Sarah, Plain and Tall (1991)

In truth, there is barely enough story here to make a film.

it is finally so absorbing because it plays like a lyrical road odyssey that’s also a detective story.

When a movie has you begging for it to end not even half way through it's pure crap. We've all seen this movie and this characters millions of times, nothing new in it. Don't waste your time.

This story has more twists and turns than a second-rate soap opera.

Sarah is a rather average and supposedly boring woman who comes to look after the children of a man whose wife died giving birth.At first glance it isn't much, but I read the book years ago and loved it so I figured I'd check out the movie. Sarah, despite being plain, is brave, caring, loves animals and becomes the mother the family never had. The acting was great and there were even some sad and suspenseful scenes. I'm not a big fan of movies taking place in the 1800's but this one was excellent, I'm surprised it doesn't have many reviews. If you ever see it for sale, don't pass it, up, and check out the short novel as well! This is surprisingly a very good movie.

This seems to be a minority opinion, but I actually liked the book "Sarah, Plain and Tall" much better than the movie. The book is spare, poetic and lovely. The romance of Jacob and Sarah is in the background, but Anna and Caleb's hopes to have a new mother are almost palpable. The lack of details allows rich play for the imagination, and Patricia MacLachlan is an absolute master at evoking the sights, the sounds, the very texture of the world in which her characters live. When Jacob puts his arm around Sarah for the first time in the book, it is a delightful surprise and it means so much because we are seeing it through the eyes of the children who so very much want Sarah to stay. The movie, by filling in all the gaps, and filling it with conversations which to me, felt too modern for the times, lost a lot of the magic of the story. Glenn Close did a wonderful job of embodying Sarah, but she was a little too adept in her ability to analyze Jacob's lingering grief and anger -- in those days they didn't do as much emotional analysis as we do now, and anyway, how would a spinster who lived with three elderly aunts know about a widower's inability to let go of grief? I think perhaps if I hadn't read the book first and loved it so deeply, I may have liked the movie more than I did. The book was a perfect example of the old writing adage, "show, don't tell," but ironically, the movie did way too much telling and not enough showing.

I had always heard good things about this film but never got around to seeing it. My 8 year old daughter loves books on the prairie life and we saw the video at the library so we watched it and we were both so moved, so impressed. A lovely film, wonderfully acted - Walken is a nice surprise - after a long, Hollywood career playing weirdos and sickos - he gives a fully realized, delicate, heartbreaking performance as a widower Kansas farmer. The children stay away from cliched, hammy acting and the whole thing is touching and sweet.

Sarah,Plain and Tall was a great pleasure to watch,it was a simple story that was told,just as it should have been,simply.Sarah,almost a mailorder bride,comes to live with a widower and his two young children on the prairie and her life never is the same again.The story revolves around friendships formed,ideals changed and above all the importance of family.No character is a stereotype they are realistic people with their own shortcomings but are essentially good human beings with morals and integrity.Glenn Close and Christopher Walkin bring so many truths to their characters and the chemistry between them is real and heartfelt.A very special movie,great to watch with the family!