Christy (1994) (TV)

User Rating:

7.6/10   

Director:

Michael Ray Rhodes

Writers:

Patricia Green (teleplay)
Catherine Marshall (novel)

Release Date:

3 April 1994 (USA)

Genre:

Drama

Plot:

A young teacher comes to the impoverished mountain region of Cutter Gap, Tennesse in 1912 and tries to make a difference. Based on the best-selling novel by Catherine Marshall. |

Plot Keywords:

1910s | American South | One Word Title | Dedicated Teacher | TV Series Pilot

Cast

Kellie Martin	...	Christy Huddleston
Tyne Daly	...	Alice Henderson
Randall Batinkoff	...	Rev. David Grantland
Tess Harper	...	Fairlight Spencer
Annabella Price	...	Miss Ida Grantland
Emily Schulman	...	Ruby mae Morrison
Andy Nichols	...	Little Burl Allen
Frank Hoyt Taylor	...	Uncle Bogg
Clay Jeter	...	Creed Allen
Bruce McKinnon	...	Jeb Spencer
Jenny Krochmal	...	Zady Spencer
Alyssa Hmielewski	...	Mountie O'Teale
Kyle Hudgens	...	Sam Houston Holcombe
Chelcie Ross	...	Ben Pentland
Jack Landry	...	Rob Allen

Runtime:

Netherlands:110 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Filming Locations:

Great Smoky Mountains National Park - 107 Park Headquarters Road, Gatlinburg, Tennessee, USA

Movie Connections:

Featured in The 52nd Annual Golden Globe Awards (1995) (TV)

Just charming

Aside from all the cinematic, photographic, casting, editing, and ambiance compliments I could lavish onto this lovely film, the thing that got me most was the balance of polarized realities and how they meshed through the conflict into a workable resolution. That all comes from superb directing.

This entire scenario is exactly like an Appalachian school house would have been in that era. My grandfather taught in one exactly like that. But they were often taught by men, in order to deal with the ruffians (both in the classroom, and the community.) Now comes this delicate girl of a school marm, played by Kellie Martin, who shows that virtue, ability, and dedication to principle can indeed rule over brutal opposition. In that sense, it is an inspiring movie.

Direction and filming are excellent, and scenes are edited together very smoothly. There is contained, all within this one film, a sense of adventure, fear, hope, rage, love, uncertainty, confidence, conflict, resolution, individuality, and community. It also reflects realistically a genuine era in the history of remote Appalachia. This is a film my family and I will never tire of.