The best Stephanie Northrup’s drama movies

A privileged girl and a charismatic boy's instant desire sparks a love affair made only more reckless by parents trying to keep them apart.

With her husband jailed for Wall Street-based fraud, Faith has to leave behind her luxury life in New York to return home to North Carolina and the widower father and dutiful older sister she left behind. Together, they have to deal with the buried emotions of sudden death of Faith’s mother years ago, and learn to be a family again. Like the Prodigal story, Heart of the Country is a tale of a father’s unconditional love. He simply wants a relationship with his children, and once that relationship is restored, he begins to create healing for his broken daughter. Her marriage has to be rebuilt, her belief in herself, and her peace with her mother’s death all come together through the quiet, selfless guidance of her loving father. The novel, written by Rene Gutteridge from the original screenplay by filmmaker John Ward, takes us from the glamour of Manhattan to the open beauty of the fields of rural Columbus County, North Carolina as the timeless tale of the Prodigal Son is reborn!

Seven years ago, Sissy Carlyle's parents were killed in an icy car crash. While her charming irresponsible brother continued his questionable pursuits, Sissy stepped in to take care of their parents' antique shop, their home and the family cat Horatio. With her own life at a screeching halt, Sissy begins to fill 11 secret journals with the exciting adventures of daring, bold women she imagines she could be. Now her 27th birthday is just days away and Sissy decides to fill her 12th journal with the adventures of her real life - but much to her dismay, she has absolutely nothing to write about. Then one afternoon, an intriguing young performance artist walks into Sissy's shop and their chance encounter leads Sissy to face a tough choice - to remain safely cocooned in her fantasy lives or to take a chance and discover what her real life might become