Product Details

• Actors: Brenda Bruce, Christine Buckley, John Collin, Jane Collins, Fred Feast
• Directors: Claude Whatham
• Writers: Hugh Whitemore, James Herriot
• Producers: Cecil F. Ford, David Susskind, Duane Bogie
• Format: Color, Original recording remastered, Special Edition, NTSC
• Rated: NR (Not Rated)
• Number of tapes: 1
• Studio: Starz / Anchor Bay
• VHS Release Date: March 21, 2000
• Run Time: 92 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
• ASIN: 0764004719
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #72,781 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

This television film based on the autobiographical novels of country veterinarian James Herriot predates the popular British TV series of the same name by several years. Shot on location in the picturesque Yorkshire countryside, it is utterly charming and features quite an illustrious cast. Academy Award-winning actor Sir Anthony Hopkins is terrific as the dedicated, exasperating Dr. Siegfried Farnon, who takes young Herriot, fresh out of a London veterinary college, on as his assistant. Herriot is appealingly played by Simon Ward (perhaps best known as the Duke of Buckingham in The Three Musketeers). The movie opens as Herriot arrives for an interview with Farnon. Dressed in his spotless Saville Row suit, Herriot is immediately swept along on a "horse call" and finds himself treating a messy injury. This is the life that Herriot always dreamed of! Like the series, the movie is a must for animal lovers. (Yes, Mrs. Pumphrey is here with her pampered lap dog, Tricky Woo.) It's also delightfully romantic, as it follows the courtship between Herriot and his bride-to-be, Helen (lovely Lisa Harrow). Droll British humor and authentic period detail cap off a thoroughly satisfying production. --Laura Mirsky

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

32 of 33 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Breathtaking!!!, September 13, 2000

By 

J. Williams (Nashville, TN USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: All Creatures Great & Small [VHS] (VHS Tape)

After watching the series on PBS, I was not sure if I would like the sudden switch of characters, but I was pleasantly surprised. I found that the acting was perfectly done and the emotions and struggles experienced by the characters were captivating. Immediately, I was drawn in to the story as the actors unveiled the identities of the characters I had come to know and understand through reading the Herriot stories.

33 of 35 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A pleasurable film in its own right, April 6, 2002

By 

R. Riis "rriis" (NY) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: All Creatures Great and Small (DVD)

To criticize this delightful film by comparing it to the beloved television series is fairly silly, since the series had the time and scope to flesh out the characters and allow them to develop in a way a single film cannot. The film version, admittedly compressing a leisurely and anecdotal book into a two-hour overview, nevertheless does a terrific job of capturing the pace and character of these amiable vets and their clients and the scenic Yorkshire countryside that made the books so appealing. The cast is altogether excellent. The television series, which comes out on DVD in May 2002, is not to be missed. This film is likewise pleasurable viewing.

20 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars ALL CREATURES GREAT AND SMALL!, November 8, 2001

By 

Michael Anthony Brenton (The Other Side of the Known Universe) - See all my reviews

This review is from: All Creatures Great and Small (DVD)

This television movie based on the best selling autobiography of country veterinarian James Herriot came before the popular BBC television series. Simon Ward, Anthony Hopkins and Lisa Harrow star in this charming little tale about the new vet who moves a to Yorkshire farming community in the 1930's. Along the way he not only wins his neighbors over but also finds romance. Directed by Claude Whatham, this 1974 film does not have the depth of the television series, but you can clearly see why people would want more of the same on a more regular basis.