Il medaglione

After reading the mostly glowing comments about this movie I decided to rent it despite some suspicions of TV movies. I should have followed my instincts.

I tried so hard to warm up to the movie and find merit in it but I just couldn't. The story never draws you in or rings true and the acting is perfunctory at best and laughable at worst. Everything in this production is amateurish.

Always a joy to watch, Mary McDonnell may be the only performer to escape this disaster without damaging her career or reputation. I won't even bother checking the name of the leading man - hopefully he's back doing commercials.

Even poor Vanessa Redgrave, whom I adore and respect, seemed to be channeling Katherine Hepburn all the time appearing as if she were really drugged in the home. Maybe she needed the money.

If I can save one person from wasting 100 minutes on this tripe I will feel vindicated.

This story, set in a nursing home, is more than it at first appears. With a thickening plot and emotional turmoil building, a young man named Michael (played well by Chad Willet) cares for an elderly woman named Esther (played very well by Vanessa Redgrave). Or is it that Esther cares for Michael? One part I didn't like much was in a dance setting (kissing), but overall it was a very decent film with no swearing. With great acting a touching story, this is another winner from Hallmark Hall of Fame.

chad willet and vanessa redgrave are authentic and genuine in this masterpiece which i've seen thrice and gotten tears in my eyes every time - and i am not usually sentimental. the powerful emotions of trust, love, kindness, betrayal are skillfully portrayed and i will be watching this movie over and again over the years.

At the start of the movie a man is caring for his dying mother. We later find out his father was a drunk who left them. After the mother dies, the man goes to work in an elegant nursing home and meets Esther, a bitter elderly woman played convincingly by Vanessa Redgrave. Both of them help each other resolve problems from their pasts. In Esther's case, a man named Thomas went to war without knowing how she felt about him. Both ended up marrying other spouses and the romance that could have been was not allowed to happen. The man sees Esther's and Thomas' pictures in a locket and tries to find Thomas. Meanwhile, the man ends up losing his girlfriend when she goes away to school, and her father wants him to stay away from her so she will complete her education. Esther also persuades the man to confront his father. The movie gets quite interesting after the man dates a co-worker who ends up causing trouble for him; she only works at the home because of family connections, and does not have the real concern for people her job would require. A pleasant family movie with some adult situations but no sex or bad language and only hints of and discussions about violence.

"The Locket" is filled with hurt, love, anger, forgiveness, kindness, and regret. I was captured by the screenplay and the acting. This is a wonderful film about many of life's lessons as taught to Michael Keddington by a lonely old lady, Esther Huish. She shows Michael to follow his heart, not to be just "realistic" or "practical." She shows him that he is hurting himself by harboring feelings of hate and anger towards his own father. While sometimes slow moving, this film captures the recipe for leading a wonderful and fulfilling life. This film is another reason why Hallmark Hall of Fame has been so successful over the years. They keep producing films that are entertaining yet free from graphic violence, sex and language. Vanessa Redgrave gives a wonderful performance and her fans will thoroughly enjoy her in the role of Esther Huish. "The Locket" is pure gold! James Welch Henderson, Arkansas 1/8/2020