Die Champagner-Dynastie

Well, I thought this was quite good. As a rule, TV mini-series can be pretty hit-and-miss, but I was pleasantly surprised by this one.

A good pre-Friends performance from Courteney Cox, who proves that she can act and a brilliant cast on the whole. Isn't Barry Bostwick just dreamy??

Anyway, if you want to see one book adaptation, then see this one! Go on! See it!

An amazing cast; perfect landscapes, sets and costumes. Set in Pre-WWI, the story begins with one wealthy man's troubled marriage, which leaves him a widower with a son who will become estranged to him thanks to interference from elitist grandparents (Michael York & Hugh Grant, two of my faves -- NO SPOILERS). During his travels following the war, York falls for a young woman from a good family (Lucy Gutteridge) who was inopportunely seduced and ultimately forced to become a type of show girl... who he marries, which leads to the birth of three children whose stories unfold with the Nazi occupation of WWII in the backdrop. The stars survive all forms of trauma, much of it caused by York's estranged son (Grant).

Supporting actors (including several of my faves as well, namely Charles Shaughnessy, Bruce Boxleitner, Barry Bostwick, and Vernon Dobtcheff) really help the leading ladies of the story (Lucy Gutteridge, Mia Sara, and Courteney Cox) pull through quite a lot from the start of the film through it's conclusion.

No Spoilers. Watch the movie.

This made-for-TV movie was so good that 11 years after having watched it I still can't get it out of my mind. The songs were evocative of the World War II era, Courtney Cox played her role brilliantly, and the film/story was inspirational for young women considering non-traditional jobs. Judith Krantz can be justly proud of having written the story, and the film makers did a wonderful job of adapting the book to a movie. What a shame that it is not out on VHS, nor is the soundtrack available (to the best of my knowledge).

Very Good!! Once you see it, you must love it! The Songs are tremendous!! The ones who love this TV very much cannot have its soundtrack - is a LOSS! During the time hear about these songs, the lives of three young women will appear in your mind! An Excellent TV I had never seen! :)

The saga of the French family de Lancel, since 1910 until the end of the Second World War, is not a bad movie. The video released in Brazil has two and half hours runtime, and the story has all the ingredients of a soap-opera: love, hate, betrayal, rape, war, death, birth etc. There are too much characters, and they are reasonably well developed in a shallow way. Michael York and Hugh Grant, with their strong British accent, are hard to be accepted as French. But Courtney Cox and Hugh Grant in the beginning of their career have a great performance and hook the attention of this romance. The careful production and the selection of good cast and landscapes are also good points in this movie. My vote is six.