A widow named Harriet and her two children Carrie and Brian are living in rural New York in 1947 and are still recovering from the death of Harriet's husband killed in World War II. Carrie is a tomboy and hangs around with boys and they have their own clubhouse. Carrie and her friends make mischief and taunt their mentally challenged neighbor Charlie by stealing one of his puppies. Harriet meets a man named Bernard and begin a courtship, but Carrie is furious that her mother is dating Bernard and wants it to stop. The jealousy and anger of Carrie raises to a fever pitch when Carrie and her friends destroy their neighbor Mr. Grizzle's garden and pour sugar into his tractor. Grizzle then takes Charlie's other puppies away from him and then Grizzle's barn is destroyed by fire. Carrie learns it's time for her to grow up and make amends with her mother and her neighbors for the grief and pain she caused them.
Reviews
In truth, there is barely enough story here to make a film.
I didn’t really have many expectations going into the movie (good or bad), but I actually really enjoyed it. I really liked the characters and the banter between them.
Great movie. Not sure what people expected but I found it highly entertaining.
Worth seeing just to witness how winsome it is.
I love Jane Alexander but she was truly underused in this film. Penelope Ann Miller is great as the grieving war widow, Harriet. Kevin Anderson shines as Charlie, the mentally challenged farmhand who lives like an animal and is abused by old man Grissel played very well by veteran actor Leo Burmeister. They all live in Marlboro, New York in farm country away from the city. Tomboy Carrie Ann and her younger brother Brian are friends with Zeke and Elijah, two neighborhood boys. They have a club which berates and abuses Charlie's character most of all. Everybody but Harriet treats him with abuse even the kids. Despite it all, I felt the kids didn't learn their lesson about it in this film. I wished that this film provided a better lesson regarding bullying and the consequences of it all. Without spoiling the plot, Kevin Anderson is completely unrecognizable in this performance which is a compliment to him. He really shines as Charlie though. I felt the ending was a bit off and that's it without giving away. Some viewers might find this movie to be a useful example about bullying people and how devastating consequences can be if nobody speaks up in the first place.
All right, I loved this little movie. I had no expectations (by surprise on cable, Showtime, one early morning) and was impressed by the fantastic work of the stellar cast as well as the period look. This is a film to Tivo and watch with the whole family (about 9 and older). Now that I'm posting this review and see that others have dismissed it. I don't understand. Sure it's not funny, but it has a great message about the power of love and it goes back to simpler, beautiful time. Penelope Ann Miller is Amazing. And what ever happened to the lead girl, Ashley Rose Orr? She is a real find. I loved Kevin Anderson in a very complicated part and David Basche is Handsome and makes you care about a character who on the surface seems like a jerk. This seemed like a low budget movie, but it looks great and really captures the time. Kudos all around to the crew and cast.
DVD from my public library. Digital 5.1 sound, but was not done very well. Picture was just OK for DVD.Penelope Ann Miller has always been a favorite of mine, and here she stars as Harriet, a war widow in 1949 rural NY, with two young children. But it is more the story of her daughter Carrie (Ashley Rose Orr, talented kid who reminds one of a young Tatum O'Neal) who will not let loose of dad, wears his dog tags, and sometimes his army clothes. She also runs with the guys and is the only girl in the club. This is her growing up story.Kevin Anderson plays a mildly retarded Charlie who lives near. He is a kind soul but the kids make fun of him, and play dastardly jokes on him, some destructive. But that's they way kids are, they don't often think of the broader consequences of their actions.Harriet is a dressmaker and one of her clients tries to matchmake with a generally pretty good catch, but Carrie resents any man intruding on her life.Overall a marginal movie, but Penelope Ann Miller is good as the mom, and little Ashley Rose is superb as the daughter.SPOILERS. In the end the kids' practical jokes end up destructive, there is a fire, a shooting, but all survive. As Charlie is being taken to a home which is more suitable, Carrie realizes all the harm she has participated in, runs to tell Charlie she is sorry. Mom's suitor turns out to have a fatal flaw, he isn't caring enough about the downtrodden, mom has to turn down his proposal, but mom and daughter bond.
I agree with stingseven. This movie is great, and very original I must say. I highly recommended it! Ashley Rose Orr is so good as Carry, she plays the part so good! She'll make you wonder what's wrong with her. She'll make you cry a great deal at the end too. She's able to transmit the emotions beautifully. Penelope Ann Miller was very good too, she plays the role of the widow who is trying to raise her children on her own while others try to intervene in her personal relations. Then there's this poor man that the kids keep playing tricks on him, is so unfair because he's a good guy. But you can see how at the end there are humans with a good heart.
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