Customer Reviews

Mark Twain & Me [VHS]

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4 star:		(1)
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Mark Twain is revered as America's first great writers. His prose is simple, but deep with meaning, and he has shed light on issues that would be important for progress in later years. Opposed to anti-slavery and racism, he wrote illustrious fiction that still capture our hearts to this day- Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Fynn. In this film, produced by Disney and originally aired on the Disney Channel in the early 90's, the life of Mark Twain is presented with poignant and touching drama. Mark Twain has lost his wife and his daughters, true to Mark Twain's tragic personal life, and has stopped writing, living a solitary life as a retired celebrity. He wears white all the time, is peaceful and gentle, homely and folksy. His wit and his humor has not left him, nor is he bitter. The most inspiring aspect of the film is the relationship between Twain and the young woman who idolizes him. She is an aspiring writer and becomes his apprentice.

Despite the differences in their ages, despite the fact that Mark Twain is getting closer to his own death, their friendship is inspirational, beautiful and moving. Seldom do such friendships exist in out time. The performances are well made, the cinematography very striking (shot in location in Mark Twain's haunts- the Mississippi river and Hannibal). The Disney channel group responsible for this is a lot like Kevin Sullivan's work (Anne of Green Gables, Avonlea tv series). It is fresh, it is accessible to the young and it truly honors the memory of Mark Twain, a man who had lived a full, rich life, having known personal tragic loss and survived, having understanding and compassion for all things human, a man who was a voice for humanity, a voice for ages to come.

Uber genius Twain is portrayed beautifully through the eyes of 11 year old Dorothy Quick reawakening the lost literature of Twain that is often ignored and overlooked by the eyes of today's children, ultimate literary critics but we can not allow Twain to be lost under the dust of revolution.

This movie is based on Dorothy Quick's book Enchantment: A Little Girls Friendship with Mark Twain, which was re-released after this movie with the same name as the movie.

The book is sweet, and the movie is sweet. And most of it is the same, but they changed a few pivotal stories, ostensibly to fit in with the views of current society which have changed.

I keep hoping this will be released on DVD soon. it is such sweet well done movie. I have actually worn out 2 vhs tapes of it. really wish Disney would revisit some of these lesser known family titles