The cinematography in this movie gives the soul the space and wings to soar! The rivers and lakes are swarming with schools of fish, skirted by beautifully dense woods filled with chirping crickets. The lush green pastures with rich black earth are ripe with enormous wiggling worms - great pickin' for fish-bait.The characters and the plot are heartwarming - yet heartbreaking.A handsome WWII soldier wandering the countryside trying to outpace the grief that dogs his every step since returning stateside.A pretty widow with a warm heart who takes loving care of her deceased husbands' brain-addled aged grandmother.A lonely young mute boy, makes one wonder if it is perhaps from his young mother's death or his runaway fathers abandonment of him.The town and it's cast of characters are quite charming - they make one long to move to this little friendly town in the valley of yesteryear.Throw in a mess of fishin' to boot and this is a MARS & VENUS Movie. The finale of this movie gives ones' soul hope and that's no tall tale. Don't let this movie be - "The One That Got Away"!

The movie was fun to make! I was Matthew's stand in. I grew up around the area where the lake scenes were filmed, and when Noah gets off the bus in the beginning. It was very exciting to be a part of something like this, and awesome to meet Chris Klein,Zach Mills, and Jay O. Sanders. Everyone treated each other with kindness, even the stars were kind! And I'm definitely proud to say that I got to work closely with them for a month. I enjoy being able to point out Zach Mills whenever he appears on TV and say that I know him. Very Exciting! I wish I could continue doing stand-in work on a perm basis, but its a very tough business to break into. BTW - HEY KERRY!!! How are you and Zach doing???Keaton

This film was very refreshing to watch and enjoy because of the very down to earth story of a small town after WW II and the deep effects war has on people and how it can ruin people mentally and physically. Chris Klein,(Noah), "The Long Weekend", plays the role of a soldier wandering around and just plain getting out in nature and sleeping under the stars and mostly fishing. Noah meets up with an old gentleman who tells him how to fish like a professional and also directs him on the right path for him to take into a wonderful valley where there is a nice small town and good fishing in a lake. Noah meets up with all the local town people and also with Gretchen Mol (Eleanor) "Attracton" who gives a great performance as a woman who is deeply troubled and living with a grandmother who only wants to eat Hersey Bars. Sweet lovable story back when they had rumble seats in the back of cars. Enjoy

"The Valley of Light" is a drama with a little bit of romance. I echo the other comments about the refreshing lack of foul language and violence that passes for entertainment nowadays. It's also great to see courtesy, good manners and integrity given prominence.The drama centers on a man (Noah) troubled by his service in the military (post WWII). Without family to fall back on, he goes on his own "odyssey", following whatever river he happens to find himself on and fishing for food. One river takes him to an encounter with an old man who has some encouraging and enlightening words for him, as well as a possible path.In the next town over the ridge, he finds some answers to what he needs in life, befriending a mute boy in need of a father and a widow woman in need of love. When a crisis hits, Noah has to decide whether to cut and run or work with the relationships he has built to that point.Nearly all of us define our lives by the relationships we hold dear, and the movie does an excellent job in showing how Noah developed his relationships with the mute boy, the widow, and the rest of the townspeople. I found myself (a techie guy who works on computers all day) while watching the movie longing to go to that time of no gadgets or TV. Beautifully filmed, good acting and story come together for an enjoyable movie.