Product Details

• Actors: George Wendt
• Directors: Bert Van Bork
• Format: Color, NTSC
• Language: English
• Rated: NR (Not Rated)
• Number of tapes: 1
• Studio: Monterey Video
• VHS Release Date: December 11, 2001
• Run Time: 20 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 2.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• ASIN: B00005RERB
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #264,406 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

21 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Disappointing, December 27, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: O. Henry's The Gift of the Magi [VHS] (VHS Tape)

The O'Henry story is wonderful, but this depiction doesn't do it justice. Perhaps, this is one of those stories that does not translate well to film. It seemed as though this was a production put on by a theater company in a small town. Also, be aware that running time for this video is just twenty minutes, which makes it a pretty expensive videotape.

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Very poorly adapted for video., January 8, 2009

By 

K. Mead - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Gift of the Magi (DVD)

Several things are terrribly wrong with this video:

1) It seems that they were trying to create a faithful rendition of the story in video format by scripting it word-for-word from the original story. While reading O. Henry's exact words may be enjoyable, phrases like "imputation of parsimony," "mendicancy squad," "meretricious ornamentation," etc. do not transfer well at all to film. A more professional screenplay adaptation is necessary for the story to translate into something that makes sense for a video audience.

2) While the cast was attractive and fit the parts visually, the acting style seemed very amateur and much more reminiscent of a small town theater company as another reviwer noted. It was too over the top for the subtlety that video can capture. It simply didn't seem genuine. This can partly be blamed on the use of O. Henry's exact words, rather than properly adapting it for film.

3) The camera angles, lighting, and audio recordings are all poor in comparison with today's production standards. Although Amazon's editorial review lists several awards dated 2002 for this film, it looks like it was shot in the late 80's or early 90's...very low budget. The cost of the DVD should be reflected in the quality of the video. It's definitely not a collector's item that would cause one to overlook dated production values. This DVD is far too expensive for the product delivered.

When I purchased this, I was remembering a made-for-tv version (more of an "inspired-by" rendition) that I viewed when I was very young. I thought I was purchasing the one I remembered. Unfortunately, I was incorrect. After a bit of research, I discovered that the version I remembered is called "The Gift of Love" starring Marie Osmond and Timothy Bottoms, also available through Amazon on DVD. I realize that Marie Osmond is not an academy award winning actress. But I found a clip of her version on YouTube, and it has much more character and appeal than this version by Scott Mansfield. The story is still set in the appropriate time period, but the screen adaptation is far more engaging, and the production is far more professional than the version I purchased.

My recommendation? If you want an exact rendition of the book, and you're not concerned with a quality video production, buy this version. If you can settle for an "inspired by" version of O. Henry's story and want a DVD that is far more engaging to watch, buy "The Gift Of Love" instead.

10 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Had high hopes, December 19, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: O. Henry's The Gift of the Magi [VHS] (VHS Tape)

This video production does not do justice to O. Henry's great story. I hope someday to find one that does.