Jessica

I thought this movie was absolutely excellent. Leeanna Walsman was so convincing as the lead character 'Jessica' that i'm still feeling upset about her plight two days after seeing the story. This truly is one of those shows that you really want to find out what happens but feel a little disappointed that it has to end.

Great acting from the whole cast, beautiful cinematography and a story that'll keep you talking for days. Having not read the book i'm not sure how the movie has measured up to the novel but i have to say this is the best telemovie i have ever seen. If you have an interest in Australian history or simply love a good story you wont be disappointed with this one. As i said "absolutely excellent".

We watched the mini series "Jessica" and loved it. I haven't read the book before seeing the feature, so don't have any prior opinions about the story.

'Jessica' was a wonderful story, combining both happy moments with incredibly sad. Leeanna Walsman playing Jessica was a very very strong character, and we're still talking about her performance, with a tear in our eye, days after watching. Originally we watched to see performances from actors we know well and enjoy, such as Sam Neill, John Howard and Tony Martin....but found that Leeanna's performance overshadowed all of them.

Thoroughly enjoyed 'Jessica', and want to see it all again.

Though I only had an extra part I can highly recommend this film as a superb drama. A true story set in colonial Australia in the early 1900's. A very good adaptation of Bryce Courtenay's book "Jessica" (well worth the read) to the screen. Leanna Walsman gives a powerful performance in the title role and Sam Neill as the rummy solicitor gives a fine portrayal, while you'll love to hate Lisa Harrow's character of Jessica's mother, Hester. The realism brought to this film by the excellent cast makes for some very unnerving scenes, especially in the insane asylum. Filmed on locations in and around New South Wales and Sydney.

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED! ! !

Reading other reviews of this mini-series confirms my belief that it is one that people either love or hate. The reason is more than likely the plot of the novel by Bryce Courtenay. Either the viewer will see this as an astonishing true story of deception or a whole pack of lies. If you can't believe the story, both the book and the film will be difficult to enjoy. Having read the book first, I found the mini-series a very faithful adaptation. The characters in the book were accurately portrayed in the film and the acting was first class all round. We are used to BBC dramas with painstaking attention to period detail but it is rare to see an Australian story from the early 1900s in which so much care is taken with historical accuracy. The central tablelands villages of Carcoar and Millthorpe provide perfect backdrops, having been maintained as 19th century towns. I wonder did anyone notice that the sign on one of the buildings in "Narrandera" (actually Carcoar) had the town name spelled as it was in 1890? That level of attention to detail is typical of the fine work of the creators of this exceptional mini-series.

This is the mini series based on the novel Jessica by Bryce Courtenay. It was well written and the characters were well played; however I felt as though there was a lot of material missing that was in the novel that would have been significant to the story. I understand that it would have been difficult to have everything from the novel in the movie. I was satisfied with the movie though I enjoyed the book much more. I had just finished reading the book, and watching the story and the characters come to life was great. It made me cry just as much as the book. If you liked the mini series then I insist you read the book. It is a great read and a very moving story. It will help you understand the story better.