Product Details

• Actors: William J. White
• Directors: Joe Napolitano, Randall Miller, Matt Nodella
• Format: Closed-captioned, Color, NTSC
• Rated: NR (Not Rated)
• Number of tapes: 1
• Studio: Universal Studios
• VHS Release Date: January 1, 1998
• Run Time: 50 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• ASIN: 6303025633
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #209,238 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

18 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Mothers and Other MONSTERS!, July 25, 2000

By 

"katfish8" - See all my reviews

This review is from: Northern Exposure: Burning Down the House [VHS] (VHS Tape)

I have all 110 episodes recorded off the tv of Northern Exposure but this one was particularly relatable for any woman or man who still feels the need to "please" their parent who makes them CRAZY! Maggie's mom comes to Cicely and Maggie isn't happy with her overly critical parent. I love the scene at the beginning when the mother, played by Bibi Besch, comes into Maggie's cabin the first time and rearranged the flowers that Maggie had put out! My mom does that ALL the time and I have learned to go with it and change it later. Accidently, Mrs. O'Connell burns down Mags house and she wanders about homeless. Chris, seeking to fling a cow in one of his existential insights of angst, asks to use Mags piano after Ed tells him that a cow was flung by Monty Python. Chris uses a trepuche, a midevel catapult to FLING the burned out thing bringing a fantastic show for the people of Cicely and a cathartic closure to Maggie. Outsome footage of the "fling" in slow motion! "It's not the thing you fling, it's the fling itself",declares Chris. This episode reminded me to finish what you start and that endurance in the face of a tragedy is the key to surviving the wilds of Alaska. A GREAT episode! A+++

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars "It's not what you fling; it's the fling itself", September 2, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Northern Exposure: Burning Down the House [VHS] (VHS Tape)

Beautiful quote from Chris-in-the-morning. This episode is considered the best by most of the actors. (stated in "The NX Book") As it is also a very popular episode with us fans. In it, Chris introduces `The fling`, and Maggie's mom visits...and...burns down her house......A must see for any NX new-comers! END

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Brilliant script in a beautiful town, January 19, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Northern Exposure: Burning Down the House [VHS] (VHS Tape)

This is my all time favorite episode of Northern Exposure. Chris and Maggie each deal with their own struggles and it is handled in a realistic way. The piano fling is the cherry on top of this brilliant episode.