Product Details

• Actors: Melissa Sue Anderson, Alison Arngrim, Richard Bull, Victor French, Jonathan Gilbert
• Directors: Victor French, Michael Landon, Lewis Allen, Maury Dexter, Alf Kjellin
• Format: Closed-captioned, Color, DVD, Special Edition, NTSC
• Language: English
• Region: Region 1 (U.S. and Canada only. Read more about DVD formats.)
  
• Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
• Number of discs: 1
• Rating: NR (Not Rated)
• Studio: Lions Gate
• DVD Release Date: July 8, 2003
• Run Time: 60 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• ASIN: B00009QG5S
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #41,988 in Movies & TV (See Bestsellers in Movies & TV)

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  Movies & TV > Drama > Television > Little House on the Prairie

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
In this dramatic two-hour episode, Charles takes Mary to an eye specialist when she begins to experience difficulty seeing. He is devastated to learn that she will most certainly lose her sight and for a while cannot bring himself to tell her the truth about her condition. When Mary does go blind, Charles and Caroline decide it would be best for her to attend a special school in Iowa. Although reluctant to participate and learn in the beginning, Mary develops a special bond with her teacher, Adam Kendall that changes her outlook on life. Mary becomes an excellent student and is invited to stay on as a teacher. This DVD has been restored using state-of-the-art color correction, picture enhancement and noise reduction technologies.

Run Time: Approx. 90 min.
Components: 1 DVD

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

98 of 102 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Included on the Complete Season set!, December 31, 2003

By A Customer

In a very unclear and probably intentionally confusing marketing move, this and all of the other "2-hour TV special" Little House DVDs being released separated are actually included on the Complete Season box sets being released by the same company. I purchased three of these "specials" before realizing that they were all 2-part episodes to be found on the complete season sets. This one, for example, can be found on the Complete Third Season, which is now available. While I don't have a problem with these 2-part shows being released separately, I don't understand the need for it and I really, really wish that it would be made clear somewhere on the packaging. Considering that these single disc releases have no special features, this is the worst example of DVD "double dipping" I've seen in a long time!!

12 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars wonderful....great memories of a terrific show, September 20, 2003

By	MollyRK (Chicago) - See all my reviews

Hands down, "I'll Be Waving as You Drive Away" is a classic in the "Little House on the Prairie" series and is something you'll definitely want to see if you're a fan of the show. Indeed, it is a critical turning point, both on the show and in the true-to-life books, and it launches some drastic changes in the entire Ingalls family. When fifteen-year-old Mary is stricken with blindness, it is her initial denial and her family's fear and guilt that makes for a very emotional first few months. Mary's parents send her to a top-notch school for the blind, where she refuses to learn at first but is pulled in the right direction by her patient teacher Adam Kendall. In time, they form a loving bond that will last forever, and Mary's character matures a hundred times over through her experience.

This is a beautiful episode, and it is easy to see why actress Melissa Sue Anderson was nominated for an Emmy for her performance here as Mary. This entire show is filled with many memorable, touching, and sometimes shattering moments that test a family's strength and inspire you. Anyone who takes the time to appreciate this wonderful show will definitely see that.

As some of you may remember, this single-episode DVD was released
a few years ago, back when Seasons 1 and 2 were brought to DVD for the first time. This episode, along with the pilot, "Journey in the Spring," "As Long as We're Together," and "No Place Like Home" all got their own individual DVD's. Many have criticized this as being a bad case of double dipping, which may be true, but it may also have simply been an attempt to accommodate those who didn't want to invest in the $50-per-season DVD sets and were content with just having some of the standout episodes for a lower price.

Wonderful episode, superb TV series...highly recommended.

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars I love this one!, July 3, 2005

By	Jump5 Fan "Logan Charles Haithcock" (USA) - See all my reviews

I really like this dvd!This tells the story of when Mary Ingalls goes blind and goes to the blind school in Iowa!It is kinda sad,but it is still good!
It has two episodes,and heres what they are about:
I`ll Be Waving As You Drive Away(Part 1)-When Mary starts having trouble seeing,Charles is devastated to learn that she will go blind completely in a matter of time.One morning when she wakes up,she can`t see...she had went blind over night.Charles and Caroline convince her to go to a blind school in Iowa.

I`ll Be Waving As You Drive Away(Part 2)-Mary goes to the blind school in Iowa.At first she hates it;being away from her family and all.But then she creates a special bond with her teacher,Adam Kendall,and then creates love.She does not know that this man will become her husband in a later season.She also decides to still try and become a teacher,like Ma always dreamed she would!

Well,theres my review of this Little House dvd!Hoped it helped!If you`re not confortable about bying just this one two-part episode for 13 dollars,I reccomend getting the complete 4th season on dvd,which contains this episode,and the rest of season 4!