This 2000 TV movie has many things going for it. First off the legendary Maureen O'Hara, in her 80s, and looking as spectacular as she did in her 20s and 30s and 40s. Who can forget HOW GREEN WAS MY VALLEY, FOXES OF HARROW, LONG GRAY LINE, THE QUIET MAN, THE BLACK SWAN and those endearing John Ford films with her and her co-star John Wayne?
She sometimes was so incredibly beautiful you forgot that she could also act. Not to be outdone by The Duke, she held her own. In this sweet story she shows another side of her beauty; the simplicity of just being a woman. With elegance and without effort she radiates even the small TV screen. Those eyes! Her perfect diction and faded beauty enhance the performance. You can't stop watching her.
Not to be pushed away, there is also the quiet and thoughtful performance of Eric Stolz, who I have grown to respect over the years his body of work. I won't belabor the story as other critics have mentioned that, but I did want to pay respect to the actors and to the writers, namely, Todd F. Cope, Beth Polson and Dalene Young, who wrote the perfect vehicle for their star. And thanks Kevin Dowling for all those O'Hara closeups. Wow!
