Movie Feature & Giveaway: Heart of the Country

Just out on BluRay/DVD (tomorrow!), Heart of the Country has a few things going for it that caught my attention. First and foremost, it was filmed in Wilmington, North Carolina, very close to the town I visited when Safe Haven was being filmed. As you'll see in the guest post from Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment, North Carolina, is a very popular place with filmmakers; it's hard to resist the beauty of the state, whether you're on the coast or in the mountains.

I also love that Heart of the Country is based on a novel (as are the other movies mentioned below) and stars ACM's New Female Vocalist of the Year for 2013, Jana Kramer. With good scenery and good music, you can't go wrong. Here's the premise of the movie (from the studio):

Based on the novel by Rene Gutteridge and John Ward, Heart of the Country is a love story starring country music singer Jana Kramer (One Tree Hill), Randy Wayne (True Blood), and Gerald McRaney (Major Dad). Faith (Kramer) and Luke (Wayne) have it all. Faith is a beautiful singer and Luke is an up-and-coming businessman. When their life together is shattered and she is forced to return home to the family she turned her back on years ago, she must find the strength to love again. Watch Jana Kramer in her first leading movie role in the year's most inspirational and romantic movie event when it debuts on DVD from Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment on August 20.

A rainy summer night is the perfect time to head indoors to watch a sweet love story mixed with family drama. Watch the trailer, and read the guest post. Then be sure to see how you can enter for a chance to win a copy of both the movie and the book!

North Carolina in Movies

North Carolina is certainly not the state that springs to mind when you think about locations where movies are filmed. Most people immediately think of California or New York, but North Carolina has surprisingly made a name for itself as a fantastic location for filming. Over the years, the number of films shot in the eastern state has grown and now there are a wide variety of genres included on the list. Here, we count down some of the most picturesque movies filmed in North Carolina.

Heart of the Country: Many members of the cast and crew for Heart of the Country likely felt right at home while filming in Wilmington. The singer and actress Jana Kramer had previously spent many years filming scenes for One Tree Hill in the beach town. Director and writer John Ward grew up in Wilmington and began his career there. In fact, some classmates of Ward’s from Cape Fear Academy helped out with the movie. Ward clearly captured the beauty in the coastal region of North Carolina through this film.

A Walk to Remember: The majority of the movies based on Nicholas Sparks' books are located and filmed in North Carolina including Safe Haven and Message in a Bottle. But, A Walk to Remember stands out among the rest as it really captures the southern beauty of NC. Even the houses and white church where Landon and Jamie are married represent the feel of living in this coastal state. The movie was filmed in Wilmington and used many of the sets from Dawson’s Creek.

Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood: Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood was filmed in Wilmington at the same time as A Walk to Remember and Dawson’s Creek. Seven other small towns in the state were used for various scenes in the film. The scenic Orton Plantation, which has been spotted in over 20 films, also makes an appearance. Visitors to Fort Knox might recognize the winding roads from the scene where ViVi is driving along the coast.

The Secret Life of Bees: The Secret Life of Bees was shot entirely in North Carolina in the small towns of Lumberton and Watha. The film captured the true essence of old southern homes. The audience gets a true picture of the plants and flowers that are often seen throughout North Carolina. The Secret Life of Bees not only told a beautiful story but also portrayed a beautiful image of this southeastern state.

The Giveaway: Thanks to Think Jam and Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment, I am pleased to offer one of my readers with a U.S. mailing address a copy of both the BluRay/DVD of Heart of the Country and the book the movie was based on. All you have to do for a chance to win this prize pack is fill out the following form. I'll pick a winner via random number generator on August 29. Once the winner has been confirmed, I'll erase all personal information from my computer. Good Luck!