Customer Reviews

Dalva

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Excellent story about Native Americans. Farrah Fawcett and Powers Boothe are electric in their shared scenes. Definitely need a tissue box nearby for well-directed emotional scenes. A great legacy for dear Farrah.

Farrah Fawcett always seems to seek quality in the television movie rolls she chooses. She plays the title roll, Dalva, a part Sioux Indian who becomes pregnant at the age of 15, but is forced to give up her baby by her grandfather, played by Rod Steiger. The movie covers these years, and 15 years later, when she is involved in a romance with Powers Boothe.

When he learns the devasting reason behind her grandfather's decision, he encourages Dalva to search for her lost son and to find some peace in her life.

Interesting sidelights on Native American history in this family make for an enjoyable movie all around.

This is for the DVD which was released 2005. The film itself was done in 1995, according to the ending credits although IMDB lists 1996. It stars
Farrah Fawcett as Dalva Northridge
Peter Coyote as Historian Professor Michael
Rod Steiger John Wesley Northridge II


It's a very sweet story, slow in a few places but with two great romantic scenes between Farrah Fawcett and Powers Boothe...though not on the level of scenes in 'A Breed Apart' and 'The Spree'. But still decent to watch.

The music is by Lee Holdridge which some might remember scored 'Beastmaster' . While it is haunting and beautiful and something like 'Little House on the Prairie' it gets a little repetitive after an hour or so.

Some nitpicks:
It says on the back of the DVD case that 'in time Dalva's grandfather reveals the truth: Duane is Dalva's half-brother." while this is true, it isn't clear if Dalva ever knows this. Dalva's father had an affair with a young Lakota girl; in fact, people are having affairs with 'young Lakotas' all through this movie.
'Fifteen years later Dalva...and Duane reunite.' Actually it is SEVEN years later, and then fifteen years after THAT the story takes place in the present. 'He confesses that he is dying and wants to marry her before he dies...' well, not exactly.

Anyway, blonde blue-eyed (gag)Native Americans aside, the story I followed is that of adoption, the good side and the bad side. The story is left a little open-ended, we aren't sure exactly how it turns out but then, that's kind of like real life as well.

The real star in my opinion is the mansion. What a beautiful old place. Professor Michael (Peter Coyote in his best Kevin Costner lookalike role)is good for comic relief, but I liked him too as a secondary character. This movie could have been a good half hour shorter without missing much. There are some good Indian wisdom dialogue in it, for those (like me) who like such things.

Worth watching at least once especially for FF and PB fans, and for those interested in Native American history. I haven't yet read the book from which the film was taken, but it's on my list.

This worshipful hymn to the plains Indians should find favor with aficionados of the sub-genre.

To everyone else, the effect of this movie is soporific at best. The many times when Farrah begins to take her clothes off keep interest alive.

The DVD is atrocious. No tracks, just one long PLAY. The music (which is good) is so loud for the first fifteen minutes that it is hard to understand the words of the narrative, and the music never lets up. The narrative voice-over the "scenes from the life of" make for a distanced experience.

The fine cast is wasted, but they lend an air of quality to this lame excuse for a movie.