A Stranger's Heart Reviewed

Samantha Mathis and Peter Dobson star in this story of second chances. Callie (Mathis) suffers from a heart disease and when she checks into the hospital to wait for a new heart, she is surrounded by others who are in the same boat. Jasper (Dobson) is a fun-loving man with high hopes for the future, but Callie is not willing to join in his antics and practical jokes. She takes their situation seriously and knows that in order for her to get a new heart, someone else has to die.

After receiving their new organs, Callie and Jasper both feel a deep emotional involvement with a specific little girl. As a matter of fact, another new heart recipient experiences some strange cravings for strawberry soda, which she later discovers was her donor's favorite. This all leads Callie to ask the doctor about cell memory. Can a transplanted organ really bring the original person's feelings and memories with them when they are placed in a new body?

The story unfolds with Callie and Jasper as they grow closer while figuring out what to do about the little girl. The movie shows what organ donation means to many people - a second chance at life and love. And it also means a second chance for the organs, leading us to wonder if we're only flesh and blood or if there is something deeper within us that never dies, even when we do.

The story has been done before. We've seen many movies with organ recipients who feel things they never did prior to receiving their new organs. This show focuses on how the characters change and grow as a result of their surgeries. It is a heartfelt story (no pun intended) with plenty of emotion, but what else would you expect from a Hallmark Channel original movie?

A Stranger's Heart premiers Saturday, May 5 at 9/8c on The Hallmark Channel.