I’ve heard the stars of The Bells share the film’s message

The stars of I HEARD THE BELLS share the film’s message: “There is a God who loves.” [You]’

By Movieguide® staff

The stars of I HEARD THE BELLS share what the film’s message means to them as we approach the holiday season.

I HEARD THE BELLS premiered in theaters last year and was nominated for the Movieguide® Teddy Bear® Award. I HEARD THE BELLS will premiere Thursday, November 28th at 8/7c on Great American PureFlix, with an encore presentation on Saturday, November 30th.

I HEARD THE BELLS tells the true story of the poem “Christmas Bells” by writer Henry Wadsworth Longfellow.

“Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, known as America’s poet, leads an idyllic life…until one day his world is rocked by tragedy,” the film’s synopsis reads. “Faced with a nation divided by civil war and a family torn apart, Henry lays down his pen, silent with grief. But it is the sound of Christmas morning that revives the poet’s lost voice as he discovers the resounding hope of a rekindled faith.”

Part of the Movieguide® review reads:

I HEARD THE BELLS is incredibly well acted and produced. Despite the sadness, the film champions the gifts of family, faith and hope in the face of the darkness of tragedy and civil war. The film suffers from a somewhat slow pace, but it is a wonderful Christmas film with scenes of prayer, church, salvation, communion and singing. I HEARD THE BELLS points viewers to the goodness of Christ and the freedom that comes through Him. Due to some violence and adult themes about grief, MOVIEGUIDE® advises caution with younger children.

Stephen Atherholt, who plays Longfellow, spoke about the meaning and message of the film.

“I think hearing the Christmas bells can mean something to all of us, even if it means hearing them in another song you hear on the radio,” he told Movieguide®. “But do you know, you hear the bells and what do they mean to you?”

Atherholt recounted how Longfellow’s grief during the Civil War consumed him, but he ultimately reconnected with his faith.

“The poem takes you all the way back from that heartache, back to… but God is here,” the actor said. “He’s not dead and he speaks to us, and hopefully the film speaks to people too.”

Atherholt continued, “I hope they see his humanity and the real, honest struggle. He didn’t know his faith very well. He relied on his wife for his faith and just wanted to be happy, and I think that’s something we all pursue very strongly…we all focus on happiness. So if happiness is taken away from you, where does it go? If your goal in life is just to be happy, that’s not sustainable.”

“People need to know that they are not alone and that there is hope on the other side of tragedy, no matter how serious it is,” he concluded. “Ultimately, I want them to come away knowing that there is a God who loves them very much and will never walk away from them.”

Rachel Day Hughes, who played Longfellow’s wife Fanny, called the real-life inspiration for her character “a woman of spiritual strength” and “great humility.”

“As far as seeing a healthy, beautiful, vibrant Christian marriage, I was so pleased that that was included in the film,” she said. “I think…the home, the family is under attack in many ways, and one of our best defenses against that is to show the truth…to show the goodness, the truth, the beauty of a solid Christian family and marriage weathering storms together .” and celebrating together is nice.”

Hughes continued: “I hope that when people see this film, Henry will regain the truth of those words – ‘Peace on earth, goodwill to those who are not his own;’ They come from Scripture – as you watch him claim the truth of these words, I hope people do the same in their hearts.”

I HEARD THE BELLS is the first film from Sight & Sound Films to focus on telling “true stories of historical figures.” [whose] Lives have changed the world because Christ changed them first,” her Instagram page reads.