Sarah, Plain and Tall

The maiden entry in the newly created Hallmark Hall of Fame video line, Sarah, Plain and Tall is based on Patricia Maclachlan's famed young adult novel of the same name. Glenn Close (who spoke at ALA's annual conference last year) is Sarah Wheaton, a New England woman who answers an ad for a female companion and helpmate placed by a Kansas farmer named Jacob Witting (Christopher Walken). Jacob has two children, Anna and Caleb, and is still suffering from the death of his wife Catherine some six years earlier. When Sarah arrives, it is with the understanding that she will stay for a month's trial period. Caleb, the youngest, is immediately taken with Sarah, but Anna--who remembers her mother well--is suspicious of Sarah, and afraid to give love when it can be so quickly snatched away. The problems are compounded when Jacob gradually realizes that Sarah will not automatically do things Jacob's way. The friction between the family members escalates until Sarah forces Jacob to confront the fact that Catherine is dead in an emotionally powerful scene that showcases the considerable dramatic talents of Close and Walken. Sarah, Plain and Tall is a rare bird, indeed. First, because "G"-rated live action films are few and far between (although technically this is a made-for-TV movie). And secondly, because it's a family film that deals with the subjects of pain and loss in an honest way that never stoops to melodrama. A notable film that would likely do well in both adult and children's video collections. Highly recommended. (R. Pitman)