True Women

I saw this movie when it first appeared on television, and when renting videos recently, I saw this title, and remember being impressed. I rented it, and was delighted all over again! What a wonderful movie! It is interesting to watch - The stories evoke curiosity and passion for history, something seldom seen in movies, much less made-for-television movies. The acting was beautiful! Every actor performed with realism, and with a passion for their characters.

I have only one complaint: Not enough of Matilda Lockhart´s story was told. I found her character to be most interesting, and her fate to be the one that stuck with me long after I saw it. Anne Tremko, the actress who played Matilda, is spectacular! She was understated yet interesting, and her enthusiasm for the role lit up the screen. After seeing this, I rented the few other movies she was in. While only two were particularly good (The Member of the Wedding and My Antonia), she did a great job with what she had in each and every picture.

I thoroughly enjoyed this movie, and Anne Tremko´s performance, as well. I recommend this movie to anyone who enjoys history, movies, or being uplifted.

Yesterday I bought the VHS of "True Women" just because of the very low price and today I have decided to watch it. What a awesome surprise I have had! This movie is a beautiful melodramatic glance in the American history and a great homage to the pioneer women. The story begins when Texas is being taken from Mexico, and follows two girl-friends, one living in Kentucky and the other one in Texas, along the massacre of the Indians, the civil war up to the fight for women suffrage. The wonderful cast, leaded by the magnificent and underrated Dana Delany, in the role of a very strong character, has outstanding performances. The story has drama, action, romance, war, love, hate, passion, intolerance, shaking the feelings and giving different sensations to the viewers. The movie is also melodramatic like a soap-opera, but it does not diminish its value. I really loved the saga of these warrior-women. My vote is nine.

Title (Brazil): "Prova de Fogo" ("Fire Proof")

Historical movies or fictional movies based on actual history are so often centered completely around men. Same as the history books. This does NOT mean that women didn't contribute to or play their parts in history and this movie, True Women, is another shining gem in the growing trend of Herstorical Movies. (see Paradise Road for a herstorical movie based on fact).

The story is about 3 women and how their lives were touched and influenced by several now historical events such as the Trail of Tears and the Alamo. We see how they actually played their own parts in influencing the OUTCOME of some of these events as well.

Janice Woods Windle who wrote the book about her family history did a great job of putting it on a tv mini series. All the actresses as in Delany, Gish, Jolie, Majorino and Cook were greatly acted in the movie. Stuggling the life of being women and life of the battle of love and war. Now that's good History.

"True women" was a wonderful surprise. When I read the summary, it sounded very similar to many women drama wannabes that are built behind the belief that anything with the excuse of a different point of view of an otherwise often told story will sell, but they often lack strong characters and, well, a convincing and catchy story. "True women" has all of the above and more: well-written characters, a solid storyline with several dramatic climaxes, and enough emotion to keep the viewer sympathizing and empathizing with the characters, or at least understanding them, even if one might not always agree with them.

The story is subdivided in two subplots: the story of Euphemia, who grows up learning to fight the Indian tribes still surviving in the Texan territory; and the story of Georgia, a beautiful girl who finds out she is of Indian descent, a fact that will condition her whole life. The two girls are close friends, though separated early on. The film follows each one's story, which will often intertwine with that of the other's. It's all set in the War of Independence and in the American Civil War, and the film adequately portrays the social and political turmoil of those years.

This movie is an amalgam of western, adventure, romance, drama, and it also takes a feminist standpoint, though it will also be enjoyed by men. I recommend it.