Movie Monday – Jacob’s Harvest – 1/23/12

This week’s Family Movie Night Movie Suggestion is Jacob’s Harvest (Feature Films for Families).

This movie begins several years prior when Daniel Hansen’s older brother, Jacob,  leaves on his wedding day, deserting his fiance, Maddy, and his family. Jacob isn’t seen again until he arrives, seemingly out of nowhere, twenty years later for a visit.  A lot of things have happened in those twenty years. Daniel and Maddy married, started a family, and together (with Daniel and Jacob’s father, James) run the family dairy farm.

Life hasn’t been easy for Daniel and his family recently. They are losing milk cows to an unknown cause. Their 17-year-old son is rebelling. A money shortage has required Maddy to secure a job as a waitress in their small Wisconsin town. When Jacob arrives, he only adds to Daniel’s stress.

This is a modern story of a prodigal son, similar to the Biblical “prodigal son” parable found in Luke 15. It is an excellent movie with many discussion points.  Some of those discussion topics include: family values, keeping one’s word, family loyalty, work ethic, rebellion, importance of marriage vows, envy, helping others in their time of need, and working out differences with those we love.

Jacob’s Harvest is a touching movie of one family’s fight for what’s important. It is realistically done with convincing actors. This movie contains nothing objectionable.  I would highly recommend for all ages, although very young children might be frightened by a few scenes.

I have a listing of numerous family movie night suggestions here: https://pennyzeller.wordpress.com/mom-approved-movies-for-families/

Also, if you have missed any of the Movie Monday Movie Reviews, they are archived under the listing referenced above.