Pioneer Woman

It's pretty clear that "Pioneer Woman" was actually a pilot for a proposed series. Probably it was for the best it wasn't picked up, because there aren't any signs that this would have been especially engaging or surprising. It does get some historical details more exact than a lot of other westerns - for example, it's correct in showing that covered wagons used oxen for the most part and not horses, and that settlers often built houses with sod instead of logs. As well, the first half of the movie gives plenty of entertainment thanks to William Shatner, because he gives one of his hammier performances.

For long years, the idea of the "TV movie" has portended a level of artifice unbecoming of actors, and ill-suited for the big screen. I'm not going to say that 'Pioneer woman' is perfect, because it's not; there's undeniable ham-handedness about the production in no small part, especially nearer the beginning. To my pleasure, however, it's more enjoyable than not, with writing and direction just suitable enough to give the cast a slight opportunity to demonstrate their skills - while earning a nice little paycheck. Though certainly marked by a measure of kitsch, William Shatner gives an admirable performance as prideful John Sergeant, commendably restrained and emotive compared to his most bombastic displays. It's quite worth noting that Helen Hunt makes her debut as young Sarah, only 10 years old when the feature premiered. And I appreciate Joanna Pettet's turn as protagonist Maggie, a role that allows her so show even in this context her range, nuance, and potential as a leading lady.

It's a pretty straightforward narrative here - dialogue and characters are adequate as they are written; scene writing is strong enough to help complete the story, give the actors room to work, and keep us invested. More than anything 'Pioneer woman' represents a portrait of the hardship of western expansion and the settler life - disputes, unpredictable conditions and turns, scarcity, endless hard work. It's a fairly solid period piece, replete with great care for costume design, set design and decoration, props, and depictions of the wide, open spaces that are all to easy to overlook in our modern busy lives. All the while, there are also consistent themes including pride, the meaning of home, men's selfishness (a notion that, let's face it, requires little actual acting from Shatner), the importance of community - and, one must note, touches of casual racism, and sexism as reflected in predominant patriarchy.

Suzanne Clauser's screenplay surprises for how good it is, and Buzz Kulik's direction, and the production design broadly. This picture is hardly a revelation, but honestly, it's much better than it has any right to be. I began watching with mixed expectations at best, and find that I am pleasantly satisfied with the result. I don't think there's any reason to go out of your way to watch this, but 'Pioneer woman' is an enjoyable, engaging movie if you come across it - and to my delight, not at all a bad way to spend 75 minutes.

A woman is forced to leave her comfy Indiana city to go to Nebraska with her family because her husband wants to farm. She faces finding out they were scammed and there is no land, a miscarriage, widowhood after they finally find a place to settle, and holding on to the place with her children. The one false note is her playing hard-to-get with an obviously smitten neighbor who is ringing her chimes as well.

Joanna Pettet is the woman, William Shatner her husband and David Janssen the man who wants to be. If you can believe this bit of casting, Lance LeGault is a friendly neighbor and totally good guy. Helen Hunt makes her acting debut as the woman's daughter. Yes it's a feminist piece since a "pioneer feminist" is who the story revolves around, but it's not preachy and is well done.

This was an entertaining made for TV movie-something to catch in the middle of the night when insomnia hits. I won't provide a synopsis as there are several written but I would like to suggest that anyone with an interest in movies about Pioneer Women seek out "Heartland" with Rip Torn and Conchata Farrell. Ms Farrell's portrays a widowed mother in 1910 who sets across the country in answer to an Ad to become a housekeeper with the eventual dream of owning her own homestead. The movie is much more realistic than "Pioneer Woman" and is based on the letters of Elinore Pruitt Stewart collected in Letters of a Woman Homesteader. The movie truly shows the harsh reality these women faced and Ms. Farrell, with her larger stature is better suited to this role than the delicate, pretty Ms Pettet.

Like most seventies TV movies it wears a general air of PG sanitization that is quite resistible, especially when compared to grittier, more hard hitting Westerns in theatres at the time, like "Will Penny", "McCabe And Mrs. Miller" and, of course, anything by Peckinpah. It feels like something that would have been shown in a mid 1970s, eleventh grade U. S. History class following the unit on The Westward Movement; that is, if you had a semi cool teacher.

As a result of the above censoriousness, with one or two exceptions, like the scene where the title character is forced into a premature abortion by the cruelty and venality of her fellow homesteaders, there are no scenes that have much of an impact. Two in particular, the death of Mrs. Sergeant's husband (played way too broadly by Capt. Kirk) and the prairie fire, are remarkably bland and forgettable. Buzz Kulik, at his best, say in "Warning Shot" and "Yellow Canary", is a fine action director but you wouldn't know it from this too polite look at the hardships of farmsteaders in the West. It is all summed up, for me, in the performance and look of Joanna Pettet, with her well modulated tones, perfectly coifed hair, and duds that look like they came out of the J. Peterman catalog. Especially that oh so cute Army Hat. Give me any of the lonely Kansas farm wives in any random episode of "Gunsmoke", instead. C plus.

PS...Best performance is turned in by Helen Hunt who, at age 10, not only acts rings around everyone else in the cast but, in the process, really exposes the lousy kid actor who plays her brother.