earl Jones Theater; 1084 seats; top ticket $288; Opened April 22, 2024; Reviewed April 18; Running time: 2 HOURS 30 MIN.

• Production: A presentation by Hunter Arnold, Tyler Mitchell and Kayla Greenspan and co-producers Chuck Schwab, Curt Cronin, John Joseph, Brad Freeman, Whitney Kiely Moehle, Nederlander Presentations, Stephens Brothers Productions, Gary & Marcia Nelson, Michael Wilsey Family, Mickey Gooch Jr, HLX Invest Co., Dagley Pottruck Productions, Primary Wave Music, Ken Siebel, Badlamp Productions and Will Meldman of a musical in two acts by Jonathan A. Abrams; story by Tyler Mitchell and Jonathan A. Abrams; inspired by the songs by Huey Lewis and The News; music by Huey Lewis.
• Crew: Directed by Gordon Greenberg; choreography, Lorin Latarro; musical supervision: Brian Usifer; sets, Derek McLane; costumes, Jen Caprio; lighting, Japhy Weideman; sound, John Shivers; production stage manager, Justin Scribner.
• Cast: Cory Cott, McKenzie Kurtz, Josh Breckenridge, John Dossett, F. Michael Haynie, Zoe Jensen, Tamika Lawrence, Raymond J. Lee, John-Michael Lyles, Orville Mendoza, Billy Harrigan Tighe, Mike Baerga, Tommy Bracco, TyNia René Brandon, Olivia Cece, Taylor Marie Daniel, Autumn Guzzardi, Lindsay Joan, Ross Lekites, Robin Masella, Michael Olaribigbe, Kevin Pariseau, Robert Pendilla, Leah Read, Jennifer Noble, Joe Moeller, Frederic Rodriguiez Odgaard.

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