Der weite Weg nach Westen

This film was much better than I originally expected. Set in the post-Civil War era, it depicts the plight of a small family in Indiana setting out west to start a farm. "John Sergeant" (played by William Shatner) gambles everything on some land in Nebraska in the hope for a brand-new life. His wife, "Maggie Sergeant" (Joanna Pettet) is reluctant to leave but does the best she can to support her husband. Along the way out west, they encounter hardship and disappointment which this film displays in a very realistic manner. And while William Shatner gives a decent performance, it is Joanna Pettet who is the real star of this picture as her acting was first-rate. David Janssen (as "Robert Douglas") is also quite good playing the part of a free-range cowboy in a supporting role. The weaknesses in this movie are few, but if I had to list one it would probably be that the ending could have been drawn out a bit more. All things considered though, there are plenty of westerns which have a great deal more violence and action than this particular film. But if you're looking for a movie that is fresh and genuine then this is a fine candidate, especially for family viewing.

Like most seventies TV movies it wears a general air of PG sanitization that is quite resistible, especially when compared to grittier, more hard hitting Westerns in theatres at the time, like "Will Penny", "McCabe And Mrs. Miller" and, of course, anything by Peckinpah. It feels like something that would have been shown in a mid 1970s, eleventh grade U. S. History class following the unit on The Westward Movement; that is, if you had a semi cool teacher.

As a result of the above censoriousness, with one or two exceptions, like the scene where the title character is forced into a premature abortion by the cruelty and venality of her fellow homesteaders, there are no scenes that have much of an impact. Two in particular, the death of Mrs. Sergeant's husband (played way too broadly by Capt. Kirk) and the prairie fire, are remarkably bland and forgettable. Buzz Kulik, at his best, say in "Warning Shot" and "Yellow Canary", is a fine action director but you wouldn't know it from this too polite look at the hardships of farmsteaders in the West. It is all summed up, for me, in the performance and look of Joanna Pettet, with her well modulated tones, perfectly coifed hair, and duds that look like they came out of the J. Peterman catalog. Especially that oh so cute Army Hat. Give me any of the lonely Kansas farm wives in any random episode of "Gunsmoke", instead. C plus.

PS...Best performance is turned in by Helen Hunt who, at age 10, not only acts rings around everyone else in the cast but, in the process, really exposes the lousy kid actor who plays her brother.

For long years, the idea of the "TV movie" has portended a level of artifice unbecoming of actors, and ill-suited for the big screen. I'm not going to say that 'Pioneer woman' is perfect, because it's not; there's undeniable ham-handedness about the production in no small part, especially nearer the beginning. To my pleasure, however, it's more enjoyable than not, with writing and direction just suitable enough to give the cast a slight opportunity to demonstrate their skills - while earning a nice little paycheck. Though certainly marked by a measure of kitsch, William Shatner gives an admirable performance as prideful John Sergeant, commendably restrained and emotive compared to his most bombastic displays. It's quite worth noting that Helen Hunt makes her debut as young Sarah, only 10 years old when the feature premiered. And I appreciate Joanna Pettet's turn as protagonist Maggie, a role that allows her so show even in this context her range, nuance, and potential as a leading lady.

It's a pretty straightforward narrative here - dialogue and characters are adequate as they are written; scene writing is strong enough to help complete the story, give the actors room to work, and keep us invested. More than anything 'Pioneer woman' represents a portrait of the hardship of western expansion and the settler life - disputes, unpredictable conditions and turns, scarcity, endless hard work. It's a fairly solid period piece, replete with great care for costume design, set design and decoration, props, and depictions of the wide, open spaces that are all to easy to overlook in our modern busy lives. All the while, there are also consistent themes including pride, the meaning of home, men's selfishness (a notion that, let's face it, requires little actual acting from Shatner), the importance of community - and, one must note, touches of casual racism, and sexism as reflected in predominant patriarchy.

Suzanne Clauser's screenplay surprises for how good it is, and Buzz Kulik's direction, and the production design broadly. This picture is hardly a revelation, but honestly, it's much better than it has any right to be. I began watching with mixed expectations at best, and find that I am pleasantly satisfied with the result. I don't think there's any reason to go out of your way to watch this, but 'Pioneer woman' is an enjoyable, engaging movie if you come across it - and to my delight, not at all a bad way to spend 75 minutes.

I've always thought of Joanna Pettet as one of the most beautiful and glamorous women of the big screen and small in the latter half of the last century. So it's a pleasant surprise that in Pioneer Woman Pettet ditches the glamor and becomes a hard working Pioneer Woman who salvages her husband's dream of going west.

She faces some real problems as she and husband William Shatner sell all they have in Indiana move west on land Shatner bought from the railroad. Shatner does this unilaterally without consulting Pettet, in those days that is how it was done.

First Shatner gets uprooted from his land by some brothers who've been working it for seven years now. Then he's killed homesteading new land in Wyoming territory.

Pettet makes some critical choices for herself and kids Helen Hunt and Russell Baer. Hard work, a little luck and an understanding an hunky neighbor in rancher David Janssen make her believe that staying might be the best idea.

Pioneer Woman is a sober assessment of what pioneer life was like on the American frontier. Even without Indian wars it was still a rugged existence especially for a woman.

Pettet shows she has the right stuff. In fact this G rated film is actually quite the feminist manifesto.

A great film for family and feminist audiences if you can believe that.

I recently watched Pioneer Woman (1973) on Prime. The storyline follows a family heading west after the father acquires land he hopes to settle and use to start a new life. But once they arrive, they're met with hostility, and the father is killed-leaving the mother to decide whether to continue pursuing their dream or return back East with her daughter.

Directed by Buzz Kulik (Brian's Song), the film stars Joanna Pettet (Casino Royale), William Shatner (Star Trek), Helen Hunt (Twister), and David Janssen (The Green Berets).

This is a surprisingly fun western with a distinct grindhouse feel in many ways. The female-led revenge plot feels like something right out of that genre. Seeing Shatner take a brutal beatdown caught me off guard-it was tough to watch. The film's setup is strong and feels grounded in the real challenges of the era. The backdrops, sets, props, and period-accurate attire all help pull you into the world.

There's a lot to appreciate here for anyone looking for a different kind of western-especially one with a strong, resilient female lead.

In conclusion, Pioneer Woman is a fairly average film in execution, but it's also unique and gritty. I'd give it a 6/10.