NR | 1h 27m | Romance | 2021
There is a recurring pattern in many romance-driven stories known as “chick flicks.” They often lean heavily into either suggestive content or emotional turns, like sudden betrayals or broken relationships, and sometimes both.
The subgenre of faith-based romance has emerged that feels more like a loping ride than a dramatic gallop. These films tend to skip the smut and pass over the trauma, opting instead for hope, healing, and heartfelt connections. They are low-stress, high-heart movies that leave viewers feeling like they’re riding a gentle horse over a winding trail.
Caught in a Rut
At the heart of the story is Paisley Sheridan (Hedy Nasser). Sheridan traded her small-town past for big-city ambition, only to find herself unexpectedly returning to the land her grandfather left her, the Brightstar Ranch. The ranch is filled with childhood memories and unspoken promises. Now, it becomes her newest mission: transforming it into a therapeutic haven for children who have suffered emotional wounds.
Paisley’s vision is rooted in both compassion and personal experience. She wants the ranch to become a space where kids can bond with horses, learn to trust again, and just be kids laughing, learning, and healing under the wide Montana sky.
Grace Finds a Way
Enter Josh Lake (Jonathan Stoddard), Paisley’s ex-boyfriend from high school. Lake’s dealing with professional fallout of his own. A marketing executive from Denver, Lake’s world has just come crashing down after a serious accusation forces him into an unexpected hiatus.When fate, and a broken alternator lead him to a quiet café in Big Sky, he’s surprised to find Paisley standing there. Despite their awkward past, circumstances lead Lake to the ranch. There he sees the heart behind her dream. He offers his marketing help in the form of branding, promotion, and eventually, a bold idea: a fundraising ball to rally the community.
The film’s narrative is simple but sincere. It doesn’t rely on melodrama or artificial tension. Instead, it explores how faith, forgiveness, and hard-earned trust can mend old wounds between people and within themselves.
Josh and Paisley may be in different worlds now, but their shared history, their individual trials, and the people who support them, like Josh’s brother Sam, who brings levity and loyalty, create a foundation worth rebuilding.
What makes “Finding Love in Big Sky, Montana” stand out isn’t just the romance, but the deeper message. Sometimes when doors close, it’s not the end but the beginning of something unexpected and grace-filled.
Whether through the healing power of horses, the steadfastness of a small town, or the rekindling of a bond once thought broken, the film affirms that purpose and love often arrive hand in hand.
