Antonia et ses filles

What a wonderful, gorgeous, beautiful creation. Antonia's Line is a bittersweet embrace of life in all it's manifestations. It's one of those rare movies that is just as incredible as a great book. A true work of art. I've seen it four times, and would see it again.

This film was like taking a trip to an alternate universe and being given the gift of living a full, rich, and rewarding life there. For the most part, everyone is redeemed &/or fulfilled, although no one escapes tragedy, and some definitely have it worse than most. There was a line from the narrator, something to the effect of how "timed flowed into itself and wanted nothing more than to do so," (I am paraphrasing), and that, to me summed up the lovely slow pace of this film. The characters were real and quite sympathetic. I didn't find it to be agenda-driven like the previous commenter did. I simply thought it was a movie about Antonia, a kind and realistic woman, and those whom she loved.

I found Antonia's Line to be a wonderful expression of what is endearing and enduring in the human spirit. It was a truly lovely story, clever character development, warmly delivered. I can understand how some may not understand or enjoy this film. It flies in the face of convention, but that is its beauty. Some would fear the freedoms this film demonstrates.

Love and acceptance abound, in a timeless manor. I like the way it offered a different definition of family, one where diversity is an asset, guarded by respect.

This is one of the greatest stories to come across the screen.

This film is a beautiful presentation of European feminism, which, unlike its American counterpart, is about exploring and celebrating femininity rather than just kicking men in the balls. It is also a film that, judging by the other user comments, appeals to men just as strongly as to women. Literary, beautifully filmed and emotionally gripping, "Antonia's Line" is (pardon the cliche) a film unlike any other.

This is a wonderful movie that shows how one woman and the people around her find happiness while rejecting the roles that society would force on them. There are good men such as farmer Bas and Simon, and perhaps even the priest in the end. This movie is not primarily about them however. It is about Antonia and her line of descendents: Danielle, Therese and Sarah. By rejecting stereotypes about the mentally ill, gay or other marginalized groups and accepting everyone for what they are, this family was able to find happiness in the face of hardship. Despite the despair of crooked finger, they prove that life is worth living. It is a complex movie. In the word of one of Therese's suitors, life is an intersection of relationships. The many relationships portrayed in this movie, most loving, some not, are what give it life and give the lives of these characters its meaning. I am a male and opponent of excessive political correctness. I was not offended in the least by this movie. The characters in it are wonderful. They happen to be mainly women, which is a refreshing change in a world where so often the female characters are only there as props for the male stars. I give it fourteen thumbs up!