Sarah, Plain and Tall

I had always heard good things about this film but never got around to seeing it. My 8 year old daughter loves books on the prairie life and we saw the video at the library so we watched it and we were both so moved, so impressed. A lovely film, wonderfully acted - Walken is a nice surprise - after a long, Hollywood career playing weirdos and sickos - he gives a fully realized, delicate, heartbreaking performance as a widower Kansas farmer. The children stay away from cliched, hammy acting and the whole thing is touching and sweet.

"Sarah, Plain and Tall" is a beautifully told story. It has a nice vibe to it. It grabs hold of you right away. It has a lot of emotion but it never gets sappy. I've never been a fan of Glenn Close. I could only take or leave her. But I have to admit, Close does a very good job in this movie. The rest of the cast is also very good, especially the children. "Sarah, Plain and Tall" never fails to hit the spot. I need to watch this one more often.

They had a real nice feel for the time and place with this one....I remember enjoying it alot. Oceans of grass to replace the Maine woods and shore, different mores and a different way of thinking. Walken really plays against type here, he is quiet and turned inwards...Little House on the Prairie done by Hallmark, if you will.

*** outta ****

What a nice movie! In this day-and-age, a movie this low-key and simply nice is refreshing to see. It's almost shocking, especially with Christopher Walken, playing against type. He and Glenn Glose end up being an inspiring romantic couple.

What I think I enjoyed best was the wonderful cinematography. With all the beautiful rural scenery, it was pretty to see. It was also nice to see Walken play a role this sedate and a pleasure to see a modern film that featured well-mannered kids, not spoiled brats. In fact, there are no nasty people nor bad language is this film, either.

Unlike many films which call themselves "family-oriented," this one truly lives up to that billing. It's not anything super dramatic that will knock your socks off, but a pleasant, very nice low-key 98 minutes to kick back and relax watching.

Nice little movie about life in the Prairie and about how a young widower can make a new life, and how his two children can relate to a new women coming to their home to "replace" their mother. No clichés (there could have been scores of them), sensitive story, good casting. Never before that movie had I sensed how Kansas and Maine, two states in the same country, can be so far apart, geographically and culturally.