Elise (Karen Abercrombie, Delilah) was once a vibrant, social young woman with a blossoming music career, but for the past 2 decades she has pretty much given up on love. She makes her own soap which she sells in her shop, and has been taking care of her grandson Derek (Jemarcus Kilgore, Black Lightning) since he was born. 19 years later, she is still using him as an excuse to not get back out there—when Elise’s friend Pam (Charlene Tilton, Dallas) tries to get her to join her at her singles club, Elise tells her that “Little Derek” needs her. Derek and his grandmother love each other and are each other’s best friends, but Derek also feels a bit trapped as his grandmother’s only person. He is an aspiring You Tuber, and wants to get out and live his life, but is afraid of deserting Elise, and lies to her whenever he sneaks out. Elise was once a big musician in the 1980s, but she chose him over her own success, and so he feels like he owes her.
Meanwhile, Pastor Patrick Briggs (Leon Pridgen, Under His Influence) was married for 25 years before his wife passed away 5 years earlier. Members of his congregation have been pressuring him to start dating again, but he has pretty much closed off his heart to finding love again. Peter has recently been counseling couple Kenny (Michael J. Patterson, Running the Bases) and Theresa (Elizabeth Byland) on their marriage problems, and so Kenny asks him if relationships are so good, why isn’t he in one? And so, Elise and Patrick eventually end up at a speed-dating event at the church, where they connect as they both try to escape for air. The two hit it off and start to date, but Derek has decided to secretly film his grandmother’s ne romance for his streaming channel. Will typical rom-com misunderstandings and roadblocks threaten to throw this blossoming relationship off-course?!
Despite it’s seemingly-religious title, Heaven Sent doesn’t really feel like faith-based fare. It’s more of your typical rom-com, but one of the characters happens to be a pastor. It is a light, fun tale of two people learning to let loose, and finding love again later in life after giving up on the notion. In addition to the central romance, the film also explores a few other romantic relationships. Derek has been communicating with online friend Corrine (Maurie Moore), but has never seen her face—her camera is always “broken”. He definitely has feelings for her, but isn’t sure those feelings are reciprocated. Then there’s also the relationship between Kenny and Theresa that the pastor is trying to help repair. Kenny loves his wife, but he never thinks before he acts. And as he throws himself into serving as the pastor’s new wingman, he puts himself further and further into the doghouse. Meanwhile, Elise has Pam as her wingman, her more wild friend who’s trying to get her to date again. And finally there are those who serve to throw a wrench into Peter and Elise’s new relationship. For the pastor, there’s his sister-in-law Nadine (Vedra Grant), who sees any new woman in the Peter’s life as cheating on her deceased sister. And for Elise, it’s her ex Jeff (Gary Dourdan, CSI: Crime Scene Investigation), who still has feelings for her, and serves as possible temptation to sabotage her new relationship.
Heaven Sent has many of the usual rom-com tropes, from meet-cutes and romance to meddling best friends and misunderstandings that threaten to sabotage things. But this is a formula that is tried and true for these fun Hallmark and Lifetime style rom-coms. The cast is a lot of fun and have great chemistry with one another. There is this great relationship between Derek and his grandmother that you don’t get to see a lot on TV. They both love each other but also serve as one another’s crutch and excuse not to fully live their own lives. However, my favorite character has to be Kenny, who is a constant source of comic relief.
Heaven Sent arrives only on DVD from Mill Creek Entertainment (but is also available digitally in HD). While I would prefer the option of a Blu-ray, the SD picture of the DVD still looks quite good. The picture is generally clean and clear throughout, just missing that slight extra level of detail and clarity HD provides. The audio track provides clear dialogue and a nice full sound, which is noticeable right as the film opens, with a dynamic score that fills the room.
The DVD disc comes packed in a standard DVD keepcase without a slipcover. The disc is barebones, just offering Play and Subtitle on/off options on the main menu.
What’s Included:
Film: (1:38:16)
- 480i / Anamorphic Widescreen 1.85:1
- Audio: English 5.1 Dolby Digital
- Subtitles: English SDH
Extras:
-
No bonus material included.
Final Thoughts:
Heaven Sent is a fun, modern romantic comedy about an older couple finding love again, while also changing the lives of their friends and family members. The cast is delightful and have great chemistry with one another. The film finds the perfect blend of drama and humor. Mill Creek’s DVD release looks and sounds great, but is barebones and doesn’t include any bonus material. This is an easy recommendation for fans of Hallmark and Lifetime style rom-coms.
Heaven Sent [DVD]
25% Off $15.99 $10.88 (as of November 16, 2024 04:14 GMT -05:00 – More infoProduct prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on [relevant Amazon Site(s), as applicable] at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.)
Heaven Sent
$9.99 (as of November 16, 2024 04:14 GMT -05:00 – More infoProduct prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on [relevant Amazon Site(s), as applicable] at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.)
