If anyone could be successful in combining the Barbara Stanwyck roles of both Victoria Barkley in "The Big Valley" and Mary Carson in "The Thorn Birds", it's Linda Lavin who reluctantly agrees with her husband's decision to pack their family up from the city and move out of their home in good old U. S. A. Their destination is a sheep ranch on the Australian countryside, but her husband is delayed in joining them, over and over and over again. At first, the kids are completely against moving, resenting the fact that they have to pick up and move to a place they have no idea what to expect. But as her kids grow to love the land, everything changes, and with father away, Lavin has to take charge and make things work.
It's sad to watch Lavin and her kids aiding a sheep in giving birth to a stillborn, and when a second lamb is at risk of the same fate, a miracle occurs which shows their joy mixing with the earlier grief. When her husband finally does show up, it's apparent that by this time, a lot of distance has grown between the couple, and the now rugged Lavin takes it among herself to guide her family to a new destiny that dad doesn't understand. A well done emotional family drama with Lavin and Maggie Fitzpatrick (as Lavin's newfound best friend) delivering award worthy performances. Lori Loughlin and Robert MacNaughton are good as the oldest kids, but Lane Smith is the weak link as Lavin's husband, his motivation never really established as to why he wanted to move the family and couldn't join them. That is also one of the few faults with the script, but basically a minor one. Overall, this is a very good TV movie, and Lavin proves that she can be much more versatile than other parts I've seen her in both on stage and on TV. A blurb at the end that explains what happens to everybody was both humorous and bizarre, as well as a bit sad.
It's sad to watch Lavin and her kids aiding a sheep in giving birth to a stillborn, and when a second lamb is at risk of the same fate, a miracle occurs which shows their joy mixing with the earlier grief. When her husband finally does show up, it's apparent that by this time, a lot of distance has grown between the couple, and the now rugged Lavin takes it among herself to guide her family to a new destiny that dad doesn't understand. A well done emotional family drama with Lavin and Maggie Fitzpatrick (as Lavin's newfound best friend) delivering award worthy performances. Lori Loughlin and Robert MacNaughton are good as the oldest kids, but Lane Smith is the weak link as Lavin's husband, his motivation never really established as to why he wanted to move the family and couldn't join them. That is also one of the few faults with the script, but basically a minor one. Overall, this is a very good TV movie, and Lavin proves that she can be much more versatile than other parts I've seen her in both on stage and on TV. A blurb at the end that explains what happens to everybody was both humorous and bizarre, as well as a bit sad.