La conteuse d'histoire

THE STORY LADY was a delightful Holiday TV movie that starred late Oscar winner Jessica Tandy as a senior citizen who wants to stay active and starts her own public access cable TV show where she reads children's stories on the show. The show begins to attract such a devout following that it attracts the attention of a national ad agency who want to put the show on network television, and as always in stories like this, once they've acquired the show, try to change it. Tandy is absolutely enchanting in one of her final roles and receives effective support from Stephanie Zimbalist as a busy ad exec, Lisa Jakub as her neglected daughter, Ed Begley Jr. as Zimbalist's boss and Christopher Gartin as Tandy's favorite cameraman. The film also features Tandy's real life daughter, Tandy Cronyn. It may be overly sentimental and on the predictable side, but it is a delight from start to finish, thanks to the limitless screen charisma of Jessica Tandy. A fun holiday film for the entire family.

I never heard of this movie until I watched it today. Why it isn't a classic is beyond me. Watch it with your children and bring the wonder and imagination of stories into their lives. The ending is wonderful as well especially the scene in the judge's chambers. I couldn't help but break out in laughter! Why there isn't an actual show like the one portrayed in this movie isn't on TV is also beyond me. I only hope some senior lady see's this and gets inspired. I once wrote a Christmas story for my niece's and this is a very good family movie, one that parents and children should watch together. Watch it, then go to the library and get some classic fairy tales to read to your kids instead of video games. They'll remember those times for all of their lives.

Great family film for all ages. Could be called a "Christmas" movie, but the Christmas part plays a small role. Lisa Jakub's film before she plays the daughter on Mrs. Doubtfire. Jessica Tandy does a fine job as the "story lady" - a grandmother for all the children watching her on her community access TV show.

I remember seeing this movie on a local TV station in the mid90's and thought how wonderful it would be if children could experience the magic of listening and using their imagination again instead of having all visual stimulus at the ready depriving them of the ability to use their imagination to come up with their own original ideas. I feel it portrayed an essential part of human development to listen to stories from the older generation of a time before they were born or stories passed down. Maybe I'm getting old but I would like to think in a similar situation we won't have gone too far beyond radio or watching a storyteller to ever fail to enjoy listening.

Don't let the statement "tv movie" fool you. While regularly, the tv movie genre holds to the connotation of cheesy hallmark specials; this one is not like that at all. It has a great plot that appeals to the whole family, and is in fact a wonderful Christmas movie. The story develops quite well and the characters become real with the circumstances. Recommend during the winter season.