The Locket
The Locket
| 08 December 2002 (USA)
The Locket Trailers

A bereaved man takes a job at a health care center, where he befriends an elderly and embittered woman - and as time passes, he becomes obsessed with reuniting her with her long-lost true love.

Reviews
Amy Adler

Michael (Chad Willett) had been taking care of his ailing and dying mother for years, preventing him from working elsewhere. The two couldn't afford other care and Michael wanted to stay with his mother anyway, due to longterm abuse by the father (Terry O'Quinn), no longer around. Now, with his mother deceased, Michael wonders what to do with himself. Happily, a job in a nursing home opens up near him, fitting his skills in patient care. Also, Michael has submitted an application for a major college scholarship. Perhaps, at some near point, Michael can get married to his longtime, beautiful girlfriend, Faye (Marguerite Moreau). Not so fast, alas. One, Faye gets accepted to UCLA medical school, a long distance away from Nevada. Two, and more importantly, Faye's father asks Michael to exit her life, feeling he is not good enough for his little gal. Huh. In the meanwhile, Michael makes friends with a lonely resident, Esther (Vanessa Redgrave), whose will to live is not strong. She has a locket and a tale of lost love in her head, you see. But, Michael succeeds in gaining her trust and affection. The handsome nurse's aid even begins a search for E's former, near-fiancé. Yet, because Faye leaves to go to school and their future is uncertain, Michael accepts a New Year's Eve outing with fellow worker Alice. This young lady is the daughter of the owner and she is being groomed for a leadership position. However, although at times she seems friendly, Michael is aghast to find her abusing a patient, Henry (Brock Peters). All too soon, Michael is framed for murder, instead, for this abuse, as Henry dies soon after. Michael tells his court-appointed attorney that he is innocent. But, wait kind of future awaits this seemingly fine man?This is a lovely film, made with care by the high-standard folks at Hallmark. The cast, including the superb Redgrave and Mary McConnell as the nursing home director, gives the movie a powerful asset, for the story has almost too many matters to lay out. These include spousal abuse, nursing home situations, lost loves, murder, and the more. It's almost too much to fit into one flick! That said, the setting is quite lovely and the direction keeps the tale from becoming totally derailed. Those who like Hallmark films should find this new addition to the Hall of Fame offerings.

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Warren Kwek

The Locket is a movie mainly about faith. Michael Keddington lost his mother due to lung cancer which made him devastated...not to mention his alcoholic father...Due to his doctor's advice, he decided to work in White wood, an old-folks home. There he was assigned to take care of a bitter reluctant old woman named Esther Huish. She didn't accept Michael at first but soon she found out that both of them had similar problems in their life. So she befriended him...guiding him in everything. She taught him how to forgive and how to have faith in everything he does. Shortly, after everything Michael was facing was solved, Esther died of old age along with other health problems.This show has proved itself to be a remarkable Hallmark film. When I watched this spectacular movie, I was overwhelmed. It's all about romance, drama, and most importantly...faith. It's almost a crime to miss it. If you're from Malaysia, catch it on Hallmark channel Astro...

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Melissa Alice

This story, set in a nursing home, is more than it at first appears. With a thickening plot and emotional turmoil building, a young man named Michael (played well by Chad Willet) cares for an elderly woman named Esther (played very well by Vanessa Redgrave). Or is it that Esther cares for Michael? One part I didn't like much was in a dance setting (kissing), but overall it was a very decent film with no swearing. With great acting a touching story, this is another winner from Hallmark Hall of Fame.

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vchimpanzee

At the start of the movie a man is caring for his dying mother. We later find out his father was a drunk who left them. After the mother dies, the man goes to work in an elegant nursing home and meets Esther, a bitter elderly woman played convincingly by Vanessa Redgrave. Both of them help each other resolve problems from their pasts. In Esther's case, a man named Thomas went to war without knowing how she felt about him. Both ended up marrying other spouses and the romance that could have been was not allowed to happen. The man sees Esther's and Thomas' pictures in a locket and tries to find Thomas. Meanwhile, the man ends up losing his girlfriend when she goes away to school, and her father wants him to stay away from her so she will complete her education. Esther also persuades the man to confront his father. The movie gets quite interesting after the man dates a co-worker who ends up causing trouble for him; she only works at the home because of family connections, and does not have the real concern for people her job would require. A pleasant family movie with some adult situations but no sex or bad language and only hints of and discussions about violence.

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