Les poupées de l'espoir

This is an all time favorite of mine. A tear jerker, good story line. True to life drama, of the way things were, for the dirt poor. Not having enough money for medical and other expenses, moving to the city should make things better, but does it? Gertie puts her heart and soul into carving a piece of wood to try to get the peace she is seeking. And to get enough money to get her family back home. Out of the big city and back to the hills. This movie has the old time folk music which is great. You don't hear to many of them any more. Does anyone know if a sound track was made for this movie? I am looking for it with no success.

"The Dollmaker" deserves to be considered a classic. The story itself would be memorable and moving with or without Fonda, but her portrayal of Gertie Nevels, the mother, is very true to the type. There is no hint of the bumpkin in Fonda's interpretation of the uneducated, backwoods mother of five, who moves from the Kentucky hills to Detroit, where she and her family endure great hardships. Fonda plays the part of a strong Appalachian woman with dignity. Although "The Dollmaker" has not been picked up and replayed as one of the "modern classics," it truly deserves a place alongside other classics, such as "To Kill a Mockingbird" and "Coal Miner's Daughter." It has been quite a few years since I saw the film--probably at the time of its original release in 1984--but it touched me deeply enough that I have never forgotten it.

The summary may seem like a dichotomy but this movie is so achingly beautiful it is the only way I can describe it so few words. I have only seen this movie once about 20 years ago in its entirety and it's still imprinted on my memory. Each character in this movie is lovingly depicted and so 3-dimensional, even the children (they are such exquisite performances by the children too). You would hardly recognize Jane Fonda not necessarily because of her looks but because her demeanor and accent is so spot on. She really shows just how great of an actress she can be in this role because she couldn't get any further from her privileged background, Hanoi-Jane, wife of Ted Turner real life than this role and yet there isn't even one second of her portrayal that I doubted. She completely inhabited Gertie down to the fabric of her soul. I would highly recommend this movie to anyone who gets the chance to see it. It's hard to believe this was a made-for-TV movie because it so easily could've been made for the big screen. There are very few movies that I've seen that have left the last impression that this one did. To this day, I recall a vast majority of the movie vividly and it's not just the plot points that have stuck with me, it's also the way it made me feel when I saw it. You feel every poignant moment with these characters and you won't soon forget it. As an aside, this movie was my first real exposure to Appalachian music and I've had a fondness for it since. It's a wonderful soundtrack and I've often wished it was available for sale because it is truly beautiful.

"The Doll Maker" starring Jane Fonda, was probably the most memorable movie I have ever seen. I have seen it only one time. I do not need to see it again. I would love to, but my husband was so emotionally moved by the scene with the child, that I promised him that I would never bring it around him. This story is so very real. The scenery, the acting, the emotions, all become a true part of your soul, if only for a couple of hours. I loved "The Doll Maker"! This movie is a sociological work of art. I am trying to think of a movie, which could possibly come close emotionally to this story. I almost want to say "Old Yeller". The difficulty presented to both families, may be comparable. When I think of the coloration of the scenery in "The Doll Maker", I am somewhat reminded of the movie, "The Grapes of Wrath". "The Grapes of Wrath" was an epic film, the movie "Old Yeller" was a family oriented film. "The Doll Maker" is a "must see"!

It's almost the end of 1999 and I've just seen this film for the first time - had never heard of it. I was pleasantly surprised that it was not a 'sappy, tear jerker'. Also pleasantly surprised at Jane Fonda I think she did a wonderful job in this film. It's a simple story. WWII sharecropper's wife reluctantly follows hubby to Detroit where he is going to 'make his fortune'. Needless to say, there are some major and minor misfortunes. See it to find out if all ends well.