Customer Reviews

The Easter Promise [VHS]

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

 

 

This is the third installment stemming from "A House Without a Christmas Tree." I wasn't sure what to expect and I won't include any spoilers in this review, so I recommend buying the video first before someone spoils it for you. But, in short, this story is about a successful Broadway actress (played by Jean Simmons) who comes back to the small town where she grew up and whom Addie befriends. Simmons gives a riveting performance that I wonder if she was nominated for an Emmy. If not, she certainly deserved one.

In addition to Lisa Lucas reprising her role as Addie, so do Mildred Natwick and Jason Robards. Buy it now for Easter before the demand hits.

I have three out of the four Addie series on video. I Have "The House Without a Christmas Tree 1972. The Holiday Treasure 1974
(It was originally called "The Thanksgiving Treasure" when it was aired on TV. And I also have The Easter Promise 1974. I dearly love them all. The first one the best. In the second one "The Holiday Treasure" the father softens up a bit.The last one in the series was "Addie and the King of Hearts" but I inquired and was told it was not and that there are no plans to ever release it on home video. I can't imagine why since they did the other three. I guess because it doesn't have sex and alot of obsenities in it. Maybe if alot of us wrote CBS they might consider it.

This edition of the House Without a Christmas Tree series is as excellent as the Thanksgiving and Valentine's Day editions. Does anyone remember that there was a Valentine's Day entry? I wish I could remember the title. I am certainly glad that I purchased all of the titles available in this series a year ago. It now appears that they are no longer available. These stories are simple and powerful. I was really into art as a little girl and I always found the scene opening sequences made out of construction paper fascinating. The programs have the appearance of a play that was filmed and not some fancy production, yet they get their point across. Too bad current generations cannot enjoy these stories.

All the Addie Mills stories (THE HOUSE WITHOUT A CHRISTMAS TREE, THE THANKSGIVING TREASURE, THE EASTER PROMISE, ADDIE AND THE KING OF HEARTS) were character-driven stories and I've heard many people complain that they are dull. While I disagree courteously about the first two installments, I did find myself a bit bored during this outing. I thought the stories for the first two were more engaging; even the second tale on the old theme of the child befriending an embittered elderly person had a couple of twists to it. But THE EASTER PROMISE story just seems like the same take on another old theme: child befriends successful person who turns out to be not the success people think and who is really insecure and unhappy.

Had the story been more appealing I probably wouldn't have noticed what bothered me the most.

CBS went very cheap filming all the Addie stories, using the same videotape they used for the daytime soaps. Many critics of the stories really hate this, but I was always able to look beyond it because I enjoyed the characters and stories so. In fact, it gave the stories a "reality show" type POV, as if you were observing an actual family in 1940-whatever. However, in the first two specials CBS also allowed the story to be filmed "on location," if not in Nebraska, at least on the prairies, the Canadian prairies, and in a little town in Ontario, Uxbridge, that looked a lot like Nebraska must have looked back then. You didn't have the LITTLE HOUSE ON THE PRAIRIE TV-series effect with "Minnesota" looking like the southern California hills and it lent much to the verisimilitude of the story.

THE EASTER PROMISE exteriors are filmed on a stage set and it shows very, very badly on videotape, especially a scene where Addie arrives when James and Grandma are working in the vegetable garden and also in the scenes where Constance's house is visited. The situation which has been so carefully crafted previously is jolted by the glaring sets and for me, at least, the illusion was ruined. One scene has Addie visiting James on the job and he is using his crane near a wooden bridge that has been used in the background of so many television shows that it sticks out like that proverbial sore thumb.

They couldn't even be bothered to try to duplicate the "Clear River" scenes of the first two stories and it diverges wildly from Addie's original opening narration to HOUSE WITHOUT A CHRISTMAS TREE where she declares that Clear River is so small there are no buildings over three stories tall and the town has no traffic light because none is needed. The closing scene clearly shows a downtown that is a lot larger (and taller) than Addie described.

So while it was great to see Lisa Lucas, Jason Robards, and Mildred Natwick again, and although Jean Simmons was quite good, this third installment (yes, I'll say it) failed to live up to the promise of its predecessors. Still, a DVD set of them all would be really nice.

As a big fan of the first two plays in this series, "The House Without A Christmas Tree" and "The Holiday Treasure", I regret to say that I found the "The Easter Promise" to be not quite on the same high level as the former two in terms of substance. The lovely and talented Miss Jean Simmons is a welcome addition to the exceptional trio of Mildred Natwick, Jason Robards, and Lisa Lucas but I feel this story is not as moving and powerful as the previous two. It's still more rewarding and enjoyable family fare than the average TV drama just not "great" or a "classic" in my opinion.

The Addie movies are such great family viewing - we traditionally watch House Without a Christmas Tree every Christmas, and Thanksgiving wouldn't feel right without watching the Thanksgiving Treasure. I identify so much with Addie, even down to the pigtails and especially with the wise and loving grandmother who raised me. I never even knew this Easter movie existed but it will now become our new Easter tradition as well. If only there were more Addie movies and books. For anyone who has never seen these, you are in for a real treat.

"The Easter Promise" is a very good story about a person from Addie's town, who convinces her to believe in herself and make her dreams come true. When an old friend of her father's past comes back to town to settle the family estate, she befriends Addie and her friends as a dramatics teacher. They soon realize, however, that her shaky and awkward mood swings are more the cause of an alcoholic. Moreover, her reputation as a famous actress in New York is also fictitious. Addie leads her to see that her friendship means more to her and inspires all of them, despite her shortcomings. The moral tale of coming to terms with her problem and securing their trust once again is indeed a message of renewal in the Easter season.