A Waltons Thanksgiving

Why on earth would you even try to redo/imitate an iconic show like The Waltons? There's no point, especially when the end result is mediocre at best. The only way A Waltons Thanksgiving works is if you know nothing whatsoever about the original show, or better yet, never even heard of it. And you'd also have to know absolutely nothing about the Great Depression and its grinding poverty; segregation and the Jim Crow south; rural farm life; social hierarchy; and just life in general in the mid-1930s. It was no happy-go-lucky picnic back then.

The acting in this movie is average at best, with occasional scenery-chewing by Bellamy Young (Olivia). But then Patricia Neal and Michael Learned are very tough acts to follow.

The dialogue in this movie was also way off, at times much more 2022 than 1934. The clothes were too bright and spiffy. In 1934, no rural farm family would waste pumpkins to decorate a porch. They'd be pureed and canned for winter or stored in the root cellar. Food was not for decoration. And in the mountains of Virginia, is it really warm enough in late November to eat Thanksgiving dinner outside in short sleeved clothes?

These may seem like nit-picky observations, but to a true Waltons fan, they matter. Hence, this movie would be best targeted to a Waltons newbie.

Very disappointing.

Everything about this special wrong based on the original series. The period piece was all wrong for the children, the parents and the area were so far off from the original premise of the Earl Hamner's masterpiece.

I see that many people see this as a good old fashion wholesome television, but if you'd seen the original cast and understood the messages they were conveying, you'd understand that this version of the series is way off.

The real Walton's were dirt poor struggling with almost every aspect of life. This one shows a family with far more wealth than they really had and far more levity than shown.

The casting of the characters was poor and the acting portrayed a view of perfect people rather than country folk.

We watched the entire episode but wouldn't put this in any category with the original series and I'm shocked that Richard Thomas would associate the Waltons name with this rendition.

A beautiful movie that had the perfect combination of drama and comedic elements. Add an amazing cast of characters and we have a winner. I'm loving the new Waltons movies and like to think of them as a reimagination of the original Waltons as opposed to a remake. I love the storyline and how they brought Ben back, as well as anything related to The Baldwin Sisters. Where did they find these funny talented ladies? They are perfect in their roles. Bellamy Young is also perfect as Olivia and really carries the show- She and the new father had great chemistry together. Another role that was perfectly cast was John Boy. I really love Logan Shroyer's version. I'm really hoping that The CW makes more movies or a series soon- Great job CW!

'Nuff said.

Everything you wanted in a sentimental, nostalgic heartstring Tugger- and less.

If you want to watch the waltons, find out what channel is doing the reruns or get the DVDs from Netflix or eBay or Amazon. I don't even know if it's streaming anywhere, but this... this is a travesty. This reminds me of an episode of Happy Days where Mr Cunningham had paid for a TV advert and the studio replaced him and Marion with perfect Teeth perfect hair facsimiles, and Howard got to play the stock boy. Pretty ridiculous right? All I can figure here is that Mr Thomas needed a paycheck, and enough for decades so fast that they didn't figure anybody would get too upset or be too unhappy with this bizarre, otherworldly alternate reality version.

This is the second TV-movie on The CW to feature the Walton family played by new actors, with Richard Thomas as the narrator.

Once again the family is supposedly going through a hard time, but in the middle of The Depression, they live in a nice house which probably needs painting, and John-Boy has his own room. The clothes don't look quite as good but that's just because the family members are shown working.

Everyone is polite (or at least they can be) and brothers and sisters bicker, as they do, but there is love here. There are family values and the need to be responsible is shown.

Ryan Newman does a great job as the abused kid who works for the fair. He shows a positive attitude and intelligence and he is quite a salesman.

Rebecca Koon also stands out as the somewhat less than perfect Grandma. Alpha Trivette is somewhat less colorful and more moral than Will Geer but still a fine man.

The first movie was G-rated. This one could have been although it has a couple of bad words and just enough suggested violence to get the point across. The boy is kicked a couple of times but never hit on screen.

And, of course, there are references to drinking. Usually it is the perfectly harmless Baldwins' "recipe".

Marcelle LeBlanc is a very good singer. Christian Finlayson is a good banjo player.

The movie doesn't quite live up to the ideal of the TV series but it is good family entertainment everyone can enjoy. It's almost as good as the Christmas movie from last year.