The Return of the Native

I chose this video because of it's historical flavor and the choice of actors. Unfortunately, neither of the two were very interesting. Not having read the book I was totally lost for the first 20 minutes or so. The story just moved so slowly and didn't keep my attention. Catherine Zeta-Jones gave a very poor performance and I was very disappointed. Joan Plowright came through, as usual, but still a little subdued. The whole thing was very subdued and sluggish. If you are looking for a movie with no nudity or language this will do. Also, if you are studying this book in school I am sure you would find this video helpful. Otherwise, I do not recommend this video.

I picked this up on whim from my local library. Being a fan of English settings and of period romance, I considered it a good candidate for some afternoon diversion. Unfortunately, it was one of those movies where you simultaneously want it to end, but feel impelled to watch it to finish (perhaps imagining that it will take a turn for the better, which this movie never does). So, yes, I was disappointed, but not as disappointed as I was when checking here and discovering that everyone who's reviewed this adaptation of a novel I admittedly have never read (and most likely never will, now) found it so wonderful!

I see lots of comments about Zeta-Jones, but fail to understand what's so noteworthy in her performance here. I found it flat and lacking in dimension (I guess those are the same things). Eustacia is selfish, fickle and flighty and because of that, primarily just distant and distracted. I appreciate that this is her nature, but instead of finding her intriguing or even mysterious, I found myself annoyed and disinterested. This lack of depth mad her, in my mind, clearly unworthy of either of her two love interests, even considering that one becomes an adulterer. I found nothing tragic in her character, no subtlety that would beg for understanding. In fact, she wasn't even very good at being the evil temptress/witch.

Worst of all, her character never really develops, serving instead simply to provide the antagonist to the plot. Sure, Catherine's a doll, but that alone isn't enough to sustain interest in her role here. She has developed into a marvelous actress since this movie was made(as more recent performances attest to), so I have to assume that her relative inexperience as an actress at this point, combined with poor production values in the making of the movie, cast her in this bad light.

Overall, the story tries so hard to moralize, but employs some pretty lame appeals for sympathy. In particular, Clym's loss of sight seemed silly; I didn't feel at all for this guy with all of his obsessive book-reading (and doesn't one of the characters even warn him that he'll "go blind from all your reading"). He can't even put the damn book down when he's in bed with his beautiful new bride. Furthermore, Ray Stevenson's acting adds nothing to the role, which I found only to be yet again another flat performance.

Now I admit Clive Owen's Damon had some fire to him and his easily stands out as the best performance, but it couldn't save the film. I won't go on and on, but I will remark that this BBC production is not on par with others they've taken on, such as the absolutely glorious 1995 BBC/A&E version of Pride and Prejudice, but then not having read Hardy, I have no way of knowing if he was as clever an artist as Jane Austen was. I have to admit there are horrible adaptations of her work out there, as well, so for now, I'll give Hardy the benefit of the doubt (how nice of me, you're thinking) and write this off to an uninspired telling of his tale.

When I was in high school, one book that was required reading in English literature was Thomas Hardy's The Return of the Native. I found the book enthralling and the main character of Eustacia Vye bewitching and unforgettable, a person who simply could not find happiness in life no matter how hard she connived to achieve it. I always wondered why a film had not been made of the book, then Hallmark Hall of Fame finally gave it the first-class treatment, with excellent production values, sumptuous costumes and photography, an intelligent script, fine musical score, and brilliant actors. Catherine Zeta Jones (at the time not the big star she is today) is a magnificent Eustacia, willfull, emotional, sad, depressed, flirtatious, deluded, manipulative, and tragic. She was the exact Eustacia I pictured in the novel. Hardy's theme of nature's indifference to humanity's suffering is indeed bleak, but can provide a stunning and moving experience. One leaves with admiration for Eustacia's tenacity in seeking that elusive thing we all seek, a world in which we feel we truly belong and can lead meaningful and fulfilled lives. Her feeling of being an outsider in Egdon Heath is a feeling which is universal. If you enjoyed the book, I predict you will be well pleased with this film. (Also, Joan Plowright stands at as Mrs. Yeobright.)

I saw this first when my older sister watched it for a class in high school and I was immediately taken by Catherine Zeta-Jones. She looked stunning, nearly perfect in every particular, almost like a flawless Disney heroine. Later, when I read the book (which soon became my favorite classic novel of all time), and did a research paper on Hardy heroines (Eustacia Vye from The Return of the Native, Bathsheba Everdene from Far from the Madding Crowd and Tess Durbefield from Tess of the D'Urbervilles), I read the description of Eustacia and found that Zeta-Jones was TYPECAST as the seemingly angelic, but ultimately tortmented woman. I quickly became a Catherine Zeta-Jones fan and sought out her other films. This one ranks as one of her best.

A fantastic work, especially for Hallmark, I agree that had it been made in Hollywood, Catherine would have won her first Oscar long before Chicago. Watch this heartbreaking film and then (or before), read the book. Also outstanding are Clive Owen as the equally tormented Damon Wildeve and Ray Stevenson as Clym Yeobright and the title character. Diggory Venn and Thomasin Yeobright are also well-played.

10/10.

In 1994, Catherine Zeta-Jones sealed her fate to forever play the bad girl. She starred in two television adaptations of very famous novels, Catherine Cookson's The Cinder Path and Thomas Hardy's The Return of the Native. In the latter, she plays the bewitching village outcast whose power over men is so great the townspeople think she's a witch. She enjoys toying with their emotions, but soon learns the consequences of her actions.

With a large supporting cast of Clive Owen, Steven Mackintosh, Joan Plowright, Celia Imrie, Ray Stevenson, and Claire Skinner, The Return of the Native is a must-see for fans of historical romances. Keep in mind that it comes from a Thomas Hardy novel, so it'll be a little depressing. There's also some strange elements included in the story, like the alleged witchery and the constant red pigment to Steven Mackintosh's skin-which is explained better in the book.

It's difficult to hate Catherine because she's so beautiful, and at times during the sad story, you'll even feel sorry for her. She, Ray, Steven, and Joan give great performances, tugging at your heart and making you want more when the movie's over. While this one isn't my favorite sweeping historical drama-Thomas Hardy stories are just too sad for me-it's a very famous one to add to your list if you like that genre.