The Awakening Land (1978)

I don't have all the words right now but this film is a work of art.

Highly Overrated But Still Good

Bad Acting and worse Bad Screenplay

Although I seem to have had higher expectations than I thought, the movie is super entertaining.

Exceptionally well made TV miniseries. Elizabeth Montgomery and Hal Holbrook anchor the film as a couple who seem mismatched but whose differences strengthen their union. Really the story of the growth of a town's gradual formation from the wilderness and a woman's indomitability in spearheading its birth. A strong supporting cast lead by Jane Seymour on her way up and an incredibly young William H. Macy add to the pleasure of this fine entertainment. The only thing missing is a certain grit that would have added to the wilderness feeling of the setting. A very strong showcase for the wonderfully talented and much missed Elizabeth Montgomery.

I enjoyed this miniseries so much when I was a teen. It was great, seeing Elizabeth Montgomery's real talent, so much more evident than in "Bewitched." I read Conrad Richter's trilogy and it was good to imagine the characters in the stories.Later, when the Internet was available, I found a company in California that had "The Awakening Land" for sale, converted from VHS tape to DVD. They did advise me that the picture would not be very sharp (not HD) but they had it without the commercials.I gladly paid the price they asked, and I watch it occasionally when there isn't anything worth watching on TV. A wonderful story of pioneer life, how they struggled and made good.

Of all the miniseries that have ever been this is the only one that I would buy on DVD the day it came out.Just an incredible work. Unlike most historical miniseries, where young hunks and starlets in rip away period costuming are the most important part and actual history is a very very distant third, in this miniseries "You Are There" on the western frontier of the US when that frontier was Ohio. The clothing, the sets (especially the way the family house grows from a one room cabin to a rambling squire's home while its contents change accordingly is wonderful), the scenery, the locations, the INCREDIBLE dialects and vocabulary (very true to the novel and a fantastic job by Marge Campion) all give a sense of time and place that's rarely been equaled on film. Then of course there's the acting: they went for talent rather than pretty and consequently got performances that are still great almost 30 years later. You believe Hal Holbrook, Elizabeth Montgomery (so good you never once think of her as Samantha) and the host of lesser knowns in their roles. There are moments that are hysterically funny ("The more you cry the less you have to pee!"), tragic (the insane mother handling the letter from her daughter's father-to say more would be a spoiler) and just touching, and Portius and "Say'rd" are two characters you care about, a family with real problems and real bonds, neither all saint nor all sinner and certainly not your standard plantation bodice ripper fair stock characters.If you have any interest in frontier history, see this.

I remember seeing this remarkable production on British TV when I was a student in the early 1980's. I enjoyed it enormously, and was riveted to the screen for 3 successive Sundays. Out of all the American mini-series that have been broadcast over here, this is the only one that sticks in my mind. I've waited in vain all these years for it to be broadcast again, or better still, released on DVD. The casting, storyline, characterisation and acting were all superb. Not only is it THE American mini-series, but I would also rate it up alongside the best of the BBC classic dramas. I do hope that it can one day be released on DVD or even on video - I will be one of the first buyers.