My Antonia

This dramatization follows the novel faithfully, and is a tribute to its producers and to the cable network who aired it. Although Willa Cather had intended that her works not be filmed, I believe that she would have been proud of this production. Most persons agree that Antonia Shimerda is one of Cather's most memorable heroines. I found the casting for the role of Lena Lingard to be uncannily on target for Jim's sweetheart. Willa Cather stands alone, in my opinion, for her ability to create characters that you not only feel you know, but do not want to give up when you have finished the book. In my case, I choose to re-read them several times.

In many ways a book can be made into an excellent film. This of course, was not one of those occasions. As boring as the book was, the film version was even worse. There were so many inaccuracies. So many in fact; I could not keep track of what was in the movie that was not in the book and vice versa. It was like a nightmare. First of all, the introduction in the book where we learned that Jim and the author met on a train out west was not in the film, so as a viewer, I was lost. Another thing I noticed right off was the fact that in the film, Jim's grandfather has no beard, yet in the book, Jim talks about his grandfather's long white beard. The storyline itself in the film was so far out of whack; it did not follow the book very well at all. There were points in the film that occurred before they did in the book, quite a lot of them. In the book, Jim's grandfather seems to be jovial, but in the film, he is shown to be a wretched old man. Also, in the book, when the reader learns about Pavel being hurt and his imminent death, the grandmother encourages Jimmy to go, as well as making sandwiches. In the film however, the grandfather tried to persuade Jimmy not to go. At Christmastime in the book, Antonia's father stays for dinner with the Burden's, but in the film, says he must leave, and does without eating. By this time, I was starting to wonder where Jack was at. He was nowhere to be found in the film. In the book though, he comes with Jim from Virginia. Towards the end of the film when Jim returns to visit Antonia and her husband and children, the narrator states that it has been fifteen years since he last saw her. In the book, the time between when Jim last saw Antonia and when he goes back is set at twenty years. The film could have been much better, but the quality shines through a television film and keeps on going, causing dullness. The acting was mediocre, both by Jason Robards and Neil Patrick Harris who I have seen much better work from. The scenery and cinematography of the film were most likely the best part.

For me, "My Antonia" is sacred ground. This film isn't perfect (especially when they try to create unnecessary romance), but often brings the novel alive in a way that doesn't really match my own imagining of it, but is powerful enough in its way. Above all, Elina Löwensohn is perfect as Antonia (if again not quite the woman I pictured, nor quite like Anna Pavelka, the real-life model). She really has a compelling energy and above all the cheerful life force that carries "Our" Antonia through so many trials. The film is necessarily a little telegraphic, given how much there is to fit in, but does a respectable job with the allotted time. But above all it is Löwensohn (who has never stopped working since, yet seems to have never broken through) who anchors the film. (Oh, and years ago my friend Endre Hules told me he was shooting a Willa Cather piecel; for some reason, I thought it was "Oh Pioneers". But here he is as Russian Peter :) ).

How many chances do you need? It seemed like Jimmy got so many possibilities, but he did not take any. I always thought/still think that true love is much stronger.

Overall the film was pretty disappointing. The aging process was like a bad comedy, no themes we have not seen before and the acting of most of them not catching. And why is a Rumanian girl pretending to speak czech, for Eastern countries this film is a joke! Only Jan Triska, the only real czech, shows how to speak the language. Was it so difficult to find native czech speakers, who was casting? But if you still decide to watch this film, the scenery is beautiful and Jason Robards sr. always a pleasure to watch.

This was a great movie. It worked as an intriguing slice of American history, as a drama of pure, youthful love and as a portrait of two grandparents' affection, pride and protection for their orphaned grandson.

Unlike some "made-for-TV" movies, the breaks for commercials were almost never awkward or noticeable, and production quality was worthy of the big screen. As an unexpected bonus, the rolling Nebraska landscape was surprisingly beautiful.

One of my great-grandfathers lived in a sod homestead in western Nebraska in the late 1800s, just like Antonia. I found it compelling to consider the contrasts between her existence in the movie, and my midwestern life in 1999.

"My Antonia" delivers a little heartbreak but lots of hope, and I rate it 9 out of 10 stars!