My Antonia

Willa Cather's novel "My Antonia" captures the pioneering spirit in America as the country began expanding. The life in the prairie was told in great detail by Ms. Cather. With "My Antonia", she gave us a look what it was like to be a settler in a strange land where everything seems to go against you.

This film, which was shown recently on cable, had a look of a movie made for television. As directed by Joseph Sargent, who has worked extensively in that medium, the movie takes us back to the Nebraska that Ms. Cather wrote about.

We are shown two different families living in the Nebraska of the last part of the XIX century. The Burdens, who evidently have been around for quite a while, are seen in sharp contrast with the immigrating Shemardas, who came from Bohemia. The Burdens have taken roots in their land whereas the Shemardas are trying to make a living in their property, without much success. Jimmy Burden likes Antonia, the young woman who is his neighbor. They form a bond that seems to be sealed, but life intervenes. Jimmy can never make his mind about the love he feels for Antonia and destiny never let them consummate that love. At the end, we watch as Jimmy goes back to visit Antonia, who has her own family and appears to have made it, after all.

Elina Lowensohn makes an impression with her Antonia. This actress should be seen more often. She is always an interesting figure in whatever film she is in. Neil Patrick Harris was a product of television. As such, he is at a disadvantage playing opposite Ms. Lowensohn. Besides, he doesn't seem to register much emotion. Mr. Harris has been doing theater lately, which might help him in the acting department. Jason Robards Jr. and Eva Marie Saint play the older Burdens, and Anne Tremko is fine as the Swedish beauty, Lena.

We would recommend to read Ms. Cather's novel, which is a fine piece of work in the American literature.

This dramatization follows the novel faithfully, and is a tribute to its producers and to the cable network who aired it. Although Willa Cather had intended that her works not be filmed, I believe that she would have been proud of this production. Most persons agree that Antonia Shimerda is one of Cather's most memorable heroines. I found the casting for the role of Lena Lingard to be uncannily on target for Jim's sweetheart. Willa Cather stands alone, in my opinion, for her ability to create characters that you not only feel you know, but do not want to give up when you have finished the book. In my case, I choose to re-read them several times.

For me, "My Antonia" is sacred ground. This film isn't perfect (especially when they try to create unnecessary romance), but often brings the novel alive in a way that doesn't really match my own imagining of it, but is powerful enough in its way. Above all, Elina Löwensohn is perfect as Antonia (if again not quite the woman I pictured, nor quite like Anna Pavelka, the real-life model). She really has a compelling energy and above all the cheerful life force that carries "Our" Antonia through so many trials. The film is necessarily a little telegraphic, given how much there is to fit in, but does a respectable job with the allotted time. But above all it is Löwensohn (who has never stopped working since, yet seems to have never broken through) who anchors the film. (Oh, and years ago my friend Endre Hules told me he was shooting a Willa Cather piecel; for some reason, I thought it was "Oh Pioneers". But here he is as Russian Peter :) ).

Doogie Howser plays Doogie Howser if he were sent back 100 years to Nebraska. Not a flaw on him, body or soul. He falls for a poor immigrant girl, Antonia, who lives in a sod hut and whose father commits suicide. And he's always true to her in spirit, as she is true to him.

The story is a good one, and the setting is beautiful--actually filmed in Nebraska, it seems. The setting is also unique in that rarely are prairie stories filmed. There are no cowboys and Indians, and no canyons and buttes: it's just flat earth, and people growing wheat, wheat and more wheat. The woman playing Antonia (Elina Löwensohn) was exceptional, but the others all looked too Hollywood to be in 1880s Nebraska. The grandparents(Jason Robards & Eva-Marie Saint) just seemed to be in a Celebrex commercial rather than in an adaptation of a classic novel set in a long-ago time. And Doogie Howser was great to look at--no wonder he was so easy for the girls to love--but his whole character was too good to be true. Yet, the film delivers, even if it definitely has the feel of a Hallmark Hall of Fame presentation. No swearin', no sex, even though it seems as though Antonia got herself employed at a whorehouse. I guess we're seeing it through Doogie's eyes, and to him she's just a waitress and a dime-a-dance girl.

I don't know if this has been made into a real movie, but it would be good to see it without the feel-good gloss. At least the ending is not the expected one.

This was a great movie. It worked as an intriguing slice of American history, as a drama of pure, youthful love and as a portrait of two grandparents' affection, pride and protection for their orphaned grandson.

Unlike some "made-for-TV" movies, the breaks for commercials were almost never awkward or noticeable, and production quality was worthy of the big screen. As an unexpected bonus, the rolling Nebraska landscape was surprisingly beautiful.

One of my great-grandfathers lived in a sod homestead in western Nebraska in the late 1800s, just like Antonia. I found it compelling to consider the contrasts between her existence in the movie, and my midwestern life in 1999.

"My Antonia" delivers a little heartbreak but lots of hope, and I rate it 9 out of 10 stars!