A Walton Thanksgiving Reunion

This is one of the better TV-movie reunions, and better than most of the 80s "Walton" reunions that were done the year following the original series' cancellation. Unlike the earlier sequels, virtually the entire cast is present here, with a very well-preserved Richard Thomas returning as John-Boy, and Michael Learned back as family matriarch Olivia, who has recovered from the tuberculosis that kept her sidelined during the series' later years. Even a very frail-looking Grandma is present, even though her portrayer, Ellen Corby, suffered a massive stroke in the middle of the series' run.

The storyline, which deals with the Walton family's reaction to JFK's assasination, tends to be a little maudlin, and it's set about eight years too far in the future to jibe with the series' timeline. And a few minor characters are either missing, like Mary Ellen's husband, Jonesy, or altogether unmentioned, like Mary Ellen's son John Curtis. But what makes this fun is the presence of the original cast, plus cameos from all sorts of recurring characters from the series (something most reunions never bother to do). Keep your eyes peeled for appearances by storekeepers Ike and Corabeth, their daughter Aimee, neighbor Verdie Foster, town idiot Yancy Tucker, Aunt Rose, Elizabeth's boyfriend Drew, and, best of all, unwitting moonshiners Emily and Mamie Baldwin.

Ok yes there are a lot of character inconsistencies in regards to the absence of Mary Ellens son John Curtis who would be more plausible being drafted into Nam than Jonsey was. And the absence of Ben and Cindy's 2nd born Charlie.

You could put the blame on the writers if they were new but these are veteran writers & director from the original series run. The main problem is the network execs who produced the film and figured it's been 11 years since the 1982 movies (that were made for a different network) that the fans probably wouldn't remember. I watched all three reunion films in the 90's I had hoped they would be of the same caliber as the first 5 seasons of the show but could never measure up.

I just re-watched this film tonight and well, I find it sentimental in parts. Far from perfect but a joy to have Richard & Michael back.

This had to be the worst "reunion of an old series" movie I have ever seen in my life. I was an avid watcher of the original series when I was a child, in the 1970s, and I kept with it until the series ended in the early 1980s. At the time, the farthest the series went was around the mid-1940s. I don't recall the series following through to the end of WWII, but it might have.

At that time, the older Walton kids were starting to marry and have families.

Now, here comes the reunion movie. It's 1963. And the Waltons are dragging their KIDS, YOUNG kids, home for the holidays. Hello? Are these kids made out of some material that only ages one year for every three?

Finally, dragging Ellen Corby out of the nursing home for this one was a mistake. I'd rather remember "Grandma" as she was, than to have her staggering, unable to speak, onto the set for this turkey.

I appreciated this movie very much. I enjoyed how they showed how much everyone had changed from the season. First they showed what they looked like in the series then what they looked like after the series. I was pleasantly surprised to see how much John Walton had changed since the series. He had such white hair and I think takes after his father Zeb Walton. I didn't know he made a mistake when he said "oh Pa. It's been 15 years and I miss you like it was yesterday." Then he says " I remember you once told me there's no pain like the one your kids can give you." I really took that to heart. I have to say I put my self in his place and could see where he was coming from. The mother look like she was getting tired of doing her role as Olivia Walton. Anyways, I really do hope they do a reunion movie again real soon. Thank you.

Recently, I watched the 1995 reunion special that followed this one, "A Walton Wedding." It was quite bad, so I had little hope for this one. Originally, I had taped this special when it aired in 1993, but at that time, I had not seen the original series for ten years. Now, in 2004, I am avidly watching the old re-runs on TVLand, so the comparison is immediate.

They got the mood right here, even if the set design and costuming left a lot to be desired. And, of course, there's the time-table debacle. Choosing 1963 is ludicrous, especially when John Walton (the father) comments that Grandpa has been dead for fifteen years. Since he died in 1940/41, the year would be 1955/56. (The reason it's uncertain...between seasons six and seven of the original series, they jumped forward a year, from Spring 1940 to Fall 1941, so Grandpa's death is not exact.) Regardless, for a series that held so close to a distinct time-line, this variance is annoying. As a previous poster stated, the grandchildren should be much older, as of course, should the original kids.

It is great to see the cameos, though Aimee Godsey's character is short-changed. Plus, where's Mary Ellen's 22 year-old son, John Curtis? Obviously, everyone should be ten years older than they are portrayed.

The house interior should be more updated. The exterior is not as authentic as the original, which burned down prior to this special. It is my understanding that they rebuilt it on the same spot.

The women's costuming is fairly accurate, but the men's hairstyles are way off. I didn't get a 1963 vibe.

Storywise, I'm disappointed with John-Boy's position, and you'd have expected the Walton lumber mill to have grown in 20 years. In the old series, Elizabeth was preoccupied with detectives, so I expected a different career for her. And what's up with Walton girls and marriage? Plus, why do Walton boys marry such shrews??

But, again, this is far better than the 1995 sequel, and the final 1997 special. Maybe they'll do one more, but I bet they'll set it in 1976, or some such crazy year, and further distort the reality.

I tried to contact the guy who runs the official Walton's web site, but he wasn't very hospitable. Two years ago, there was a rumor of another special being made, but it proved false.

Again, it is great to watch the original series on TVLand. It is my memory that season eight and nine left a lot to be desired, especially after "Olivia" left, and they replaced John-Boy.