Sometimes life falls apart so fast you don't even have time to pack a bag. That is the core of Heart of the Country, a film that feels less like a polished Hollywood blockbuster and more like a long, deep sigh of relief. It came out back in 2013, starring Jana Kramer and Gerald McRaney, and honestly, it’s one of those movies that people either completely missed or have watched fourteen times on a rainy Sunday afternoon.
It’s about Faith Carraday. She’s got the perfect New York life, or so she thinks, until her husband gets arrested for a Wall Street Ponzi scheme. Suddenly, the money is gone. The friends are gone. The penthouse? Gone.
She goes home.
North Carolina.
What Actually Happens in Heart of the Country
The plot isn't trying to reinvent the wheel. Faith heads back to the family farm she abandoned years ago, crawling back to the father and sister she basically ghosted when she moved to the big city. It’s awkward. It’s painful. Watching Jana Kramer play Faith is interesting because she brings this specific kind of brittle vulnerability to the role. You can tell she’s terrified of being judged, but she’s even more terrified of being alone.
Gerald McRaney plays her father, Calvin. He’s the anchor. He doesn't give her a "told you so" speech, which is what most movie dads would do. Instead, he just lets her exist. There is a specific scene where they are just sitting on the porch, and the silence does more heavy lifting than five pages of dialogue ever could.
The movie was directed by Peter Lively. He clearly had a specific vision for the pacing—it’s slow. Not boring-slow, but life-slow. It mimics the way time feels when you’re grieving a life you thought you were going to have.
Why Heart of the Country Hits Differently Today
In a world of high-octane streaming content, this movie stands out because it’s so incredibly quiet. It deals with "prodigal daughter" themes without being overly preachy, though it definitely has its roots in faith-based storytelling. You don't have to be religious to get it, though. Anyone who has ever made a massive mistake and had to go home with their tail between their legs will feel seen by this script.
The film was actually based on a novel by Rene Gutteridge. If you’ve read the book, you know it dives a bit deeper into the internal monologue of the sister, Olivia. In the movie, the tension between the sisters is palpable but understated. Olivia stayed. Olivia did the hard work of looking after their dad. Faith left and lived the high life. That resentment doesn't just evaporate because Faith’s husband went to jail. It festers.
The Realism of the Financial Fall
One thing people often get wrong about Heart of the Country is assuming it's just a romance. It’s really not. While there is a love interest—a local guy named Luke—the real "romance" is Faith falling back in love with her own identity.
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The movie handles the "fall from grace" realistically. She doesn't just show up in North Carolina and immediately start wearing flannel and milking cows. She’s annoyed. She misses her espresso machine. She’s out of place in her designer heels on a dirt road. It’s a transition that takes the whole film to stick.
Most movies about "city girls going to the country" make the city look like a villainous place and the country look like a magical utopia. This film is more nuanced. New York wasn't bad; Faith’s choices and her husband's crimes were the problem. The country isn't perfect; it’s just where her roots are.
The Casting That Saved the Script
Let's talk about Jana Kramer. Most people know her from One Tree Hill or her country music career. She’s perfect for this because she actually is a country singer who knows the Nashville/North Carolina vibe. She isn't faking the accent. Her performance carries the movie through some of its more predictable beats.
Then there’s Randy Wayne as Luke. He plays the "nice guy" role without being a total door mat.
But really, it’s Gerald McRaney. If you know him from This Is Us or Major Dad, you know he has this "ultimate father figure" energy. He provides the gravitas that keeps the movie from feeling like a standard TV movie. When he looks at Faith, you see years of missed birthdays and unspoken apologies in his eyes.
Production Details You Might Not Know
- Location: The film was shot on location in North Carolina, specifically around Wilmington and the surrounding farmland. This gives it an authentic humidity. You can almost feel the heat coming off the screen.
- The Music: Since Kramer is a singer, the soundtrack is heavily influenced by country and folk. It fits the scenery perfectly.
- Budget: This wasn't a mega-million dollar production. It was an independent film that found its legs through word of mouth and DVD sales back when that was still a major thing.
The cinematography uses a lot of natural light. It’s golden. It’s warm. It makes the Carraday farm look like a sanctuary, which is exactly how Faith needs to see it.
Addressing the Critics: Is it Too Simple?
Critics at the time were a bit split. Some felt the pacing was too lethargic. Others thought the "husband in jail" subplot was resolved a bit too neatly.
They aren't entirely wrong. If you’re looking for a complex legal thriller about Wall Street fraud, this is not your movie. The husband’s legal troubles are basically just a plot device to get Faith back to the farm.
However, the "simplicity" is exactly why it has such a high re-watch value. We live in a complicated, loud, messy era. Watching a woman find her way back to a simple life is cathartic. It’s a "reset" movie.
There’s also the matter of the "faith-based" label. While produced by 20th Century Fox’s faith division (at the time), it doesn't hit you over the head with it. It’s more about the values of forgiveness and second chances. It’s universal stuff.
The Lasting Legacy of Heart of the Country
It is rare for a small indie film from over a decade ago to still be a staple on streaming platforms like Peacock or Amazon Prime. Why does it stay there? Because people keep searching for it.
The movie taps into a very specific American sentiment: the desire to go back to a time before things got complicated. It’s about the "Heart of the Country" both geographically and metaphorically. The "heart" is the family unit.
If you are going to watch it for the first time, don't expect The Godfather. Expect a glass of sweet tea on a porch during a thunderstorm. It’s that kind of vibe.
What to Do After Watching
If you’ve finished the movie and found yourself wanting more of that specific aesthetic or story type, there are a few concrete steps you can take to dive deeper into this sub-genre of storytelling.
- Read the Novel: Rene Gutteridge’s book offers a lot more context regarding Faith’s childhood and why she felt the need to flee to New York in the first place. It fills in the gaps the 90-minute runtime couldn't reach.
- Explore the Soundtrack: Jana Kramer’s music from that era, specifically songs like "Why Ya Wanna," captures the same emotional frequency as the film.
- Look for Similar "Homecoming" Stories: Movies like Sweet Home Alabama (the obvious one) or The Ultimate Gift offer similar themes but with different tonal shifts.
- Check Out Gerald McRaney’s Later Work: If his performance was your favorite part, his work in This Is Us is essentially the masterclass version of the "wise father" archetype he built in this film.
The best way to enjoy Heart of the Country is to go in without expectations of a complex plot. Let the atmosphere do the work. It’s a film about the fact that no matter how far you run or how badly you mess up, there is usually a road leading back to where you started. You just have to be brave enough to drive down it.