A Painted House

Overall entertaining, but you will not find the movie as captivating as the book. I thought that the film was entertaining, but never delivered the emotion and punch that I felt while reading the novel. The Spruill characters were believable, but I had imagined Hank to be a larger and more menacing physical specimen than the movie portrayed.

I'll cut to the chase... there have been lots of adaptations on both movies and TV based on John Grisham novels don't they? THE FIRM, THE PELICAN BRIEF, THE CLIENT (the 1994 movie and the TV show that was made in the two following years), THE CHAMBER, A TIME TO KILL and RUNAWAY JURY are just a few and also the most overplayed on TV. Curiously in the same year of RUNAWAY JURY they made yet another adaptation but as a TV movie, A PAINTED HOUSE. After all those adaptations one would ask if this up-teenth adaptation is good as the others or not. My answer would be... it is, and now I'll discuss it.

The story is set in 1950s Arkansas when the Chandler family composed by Eli (Scott Glenn), Kathleen, Jesse (Robert Sean Leonard), Granny (Melinda Dillon), Luke (Logan Lerman) has to face lots of hardships because the cotton harvest hasn't been successful and they depend on it so they count on increase the production and sell it to the best buyers. They'll succedd not after they ask help to the Spruill family composed by Tally, Pops (Geoffrey Lewis) and Hank (Pablo Schreiber), and the Chandler family will also manage to finish painting the barn referred in the title.

The premise is good but the main reason to watch this is the acting. Glenn as usual never disappoints, Schreiber and Sean Leonard are the standouts of the supporting players and overall, there is a certain feel good atmosphere to it that it makes this a perfect comfort movie (in other words, one of those movies one watches when doesn't want to think too much). Worth seeing since it's also available on YouTube.

Basically the movie consisted of a few highlighted clips from the book. It failed to get across the essence of the book. In particular the sense of family and the desire and ability to help others regardless of economic status.

As I remember, hair was cut a lot shorter in 1952.

I'm sorry I watched the move as it destroyed the good memories that I had from the book.

I grew up in Memphis, TN. across the river from where this movie was made. I can relate to the farm life portrayed. I read the book by Grisham and was surprised to see the story line was followed so well by the movie. Not like some others such as "The Firm" by Grisham. The special effects were good (Tornado) and the scenes in town were very good. The local extras were well chosen. Another Hallmark production that deserves an "A".

Overall, it was an ok made for t.v movie. The acting was good, and there was nothing particularly wrong with the cinematography. The only problem was the story line. It goes from here to there with nothing to tie it together in between. The movie also comes with a rather un-satisfying ending. But if you are at home one night with nothing else to do it is an enjoyable-enough two hours.