As noted below, this was somewhat familiar territory for Linda Lavin. She is an actress with very distinct mannerisms, and due to that I forgot she wasn't playing Alice yet again. Yet, she is also an actress of emotion and intensity, and she does her best with the material.
The movie veers between cornpone and genuine feeling. The children seem too good to be true; the Christmas sequence is particularly sugary. Only Matt and Michael are interesting in terms of individual personalities.
The only truly bad moment is when Linda has to fling an oxygen-deprived lamb around, and Michael magically catches it just as Linda accidentally lets it go. Very funny for all the wrong reasons.
The best reasons to watch are the first-rate supporting performances of Paul Cronin and Maggie Fitzgibbins as misogynistic ranch hand Bob Jakes and tough-but-fair shopkeeper Alva. They provide true color and flavor for the strange new land which locations alone could not. The movie sensibly avoids any type of romance for Bob and Linda's character, which gives their grudging friendship a greater depth.
The movie veers between cornpone and genuine feeling. The children seem too good to be true; the Christmas sequence is particularly sugary. Only Matt and Michael are interesting in terms of individual personalities.
The only truly bad moment is when Linda has to fling an oxygen-deprived lamb around, and Michael magically catches it just as Linda accidentally lets it go. Very funny for all the wrong reasons.
The best reasons to watch are the first-rate supporting performances of Paul Cronin and Maggie Fitzgibbins as misogynistic ranch hand Bob Jakes and tough-but-fair shopkeeper Alva. They provide true color and flavor for the strange new land which locations alone could not. The movie sensibly avoids any type of romance for Bob and Linda's character, which gives their grudging friendship a greater depth.