Christy - Au coeur du souvenir

This adaptation is horrible. The acting is horrible. The audio is horrible. The whole thing is horrible. If you're a fan of the TV show just stuck to the show. Firstly the acting is not great, but by far David's actor is the worst. That man has no emotion in his voice and in most of the scenes they have together, Christy and David sound like they're reading off of a teleprompter. I don't know what was going on with Alice but that actress made my skin crawl. Near the start of the movie there is very obvious audio dubbing, especially with Christy and Mr. Holt in the school. It is lowkey uncanny valley. Also for a story that is meant to have a Christian message all the characters act incredibly selfish and all of their problems are focused on themselves and not what would be best for the other individual. The side story with Neil and Harriet was nice, both actors did a decent job with their characters. It was nice to see the same actors for Jeb and Neil, but honestly was not worth sitting through nearly an hour and a half of awful writing and acting.

I found this to be an exquisitely photographed, skillfully-scripted and carefully cast interpretation of the beloved novel by Catherine Marshall. This wonderful family film includes skilled performances by Stewart Finlay-McLennan returning as the beloved Dr. MacNeill and newcomers Lauren Lee Smith and James Waterston as a very believable Christy and her would-be suitor Reverend David Grantland. Veteran actress Diane Ladd brings to life a Miss Alice who seems to come straight out of the pages of Ms. Marshall's novel.

My own family of six ranging from 4 to 38 yrs. watched "Return to Cutter Gap" with great interest and all were particularly fond of Lauren Lee Smith's portrayal of Christy. My teen children have read the novel and watched the videos of the short-lived CBS series aired in the mid-1990s. All agree that "Return to Cutter Gap" is a wonderful version of "Christy." This was an extremely well-made movie and it left us eager for the two sequels, promised in Spring of 2001. And no, I did NOT get paid to say this--we really did thoroughly enjoy it!

This movie is great family entertainment. Life in the Great Smokies in the early part of the century is portrayed as a challenge for the young schoolteacher Christy Huddleston. She is beset with many problems, from convincing her students' parents that she has the best interest of the families at heart, to choosing whom she will marry. James Waterston gives a convincing performance as the serious young minister, determined to finish the road and bring progress to the Cove, and Stewart Finlay McClennan brings humor and professionalism to his role as the mountain doctor who gives Christy some moments of annoyance as he pays attention to Harriet Quimby, the pilot who has flown into Cutter Gap. Lovely mountain scenery, playful children, delightful plane rides all give the movie balance against the more sober issues of catching the robbers, saving people from being sentenced under Uncle Bogg's justice , and a sudden surgery. This is a very promising movie that could be developed to super quality in a TV series!

"Christy: Return to Cutter Gap" is an excellent starter for one of the best mini-series I have ever seen. It takes place (for the most part) where the series left off back in 94'. An aged Christy and her daughter (author Catherine Marshall) are showed driving back to the mission of Cutter Gap some 40 years after the story takes place. While most of the cast is new, some of the origional's are still there, like the wonderful Dale Dickey (Opal McHone) Andy Stahl (Tom McHone) Bruce McKinnon (Jeb Spencer) Mike Hickman (Birds-Eye Taylor) and of course, the talented Aussie actor Stewart Finlay-McLennan (Dr. Neil MacNeill)- who's Scottish accent is enough to make Mel Gibson (Braveheart) run and hide! The some of the new cast members include, the critically acclaimed actress Diane Ladd (Alice Henderson) Lauren Lee Smith, as a beautiful Christy, James Waterston (Rev. David Grantland) and Ingrid Torrence (Fairlight Spencer)

While the movie doesn't start directly from where the series left off, it is very close to it and stays very true to the book. Most of the story is based on Christy's choice of a husband, and there also is a bit of jealousy when an atractive female pilot crashes into Cutter Gap, drawing the attentions of all Cutter Gap men, Neil MacNeill included.

All in all, Christy: Return to Cutter Gap is a fantastic start, in what is an amazingly wonderful mini-series. It is, and always will be my favorite.

I was a big fan of the series 'Christy' starring Kellie Martin, Randall Batinkoff, Tyne Daly, Tess Harper and Stewart Finlay-McLennan in the lead roles. You can read my comment on the series just to know how much I liked it. That said, this movie, with all the new actors was just not palatable for me...

As I was watching the film, I tried to keep thoughts of the series away from my mind, but I could see and hear Kellie Martin. Lauren Lee Smith, though tall and beautiful, is such a dry and petered-down version of Christy that Kellie Martin played with such earnestness that her soul shined forth. Martin embodied the complexity that is Christy - with her faith, her optimism, her apprehensions, her unbridled earnestness to do something for "her children" and the people of Cuttergap... And Tyne Daly... Man, let's not even go there! I admire Diane Ladd. I do. She and Laura Dern are probably one of the most explosive mother-daughter acting duo in history. But it's Alice Henderson we're talking over here! Alice Henderson whose no-nonsense approach belies the conflicts she faces within herself and as the head of the backwood's mission... Tyne Daly brought so much power, conviction and grace to that role - I used to always look forward to the animated discussions that ensued between her character and Christy's. With Diane Ladd it seemed as if the filmmakers had no qualms in just breezing over the strength and power that Tyne Daly invested Alice's character with and instead just focusing on her vulnerable side... that's downright character-assassination, happening at a more unbearable extent than the one meted out to Christy's character with Lauren Lee Smith playing it...

Another actor that is sorely missed in this movie is Tess Harper. I think James Waterston is a good enough substitute for Randall Batinkoff but Tess Harper with her piercing blue eyes brought forth the duality that is Fairlight Spencer - both fiery and docile... Her camaraderie with Christy was so well portrayed - they were indeed like friends...

As I saw the movie, I also couldn't help but wonder, what's with the make-up? I mean, what's with Lauren Lee Smith and Diane Ladd SO dolled up? It was so distracting and not suited to the characters. If having new actors play Christy and Alice wasn't bad enough, it took me a while as I wondered helplessly, "Why are they so dolled up?" Just see the old eps of 'Christy' and you'll know what I mean...

The saving grace of all this, besides a few of the original supporting actors, was the location - that was the only thing that truly harked back to the original 'Christy', so much so that you could, for a few seconds, forget you were watching a rehashed, dolled-up version of one the best period drama series of American television.