Sarah, Plain and Tall (film)
Encyclopedia
Sarah, Plain and Tall is a television film in the Hallmark Hall of Fame
anthology series that was released in 1991. It is the first of three installments in the film adaptation of Patricia MacLachlan
's novel of the same name
.
in 1910. Jacob Witting, a widowed farmer who is still saddened by the death of his wife during childbirth several years earlier, finds that the task of taking care of his farm and two children, Anna and Caleb, is too difficult to handle alone. He advertises in the newspaper for a mail-order bride
. Sarah, from Maine
, responds describing herself as "plain and tall", and travels out to become his wife. But she grows homesick
: miles and miles of Kansas farmland prove no substitute for Maine's ocean vistas. When she leaves for a trip into town, the children wonder if she will come back.
with 80% approval. It was nominated for nine Emmys in 1991, of which it won one. It was also nominated for two Golden Globes.
Hallmark Hall of Fame
Hallmark Hall of Fame is an anthology program on American television, sponsored by Hallmark Cards, a Kansas City based greeting card company. The second longest-running television program in the history of television, it has a historically long run, beginning in 1951 and continuing into 2011...
anthology series that was released in 1991. It is the first of three installments in the film adaptation of Patricia MacLachlan
Patricia MacLachlan
Patricia MacLachlan is a bestselling U.S. children's author, best known for winning the 1986 Newbery Medal for her book Sarah, Plain and Tall. The book was later turned into a TV movie starring Glenn Close and Christopher Walken.MacLachlan was born in Cheyenne, Wyoming. She lived in Wyoming and...
's novel of the same name
Sarah, Plain and Tall
Sarah, Plain and Tall is a children's book written by Patricia MacLachlan, and the winner of the 1986 Newbery Medal and the 1986 Scott O'Dell Award for Historical Fiction. It explores themes of loneliness, abandonment, and coping with change....
.
Plot summary
The story is set in KansasKansas
Kansas is a US state located in the Midwestern United States. It is named after the Kansas River which flows through it, which in turn was named after the Kansa Native American tribe, which inhabited the area. The tribe's name is often said to mean "people of the wind" or "people of the south...
in 1910. Jacob Witting, a widowed farmer who is still saddened by the death of his wife during childbirth several years earlier, finds that the task of taking care of his farm and two children, Anna and Caleb, is too difficult to handle alone. He advertises in the newspaper for a mail-order bride
Mail-order bride
Mail-order bride is a label applied to a woman who publishes her intent to marry someone from another country. This term is considered offensive by some people. The mail-order bride industry is the economic trade of contracted domestic partnerships, often between citizens of different countries or...
. Sarah, from Maine
Maine
Maine is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States, bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the east and south, New Hampshire to the west, and the Canadian provinces of Quebec to the northwest and New Brunswick to the northeast. Maine is both the northernmost and easternmost...
, responds describing herself as "plain and tall", and travels out to become his wife. But she grows homesick
Homesickness
Homesickness is the distress or impairment caused by an actual or anticipated separation from the specific home environment or attachment objects....
: miles and miles of Kansas farmland prove no substitute for Maine's ocean vistas. When she leaves for a trip into town, the children wonder if she will come back.
Cast
- Glenn CloseGlenn CloseGlenn Close is an American actress and singer of theatre and film, known for her roles as a femme fatale Glenn Close (born March 19, 1947) is an American actress and singer of theatre and film, known for her roles as a femme fatale Glenn Close (born March 19, 1947) is an American actress and...
as Sarah Wheaton - Christopher WalkenChristopher WalkenChristopher Walken is an American stage and screen actor. He has appeared in more than 100 movies and television shows, including Joe Dirt, Annie Hall, The Deer Hunter, The Prophecy trilogy, The Dogs of War, Sleepy Hollow, Brainstorm, The Dead Zone, A View to a Kill, At Close Range, King of New...
as Jacob Witting - Lexi RandallLexi RandallLexi Randall is a former child actor in films and television. She appeared in the film The Long Walk Home and The War with Kevin Costner and Elijah Wood. Randall starred in the three television movies made from the novel Sarah, Plain and Tall...
as Anna Witting - Malgorzata Zajaczkowska as Maggie Grant (as Margaret Sophie Stein)
- Jon DeVries as Matthew Grant
- Christopher Bell as Caleb Witting
- James RebhornJames RebhornJames Robert Rebhorn is an American character actor who has appeared in over 100 television shows, feature films and plays.-Personal life:...
as William Wheaton - Woody Watson as Jess Stearns
- Betty Laird as Mrs. Parkley
- Marc Penney as Ticket Agent
- Kara Beth Taylor as Rose
Reception
Generally well-received by the public, it was considered "Fresh" at Rotten TomatoesRotten Tomatoes
Rotten Tomatoes is a website devoted to reviews, information, and news of films—widely known as a film review aggregator. Its name derives from the cliché of audiences throwing tomatoes and other vegetables at a poor stage performance...
with 80% approval. It was nominated for nine Emmys in 1991, of which it won one. It was also nominated for two Golden Globes.