Noah

Sidney Poitier is perfect as the reclusive Noah Dearborn, with all support cast doing what they needed agreeably. As might be expected within this genre, the script tended to be a little heavy on the 'bad' guys (but thankfully not all). Some changes in certain character developments might have played out better if it was just a bit longer in running time (?) There were also a couple of dramatic situations that seemed to be perhaps underdeveloped or not followed through enough. All that aside, this is an agreeable story with enough interesting situations, and good relationships to keep most viewers engaged throughout. Mary-Louise Parker does surprisingly well with her important, pivotal psychologist character. Diane Wiest was nominated for an Emmy. & it's all very good to look at photographically. A thoughtful Afternoons watch.

Noah Dearborn, Sidney Poitier (Guess Who's Coming to Dinner, To Sir with Love) is a carpenter who is very good at his craft. He lives on a farm by himself. He loves being left alone, and loves his work. That has kept him young. He lives in a small town and Sarah McClellan, Dianne Wiest (The Horse Whisperer, Practical Magic) is his best friend. She also bakes very good pies, which the entire town likes, especially Noah. The developer Christian Nelson, George Newbern (From the Earth to the Moon) wants to purchase Noah's land. Noah does not want to sell it. The developer dates a psychiatrist, Valerie Crane, Mary-Louise Parker (The Client, Fried Green Tomatoes). Developer, Christian Nelson, wants his girl friend to declare Noah incompetent in order to get the land. In the process, the psychiatrist decides that people should have a life style as simple as Noah. She defends Noah and in the process they become friends. Valerie Crane goes to the farm where she was born and raised to get the feeling for the simple life, and dumps her boyfriend. I watched the movie and enjoyed it very much, perhaps because I have made the decision to live a simple life and do what I love to do. Sidney Poitier portrays a simple man but charming and elegant man.

I run a small video store in North Carolina. I had never heard of this movie until we got it on VHS. I decided it looked like a nice film so I watched it. I have seen it 15 times since then. Everyone I recommend it to either calls or leaves a note to tell me how much they LOVED this movie. So go to your local video store and rent it. Stop by the store and get some wine or hot cocoa, put on the most comfortable clothes you own and kick back and enjoy this movie.

Noah is a carpenter who lives on 35 acres that a big real estate giant wants to build one of their cheesy malls on. This man effects people in one of two ways, either their lives are changed forever or they just don't get it. You feel sorry for the ones that don't get it but not very sorry. Sidney Poitier is as hauntingly charismatic in this film as he was in "Lilies of the field" the first time I saw him in films. This is a good film to relax and enjoy and ponder how beautiful the earth is and how wise Noah is.

I think this is a very under-rated movie. It won't appeal to many people perhaps, but for a safe, wholesome, pure, lovely movie about the unattractiveness of selfishness, there's few better. The plot is simple but effective, the speed slow, there's no action, no violence, no comedy, no special effects, little drama even (but watching the trailer above reminded me that there's more in the movie than I remembered).

I went away from the movie more relaxed than perhaps from any other that I've ever seen.

For those who want artificial excitement to escape for a while, go elsewhere. For those who want to have their high standards and morals encouraged, go out of your way to watch this once in your life.