The Lost Husband

A homespun, heartfelt yarn.

Leslie Bibb and Josh Duhamel

Based on the 2013 novel of the same name by The New York Times bestselling author Katherine Center, The Lost Husband is the story of a woman learning to live with the bitter while finding the sweet. After the loss of her husband, Libby (Leslie Bibb) accepts an invitation to stay on her Aunt’s farm in the Texas hills. When she arrives there with her two children, Aunt Jean (Nora Dunn) announces that Libby will have to earn her keep by helping with the farm work, namely the goats and the production of goat cheese. Thankfully, hunky ‘farm manager’ James O’Connor (Josh Duhamel) is there to show her the ropes... The quiet, wide open spaces found down on the farm provide an idyllic setting for this Hallmark-wholesome drama.

Call it a Nicholas Sparks-reminiscent romance without the dire stakes. Directorial inexperience is often on display here, including some awkward moments better left on the cutting room floor. Readers of the novel may be able to resolve inconsistencies in the easy-going plot. Although predictable, this well-intentioned and light-hearted cinematic chicken soup for the soul may be just what’s called for right now. After taking a Texas two-step due to Covid-19, the film has transitioned from a limited US theatrical release to video on demand across multiple platforms.

CHAD KENNERK

Cast: Leslie Bibb, Josh Duhamel, Kevin Alejandro, Herizen F. Guardiola, Sharon Lawrence, Carly Pope, Georgia King, Nora Dunn, Isiah Whitlock Jr, Callie Hope Haverda.

Dir Vicky Wright, Pro Leslie Bibb, Bridget Stokes and Vicky Wright, Screenplay Vicky right, from the novel by Katherine Center, Ph Aaron Kovalchik, Pro Des Diz Jeppe, Ed Suzanne Spangler, Music Sherri Chung, Costumes Olivia Mori.

Six Foot Pictures-Universal Studios.
110 mins. USA. 2020. Rel: 10 April 2020 - across multiple platforms. Cert. PG.