Review by inkblot11

Henry Hamilton (Tom Conti, excellent) and his wife, Beatrice (Meredith Baxter) have a lovely, upstate New York property in the late 1800's. Their only child, Amy, loves books and reading and loathes going outdoors. She is on the verge of womanhood. Also in their household, since her infancy, is a young lady of similar age, Edith (Cari Shayne). Edith was the daughter of a servant in Henry's brother's home in Italy and, when the sibling died, the Hamiltons took charge of the baby. She has been reared with love but is also a servant in the Hamilton household, being a companion for their child, Amy. There is a definite distinction between the girls, with Beatrice reminding Edith that when Amy marries, she, Edith, will have to look for a new position or marry herself. The sweet, loving "companion" never raises her voice about anything but, when the world gets too difficult, she goes for a ride on one of the horses on the property, being an excellent rider. Now into the home comes two guests who will be living there indefinitely. One is a distant cousin, Ida (Brigid Brannagh), an unmarried lady who, though quite beautiful and relatively young, is still without a husband. Beatrice hopes to matchmake her with their other guest, James Percy (Thomas Gibson), an old friend who has been unlucky in love, too. However, the best laid plans often stumble! James and Edith are almost instantly taken with each other, despite the differences in their status, while Ida proves to be a catty, deceiving shrew who lives to make trouble. A son of a local richman, Frederick (Paul Anthony Stewart) catches her eye, but, he seems attentive to Edith, too, making the situation even more complicated. Then, too, there is someone stealing Mrs. Hamilton's jewels on the sly and Henry wants to enlist Edith as the horsewoman for his prize stallion in a local race. No woman has ever entered before, though the rules don't forbid it. In all of these twists and turns, how will it all end, especially in the romantic category? And, are there more secrets to uncover? This movie is a treasure so make you own inheritance and buy a copy soon...got mine at the local grocery for $4.99! What an unbelievable bargain for a romantic drama fan! Also, this tale is TRUE and was originally a work of non-fiction by Louisa May Alcott. Fascinating stuff, makes one want to run to the library or Internet. The cast is just wonderful, with Conti leading the way. He is absolutely excellent as the caring patriarch while Baxter looks sensational and is likewise great in her role as the matron with a heart who nonetheless believes in the class structure of the times. Shayne and the very handsome Gibson make a lovely, sweet couple in waiting while Brannagh is quite fun as the prickly pear of a woman. All other cast members, including Stewart and Max Gail, are very fine, too. As for the film's appearance, what a stunning bit of scenery, costuming and cinematography! This is a gorgeous looking movie while its substance, as evidenced by its script and direction, is extremely worthy as well. Then, too, its G-rated content makes it suitable for every potential viewer, young and old. Do you enjoy romantic, substantive, and family-oriented films which are also quite, quite good? Seek this one out in the next couple hours for your loved ones.