Rating: 
Summary: I LOVE the GOOSE!
Review: Samantha is my favorite character! She must have a pretty good reputation for a goose. She thinks very lowly of little Jess! That goose should have a stars reputation! She should have her own star in Hollywood, and comfortable chair. I'm sure that her trailer is huge! This movie is highly entertaining. And the age of the movie increases my love for it!P.S.- I give four stars to the GOOSE and one star to Little Jess, the obvious main characters!
Rating: 
Summary: slow
Review: Some funny moments, etc., but this movie was too slow. Granted it was made when people had longer attention spans. But a dated movie is a dated movie.
Rating:
Summary: This Is Cinema
Review: There is something mysteriously good in a fine film. Friendly Persuasion, though in some regards modest, definitely rates the title of fine: it makes you reconsider slightly what a film is and who we are. Treating its own conventions by turns wryly and earnestly, it is a real fifties film, with life and gentle sparkle. Its great success resides in its being able to weave the serious and the not-so-serious into one, touching on some simple truths in the process. Wondrously cast, wonderfully scored, handsomely filmed: don't miss it.
Rating: 
Summary: For Hollywood, Not Bad
Review: There's been a lot of give and take on this movie, questioning how good it is at representing true Quakers, and rightfully so. But as a member of Northwest Yearly Meeting of Friends, I enjoyed it. It is fairly well acted, and full of humor. It also is probably the best one can expect from Hollywood as far as accuracy. The humor itself is very revealing, often circling around the tendency now, and especially during the Civil War, for Friends to lapse into legalism- such as in issues of dancing, gambling, singing, and racing- in their attempt to truly follow the Spirit and the Word. The movie also accurately represents the wide range of views that Friends had in response to taking up arms in the Civil War (and again in the World Wars), with some choosing to fight and some to nonviolently resist. It brings up the interesting questions of how to respond to one's son who chooses to kill another human, when one wants to honor the child's ability to listen to God. There are other glimmers of philosophy: the difference between militancy and militarianism, as displayed by one strong-feeling pacifist Quaker at the beginning; some wonderful nonviolent action practiced by Gary Cooper and his wife upon each other. She doesn't want an organ in the house, so sleeps in the barn until he removes it. He responds by putting the organ in the house, and then going to sleep in the barn along side her, coming along with her suffering. The end result is compromise, because of the love shown in strong conviction. I would have liked to see stronger convictions displayed by the Quakers represented. It does seem that too many of them choose the side of violence and darkness, or do not stick with their convictions. But at least one holds out. And I don't remember another movie I've ever seen where the man is shooting at his enemy, and yet crying at the same time- not from fear of war, but because he loves his enemy so much. The language of "thee" and "thou" was also gramatically inaccurate. A Friends production could have done better, but for Hollywood, it was pretty good. And I liked how, as I left the movie, I felt transported back to another time, when the greeting were still full of First Days and Friends.
Rating:
Summary: A film for the whole family!
Review: They don't make movies like this anymore
Rating:
Summary: A Family Film Actually Meant For The Whole Family
Review: This Gary Cooper classic is from those days when "family film" meant more than just a film for parents to dump their kids for two hours so they're free to shop, eat out, etc. It is a film which all ages can enjoy and be challenged by. Deliberately paced by director William Wyler, it has excellent performances from Cooper, Dorothy Mcguire and a young Anthony Perkins. Watching Perkins in this multi-layered role, one regrets that Psycho locked him into Norman Bates-like roles for the rest of his career. His scenes opposite the legendary Cooper are gems. This performance makes you realize what an extraordinary actor he was. Highly recommended.
Rating:
Summary: An all but perfect movie
Review: This gentle, sensitively crafted story of a loving Quaker family is the closest thing to a perfect movie I have come across. Usually touted as an anti-war film, Friendly Persuasion deals with young Josh Birdwell's (Anthony Perkins) crisis of conscience over whether to fight the Confederate forces that have invaded his home area. But, the film has a broader sweep as well, fitting Josh's struggle into the broader life of the Family. Sister Mattie is in love with a Methodist, son of Papa's friend Sam Jordan, with whom he races to Meeting and/or Church on Sundays. Little Jess, the youngest, has a mortal fude with Mama's pet goose Samantha. And, Mama and Papa? Different as their outlooks on life seem, they love each other very much. Without sinking to the maudlin this film, like The Sundowners, portrays two people who have been married for about twenty years and are totally, charmigly in love. The story takes place over just a few weeks, but the brief time-span allows for a depth of realization which, by the end, leaves the viewer feeling that she/he kknows and is very fond of this family. Perfect for snuggling with that special someone, or watchig as a family project.
Rating:
Summary: Cooper is magnificent
Review: This is a lovely movie, beautifully photographed on location (no phony Hollywood sets here). The performances are stellar throughout, but Gary Cooper is outstanding as the family patriarch. Watch him acting, the subtle shifts in gait, his facial expressions and nuances make him the great star that he was. They don't make 'em like Cooper anymore. Anthony Perkins is also excellent as the vacillating Josh Birdwell, the Quaker boy gone off to fight in the Civil War and Dorothy McGwire is quietly effective. There is much humor throughout the movie, you'll laugh our loud many times. This is a great movie for everyone in the family, adults and children alike. "Wholesome" is an old-fashioned concept, this this movie lives up to that billing.
Rating:
Summary: About Quakers By A Quaker
Review: This is my favourite movie and I refer people to it often to explain the Quaker Distinctive of Non-Resistance (pacifism is something different). Based on the book by Jessamine West (who was also the consultant on the set), there are many 'inside' jokes only a Quaker (Friend) would get. Many non-Plain Faith people think we plod peacefully and quietly along through life (refering to noise level and degree of emotions), and that our children are born that way, too. This movie does an excellent job of showing we are all human, laugh, cry, etc., and especially why Quakers (Friends) do not bleieve in 'returning violence for violence done' (one of Dorothy McGuire's lines), why we do not believe in the 'glory' of war (there isn't any), and why we stress the sacredness of all human life. I also like how, when the teenage son (Anthony Perkins) feels compelled to choose differently, his dad reminds the mother (who is not just an Elder, but the Recorded Minsister of the Meeting) that one of the principal beliefs of Friends is each individual being directly responsible for their own actions/decisions to God through their individual consciences. An outstanding movie, with lots to keep you intertained and interested all the way through. Look for the humorous scene with Marjory Main (Ma from the Ma and Pa Kettle movies).
Rating:
Summary: About Quakers By A Quaker
Review: This is my favourite movie and I refer people to it often to explain the Quaker Distinctive of Non-Resistance (pacifism is something different). Based on the book by Jessamine West (who was also the consultant on the set), there are many 'inside' jokes only a Quaker (Friend) would get. Many non-Plain Faith people think we plod peacefully and quietly along through life (refering to noise level and degree of emotions), and that our children are born that way, too. This movie does an excellent job of showing we are all human, laugh, cry, etc., and especially why Quakers (Friends) do not bleieve in 'returning violence for violence done' (one of Dorothy McGuire's lines), why we do not believe in the 'glory' of war (there isn't any), and why we stress the sacredness of all human life. I also like how, when the teenage son (Anthony Perkins) feels compelled to choose differently, his dad reminds the mother (who is not just an Elder, but the Recorded Minsister of the Meeting) that one of the principal beliefs of Friends is each individual being directly responsible for their own actions/decisions to God through their individual consciences. An outstanding movie, with lots to keep you intertained and interested all the way through. Look for the humorous scene with Marjory Main (Ma from the Ma and Pa Kettle movies).
|
