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Rating:  - Friendly Persuasion
I think this old movie has gathered a somewhat timeless quality. It still is enjoyable to watch,
it deals with spirituality and humanity, and it shows that the values of then are still with us today.
Rating:  - Friendly persuasion DVD Review
Another excellent film by director William Wyler. My only negative remark is Dimitri Tiomkin's overall soap-operatic score--e.g., although the theme vocal song is delightful, I don't think it fits a movie set in the 1860s rural America.
Rating: - Fantastic Wyler/Cooper/McGuire Movie
Hadn't seen this movie for a few years ... and it continues to carry the same power weight it always has. Wyler had a way of filming a movie in such beautiful ways, whether it be the characters or the settings. I cannot imagine anyone other than Gary Cooper and Dorothy McGuire in the lead roles, they really aced it. It's a shame that Anthony Perkins is always thought of as "Norman Bates" because he was a fine actor in so many other roles, and he shined in this movie, perhaps the best performance of his career.
Sadly, this Civil War-era movie relates very much to the issues today. So many conflicts within the country, family and one's self. This movie will be classic for the ages.
Rating: - ENCHANTING IN THE MOST LITERAL SENSE OF THE WORD
I saw this movie when it came out in 1956 and went to see it several times, much to the annoyance of the lady who was taking care of me (who thought one viewing was plenty.) I was absolutely enchanted by it, and I was eight years old at the time, but it had a tremendous impact on me from start to finish. All of the performances are fabulous, and I still marvel at Tony Perkins going from this good Quaker son role to Norman Bates! The music was, and is, haunting; both the melody and the words in the title tune and the melody at the County fair when Maddie is dancing (forbidden for Quakers!) with the dashing Gard Jordan. I loved the byplay between little Jess and Samantha the goose; it is hilarious. The relationship between Jess and Eliza is glorious; they have deep love and respect for each other, with Jess gently and lovingly teasing her from time to time. On Sundays there are very competitive races between Jess and Sam Jordan (also forbidden for Quakers) and the constant losses rankles Jess enough to swap his horse for a faster one much to the dismay of Eliza. It is a fascintaing view into another world in another time; when the Civil War intrudes on this idyll, it has a devastating impact on the entire family and changes Josh forever.
There is a wonderful scene between Jess and a rebel soldier which brings a lump to my throat thinking about it now, so many decades later.
One of my favorite scenes in the movie is the one where Mattie is talking to little Jess about her love for Gard, and describes his eyes in loving detail, and Gard overhears which mortifies Maddie who then flees to her room in high dudgeon. She does open her window though, to ensure Gard knows how she feels. When she hears he came to say goodbye on his way to the front she runs after him; he cannot hear her at first, then she breaks down in tears and collapses in the road; fortunately he turns and sees her and gallops back and she declares her love for him for the first time in her fear of possibly never seeing him again.
The family holds together despite the absence of Jess and Josh, when the rebel soldiers swarm the farm and take anything they can carry or eat. All is OK until one of the soldiers makes the mistake of trying to catch and eat Samantha the goose! Eliza forgets all her Quaker allegiance and attacks the shocked soldier with a broom screaming at him; "She's a PET! Samantha's a pure PET!" The soldier relinquishes his hold on the goose who honks indignantly and flaps away and Eliza throws the broom down in a fit of remorse.
One of the finest scenes is during the encounter with the rebel soldiers and Tony Perkins has to face why he is there despite his Quaker upbringing, and how he makes his choice.
This is a fabulous movie with wonderful acting and storyline and moments ranging from hilarious to somber to tragic and fascinating and is worth more than one viewing and of course, is entirely family friendly.
Rating: - Classic film
This is one of the very few movies our family saw together when I was a child. What a treat now to share it with my grandchildren! It is great!!!
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