The Lost Valentine (2011)
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A journalist's investigation into a woman's decades-long wait for her missing WWII husband leads to a profound discovery of enduring love.
The story
TV journalist Susan Allison begins profiling Caroline Thomas, a woman whose husband, naval aviator Lt. Neil Thomas, was declared missing in action during World War II sixty years prior. Susan initially faces friction with Caroline's grandson, Lucas, who is protective of the personal nature of the story. As Susan spends more time with the family, she begins to question her own romantic beliefs and her relationship with her distant fiancé. The interview reveals Caroline's long history of devotion, including her annual tradition of waiting at a train station for her husband's return.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
TV journalist Susan Allison profiles Caroline Thomas, whose husband Lt. Neil Thomas was declared MIA 60 years ago during WWII. Caroline recounts their life together, including a handmade valentine she gave him before he went to combat. After years of silence, Susan uses a Senator's influence to pressure the Navy, eventually locating the family of a gunner who was on Neil's plane. Susan enlists the help of Caroline's grandson's friend, Andrew Hawthorne, who uses his connections in the Philippines to find a survivor, Morang. Morang reveals that Neil was wounded but insisted his gunner be evacuated first; he later joined Filipino guerillas and was killed by a Japanese sniper while rescuing a boy. The Navy recovers Neil's remains, and Caroline is returned his dog-tags and a wallet containing her original valentine. Neil is posthumously awarded the Navy Cross, Silver Star, and Purple Heart. On Valentine's Day, his remains are returned to Caroline at the train station with full military honors. The film ends with Caroline finding peace in her garden, seeing a new bloom on a rosebush Neil planted long ago.
- First release year
- 2011
- Runtime (minutes)
- 100
- Production countries
- United States
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Darnell Martin
- Writers
- Maryann Ridini Spencer · screenplay; Barton Taney · screenplay
- Cast and characters
- Jennifer Love Hewitt; Betty White; Sean Faris
- Genres
- Romance; Drama
- Themes
- Enduring Love; Sacrifice; Closure; Military Service
- Tone and mood
- Sentimental; Dramatic; Poignant
- Premise and plot tags
- True Love; Military History; Journalism; Family Drama
- Source material / true-story basis
- Novel by James Michael Pratt
- Franchise connections
- Hallmark Hall of Fame
- Reception
- The film received mostly positive reviews, particularly for Betty White's performance. It was a commercial success, becoming the most-watched Hallmark movie in four years.
- Awards and nominations
- Screen Actors Guild Award · Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Miniseries or Television Movie · 2012 · Nomination
- Production trivia
- The teleplay writer Maryann Ridini Spencer met the author of the book in 2001 and fell in love with the storyline.; The film was a huge success, beating out Fox's second hour of coverage of the NFL Pro Bowl in its time period.; The original title of the novel was The Last Valentine.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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