The People

After spending more than a year tracking this movie down, I finally found one on ebay.

Yes, it's disappointing to anyone who's read the books and it is based more on the story Pottage and certainly not the entire book. Francher doesn't belong in Bendo and neither does Bethie. The film takes elements from a few of Zenna's stories and creates a tale from them to fit a typical 70's TV movie.

It's ok but not what any devotee of Zenna Hendersons work would expect but if, like me, you have taken the People to heart, then this is a nice movie to add to your collection.

Well, darn... another movie that got completely ruined for me simply because I unsuspectingly read a plot synopsis somewhere. "The People" is about a young teacher who moves to a remote and secluded community (more remote or more secluded than this really isn't possible), but rapidly discovers there's something peculiar about this community. They have strange but very strict rules, and even stranger powers.

See, that is where any plot description for the film should stop, but the one I read - and almost every description/review since - also blatantly reveals the explanation of why the people in this little town are so strange. And you are not supposed to know that! It's called a plot twist!! When will websites learn?

Anyways, even with the climax ruined, "The People" remains an enjoyable made-for-television drama/thriller from the glorious early 70s. It isn't nearly as good or memorable as several other TV-thrillers from that era, but it features the same uncanny atmosphere, gritty setting, and enigmatic performances (notably from Dan Herlihy). William Shatner seems a bit disorientated as the hunky and charismatic doctor in a town where nobody cares about appearances, and lead actress Kim Darby has trouble carrying the film.

Okay, I admit, this is a pretty lame movie, and yet I still remember it and even bought the video several years ago for about $5. I made my boyfriend watch it with me and he laughed through the whole thing. I was offended! (Not really) The thing that always got me about this movie was the haunting quality of the people and their community. The music when the kids are floating in the glen, the pictures they draw of their home world. It just worked for me, but then I'm a sci-fi and fantasy nut, while my b/f is a business and computer guy!

Eager young schoolteacher, anxious for some peace and quiet in her life, accepts a teaching position in a mountain community with shuffling children who aren't allowed to sing, play music or have any fun; she seeks solace from the local doctor, who is the only resident with any personality. From Zenna Henderson's compilation of stories, this TV-movie, executive produced by Francis Ford Coppola, has an interesting main character (played well by Kim Darby) and scenario, but its explanation of the mystery is a little ritzy and complicated. Director John Korty sets a deliberately slow pace, with individual sequences edited to make a big impact. This works for awhile--aided by Darby's performance--until the plot loses momentum in the second-half. A tasty suggestion of what might have been, had Coppola aimed for a theatrical release with a bigger budget and a brighter script.

I saw this when it first came out (I was at an SF Con at the time) and then later in a re-run. Considering the budget constraints of 1970s TV Sci-Fi movies, they did an impressive amount of story telling, mixing two of the first 'People' stories to re-cast the tale for non-fans. The cast gives good performances (Shatner is not the ham he usually is), the 'special effects' are limited to wires and a series of crayon drawn pictures which tell the background very effectively. This is actually the second 'People' filming -- Science Fiction Theater ripped off the same story for one of its episodes. Zenna Henderson's People stories were collected by NESFA Press and can be found at Amazon.com and elsewhere.