Christy - A New Beginning

Amazon.com

Christy (Lauren Lee Smith) and the rest of the Cutter Gap community are just beginning to recover from a typhoid epidemic when a storm hits the rural alcove. In A New Beginning, the second of a two-part PAX production that began with A Change of Seasons, she gets stranded in the forest with Dr. MacNeill (Stewart Finlay-McLennan), and her fiancé David (James Waterston) risks life and limb to rescue her. Despite a loss of property, the town makes it through the storm relatively intact, but many have been changed by the experience. Christy, for instance, has come to see Dr. MacNeill in a new light, thus questioning her engagement to David. Will she marry the preacher or break off the engagement? Marriage is on the minds of several characters in this engaging recollection by the elderly Christy about her experiences as a young schoolteacher in the Smoky Mountains. Age 8 and older. --Kathleen C. Fennessy

Customer Reviews:

AHHHH they butchered it.......2007-08-09

They took a great series and killed it in these movies! The acting was horrible and I can't even begin to understand the casting choices. The only redeeming quality was the return of the doctor. If you liked the series don't watch these.

If I could give it a zero, I would!.......2007-08-01

My mother and I both agree that Kellie Martin is the best Christy! The original TV series was the best. The PAX movies were so awful! There is no chemistry between Dr. McNeil and Christy(Lauren Lee Smith). Diane Ladd is lame as Miss Alice, Tyne Daly was the perfect fit for the part. David, wow, what can we say, but to be brutally honest, James Waterston should give up acting altogether! He was no comparison to Randall Batinkoff as David. Stewart Finlay-McLennan is the best and only Dr. McNeil, hands down! We were so glad Christy ended up choosing him, but unfortunately, we will never have the pleasure of seeing him marry the real Christy, Kellie Martin!! BOO HOO :(
The original actors were great, including Levar Burton, Tess Harper, Emily Schulmman, and Judy Collins. The actors in the PAX movies were almost all different, and none of the new actors even remotely looked like the old ones, which for us, really took away from the characters. The attempt by PAX to revive the Christy series to give viewers the answer they had been waiting for, was at best, a disappointment. I wouldn't waste your money on these movies! Instead, buy the TV series on DVD and leave the wedding to your imagination:)

A word of caution.......2007-01-31

This is a beautiful story. And well worth watching and owning. But if you already have Choices of the Heart, don't buy A New Beginning because they are identical. Apparently a studio trick to get you to buy dupes.

I know Christy and she's no Christy . . . ........2006-06-30

To be blunt, Laura Lee Smith's Christy is petulant and immature. I like Diane Ladd as an actress, but her portrayal of Alice Henderson is bland.

Thumbs up to the men -- Stewart Finaly-McLennan and James Waterson. Also, Dale Dickey did a great job with the role of Opal McHone and I thought Emily Perkins and Olivia Kelly were outstanding as Zady Spencer and Ruby Mae (respectively.

The script could have provided a much better transitions in several place. Most notably, we see the good-by to one beau. It would have been more emotionally satisfying to see her say "YES!" to the other.

While some performances were excellent, the movie must stand on the overall performance of the cast, director and screenwriters. With Christy and Alice being so central to the story, it simply doesn't make it.

We all knew who she would end up with, anyway, didn't we??? Much better to go back and watch the CBS series or better yet, read the book!

Christy.......2006-03-21

Out of the three Christy movies done starring Laurn Lee Smith, this one is the best. It's a good movie. I thought Lauren Lee Smith did a good job. The only problem was she wasn't the Christy we started out with and know and love. Kellie Martin did a great job as Christy. She and Stewart Finlay McLennan had great chemistry. If the series had starred Lauren Lee Smith as Christy from the beginning, the movies would have gone over a lot better, I think. I did not like the woman who played Miss Alice. Yuck. The guy who played the preacher did pretty well. The woman who played Fairlight-- she was okay, but you can't hardly replace main characters. Watching the new movies was almost like watching a totally different story. Since almost none of the orginal actors and actresses (save Stewart Finlay McLennan/ Doctor MacNeil) it was hard to take as an end to Christy. I enjoyed Doctor MacNeil. : ) He is a good actor and did well with Lauren Lee Smith. I do like Lauren Lee Smith, too. She just didn't start out as Christy.
We get to know who Christy chooses to marry in this movie and that's great. She picks the right man. :p Christy also kept her relationship with God in the movies, which I was glad to see. It's a romantic, adventurous movie and it's decent-- it won't burn your eyes or make you blush. Give it a try.

Average customer rating:

This might very well be Cary Grant's best role!
Underated Excellence
People Will Talk
people will talk
People Will Talk

People Will Talk
Starring: Cary Grant , Jeanne Crain , Finlay Currie , Hume Cronyn , and Walter Slezak
Director: Joseph L. Mankiewicz
Manufacturer: 20th Century Fox
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Comedy | Genres | DVD | Video

Classic Comedies | Comedy | Genres | DVD | Video

Comedy | Kids & Family | Genres | DVD | Video

DVDs Under $7.49 | Today's Deals in DVD | Special Features | DVD | Video

( P ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video
Similar Items:

ASIN: B0000DD780
Release Date: 2004-01-06

Amazon.com

After winning consecutive best director Oscars (for A Letter to Three Wives and All About Eve), Joseph Mankiewicz turned his attention to this extremely curious social comedy. Cary Grant plays a famous, idealistic gynecologist whose mysterious past is questioned by a vindictive colleague (Hume Cronyn). Meanwhile, the doctor falls for a pregnant patient (Jeanne Crain), whose unmarried status is daring for a movie of 1951 vintage. The title is an all-too-apt description of Mankiewicz's chatty style, but it also carries sinister echoes of the McCarthy era--specifically, an attempted right-wing purge of the Director's Guild, I which Mankiewicz was the main target. This subtext lends interest beyond the movie's rather tame romance. The Grant character, named Doctor Praetorius (no relation to the Bride of Frankenstein wacko, one hopes), conducts a college orchestra and is prone to "twilight sadness"--it's an offbeat role for the actor, and one he clearly relishes. --Robert Horton

Description

Screen legend Cary Grant stars as Dr. Noah Praetorius, a lovable professor and head of a medical clinic who becomes the subject of a McCarthy-style investigation initiated by a jealous colleague (Hume Cronyn). Along the way, Praetorius befriends and ultimately marries a young woman who attempts suicide when she discovers she is pregnant. Baut as the witch-hunt into the good doctor's personal life progresses, so do the laughs in this well-crafted, all-star treasure that should be part of every film lover's collection of classics.

Customer Reviews:

This might very well be Cary Grant's best role!.......2007-08-21

If someone asked what is my favorite Cary Grant movie, I would have to say "Philadelphia Story" where Grant portrays the unforgettable and loveable C.K. Dexter Haven (we named our first-born pug "C. K. Dexter Haven.") If someone asked what was Cary Grant's "best" role, I would have to say Dr. Noah Praetorius in "People Will Talk."People Will Talk

Where to begin: Joseph Mankiewicz was making a poignant and powerful statement (as a victim of the McCarthy era) of witch hunts and the zealots who fuel them.

The victim (who really isn't in the end) is Dr. Noah Praetorius, gynecologist and professor, who owns a medical clinic, and happens to be ahead of his time. Dr.Praetorius has the temerity to do more than just push pills - he also treats the human spirit and psyche. His philosophy is that attitude is key in the healing process.

Jealousy and small mindedness fuels the zealot in question - Professor Elwell, played by Hume Cronyn. When Elwell digs long enough and discovers Praetorius's not-so-open-book past, he goes on a crusade which culminates into a hearing. The attitude is clear and typical at that time in history - "if we don't understand something, then let's burn it at the stake!"

This story is loaded with witty and rapid-fire dialog, humor, and a few wonderful characters including best friend, Professor Barker, played by the incomparable Walter Slezak, and Shunderson portrayed by Finlay Currie.

Probably the most evident is the charm, dynamics, vigor, and energy Grant brings to this role. As a physician, husband, and conductor of the college orchestra, Grant's Praetorius brings a believable, honest vitality to the story.

And much like the ribbon on the package, the movie's underlying musical score is based on Brahms "Academic Festival Overture" (Akademische Festouvertüre) which lingers long after the movie is over. It seems to be the final and perfect touch to an exquisite movie.

Underated Excellence.......2007-07-18

A highly underated film in all books/reviews and in summaries of films starring Cary Grant. The film is brilliantly cast with supports like Stanley Blackmer/Hume Cronyn/Finlay Currie who are superbly directed by Manckiewz. It is an excellent under statement against the McCarthy witch hunts of the early fifties era and in our times of 2006/7 it may give all of us time to reflect on what value there is in standing up for personal belief and individual rights.

Grant gives one of his best performamces, thoughtful , understated , positive and with great expression , compassion and humour. Crain although slightly typecast in the times of the era is given a chance by the director to show that she can act as well as appear beautiful. Not to be missed

People Will Talk.......2007-06-26

Yet another sparkling, witty comedy by writer-director Mankiewicz (who was coming off a double Oscar win for "All About Eve" and "A Letter to Three Wives"), "Talk" lives up to its billing. Sophisticated and daring, the film coasts along on ceaselessly smart dialogue adapted from the play by Curt Goetz. Grant's Praetorius is a progressive who believes the mind can be an instrument of healing, and the actor gratefully chews up his scenes, especially when he's required to lecture his peers. Cronyn's perfect as the spiteful sourpuss, while Finlay Currie (as a mysterious helpmate) and Walter Slezak (playing a model-train-loving scientist) round out an excellent supporting cast. "Talk" puts a quirky human face on academics you're going to love.

people will talk .......2007-04-05

received in good time in excellent shape. I am very pleased. mjt

People Will Talk.......2007-03-27

One of Cary Grant's better movies. It was a well played drama with excellent acting and story line.

Average customer rating:

A good film that should have been a great one
Good adaptation of Barker's Regeneration
"He wasn't a man. He was a fighting unit...being repaired."
Excellent adaptation
Looking into the minds of the Great War poets.

Behind the Lines
Starring: Jonathan Pryce , James Wilby , Jonny Lee Miller , Stuart Bunce , and Tanya Allen
Director: Gillies MacKinnon
Manufacturer: Lions Gate
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Action & Adventure | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Drama | Genres | DVD | Video

Period Piece | Drama | Genres | DVD | Video

Drama | Military & War | Genres | DVD | Video

DVDs Under $9.99 | Today's Deals in DVD | Special Features | DVD | Video

( B ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video
Similar Items:

ASIN: B00008J2PF
Release Date: 2003-04-22

Amazon.com

This extraordinary World War I film concerns themes of heroism, sacrifice, duty, and self-knowledge as profound as any in Saving Private Ryan. The story, taken from Pat Barker's 1991 novel Regeneration and based on true events, is set in a British Army hospital in Craiglockart, Scotland, in 1917. There, a pioneering psychiatrist named Dr. William Rivers (Jonathan Pryce) works with shell-shocked soldiers in a gentle, humane manner that contrasts sharply with the brutality of his colleagues. (The film's most horrifying scene features a mute patient being forced to speak by means of electric shock.)

Among Rivers's patients is a mute, amnesiac officer named Billy Prior (Jonny Lee Miller), as well as the emotionally depleted poet Wilfred Owen (Stuart Bunce) and another poet and war hero, Siegfried Sassoon (James Wilby). Unlike the others, Sassoon is not, in fact, suffering from any disorder but is being quietly punished for writing a pamphlet denouncing the war. The army hopes Rivers can find some basis for mental incompetency in Sassoon, but the thoughtful doctor instead attempts to persuade him to add legitimacy to his criticisms of the war by returning to active duty.

Pryce brilliantly captures the cumulative effects of Rivers's responsibility--of fixing men and sending them back to their possible deaths--on the good doctor's nerves. Wilby is also fine as Sassoon, but the film belongs just as much to actors Miller and Bunce, whose characters are different kinds of men struggling to find their balance, one through a revived sense of duty and the other through his writing. Scottish filmmaker Gillies Mackinnon (The Playboys) is at the top of his form, telling a unique story about the invisible wounds of war while shedding light on the meeting of two visionary poets and one visionary physician. --Tom Keogh

Customer Reviews:

A good film that should have been a great one.......2007-09-12

Despite promising material - the relationship between World War One poets Wilfred Owen and Siegfried Sassoon and the pioneering work of psychiatrist Dr W.H.R. Rivers in dealing with shell-shocked soldiers at Craiglockhart Hospital in Scotland - and Pat Barker's fine source novel, Regeneration (given a brief theatrical release in the US as Behind the Lines) is something of a disappointment. It's not so much that it's bad, though it does have many problems, more that it's not great when it could and should have been.

Gillies MacKinnon's direction is a big part of the problem, a victim of too much good taste and restraint and not terribly cinematic either, rarely venturing much beyond medium shots. The material needs attack and passion, but instead it feels like a well-staged piece that's too nervous about offending its potential audience's sensibilities to really go for the throat. The casting is problematic too: Jonathan Pryce is fine as the psychiatrist gradually assuming his patients maladies himself as he faces the irony of curing men so they can be sent back to possibly die at the front but Jonny Lee Miller remains unconvincing as the resentful working class officer Billy Prior, cutting far too contemporary a figure to convince in a period piece. However, the scenes between James Wilby and Stuart Bunce as Sassoon and Owen really take hold, and it's here that the film all too rarely finds its heart and soul. It's a film that stands up a lot better on a second viewing partially because of lower expectations, but it's much too polite to do its subject matter full justice.

Good adaptation of Barker's Regeneration.......2006-01-08

I think Pat Barker's World War I trilogy is one of the finest literary works of this century. Thus it was a treat to see a film adaptation of the first of the three novels, Regeneration, in this DVD, "Behind the Lines". There were many solid strenghts to this film.

First, the cinematography and art direction was exceptional. The confined atmosphere of a Scottish mental hospital contrasted against the muddy horror of the front lines and trenches of World War I was exceptional. Scottland in quiet snow is contrasted with France in bloody mud.

Second, the acting is great. Jonathan Pryce did an excellent job of playing a humane psychiatrist that gradually assumes the psychosomatic symptoms of his patients. James Wilby and Jonny Lee Miller pay the other lead roles to perfection. However a surprize performer and performance was the great job Stuart Bunce did portraying poet Wilfred Owen.

Third, the script honored the complexity of Barker's novel. Dr. Rivers must treat shell shocked men so they can return to an insane war. The ethical and psychological issues abound from this situation. Sasoon, played by Wilby, is a hero who responds to the rising insanity of the war. He is a rational man of great courage and compassion. The fact that he is a hero makes his criticisms of the English military leadership even more biting. The contrast of the humane and gentle treatment provided by Rivers with that of one of his colleagues is amazing. A young man is repeatedly shocked with electricity around the tongue and mouth until his mute symptoms are suppressed. A very frightening demonstration of behavior modification at its worst.

My only wish would be that the second novel, "Eye in the Door" and the third novel "Ghost Road" had also been made into films.

"He wasn't a man. He was a fighting unit...being repaired.".......2005-04-10

I'm quite surprised that this incredible war film has remained so obscure since it's U.S. release, although like the previous reviewers I can see how the deceptive title of "Behind the Lines" would mislead people into thinking of daring missions and epic battle sequences rather than an asylum. Even with very few combat scenes, "Behind the Lines" is a devastating portrait of World War I and one of the best depictions of the war I've ever seen.

Jonathan Pryce stars as Dr. William Rivers, an army psychiatrist who must treat and heal shell-shocked soldiers at an asylum in Scotland so he can return them to the slaughter at the front. Although other doctors use brutal electrical shock treatment to "cure" shell-shock victims, Rivers uses patience, kindness, and understanding to treat his patients. But when he meets Siegfried (James Wilby), a decorated war hero who's sent to the asylum for publishing an anti-war pamphlet, he's faced with questioning his own beliefs about the war. As he becomes more and more attached to his troubled patients, Dr. Rivers eventually finds himself suffering from symptoms of shell-shock, and he reaches the point where he's about to break down physically and emotionally.

This gripping film about World War I's devastating impact on the brave men at the front is one that you'll never forget. The music, superb performances, and incredible cinematography combine to make this one of the greatest war films of all time. Highly recommended!

Excellent adaptation.......2005-02-17

Pat Barker's "Regeneration" brought to the screen with such care; it's like a miracle when a great book is duplicated by a screenwriter. The only thing I didn't like about the film [and the words, "didn't like" are really too strong] was Jonny Lee Miller as Prior; and that's strictly personal because he just didn't LOOK like my idea of Prior. I picture Prior as fair; resembling Jude Law possibly. Also, the way Prior is presented here, you really didn't get the hint, as you do in Regeneration, that Prior is "one of those" as his hospital roommate says! But to be fair, THAT was actually developed in the other two books in the trilogy...I suppose I was not distant enough from the books to totally appreciate this film on its own merits, although I do think it's excellent. The opening overhead shot of a field of battle, AFTER a battle, is just astounding.

Why didn't this movie get more attention in America when it was released??!! Jonathan Pryce's performance is definitely Oscar caliber.

Looking into the minds of the Great War poets........2004-10-06

I understand the lament of some reviewers as to this film's name change from _Regeneration_ to _Behind the Lines_. The "lines" to which the title refers are not the battle lines, but the lines of poetry (and prose) of several of the film's key historical figures. (Mostly Owen and Sassoon, but Robert Graves also makes an appearance.) It is actually a very appropriate title if we understand it as investigating the cataclysm through which these authors forged their art.

This is an excellent film for anyone who wants to understand the profound psychological change the Great War imposed upon the men of this generation. It is also a good jumping-off point for a discussion of the War Poets in any history or lit class.

Average customer rating:

Doctor Finlay
Doctor Finlay
This is a superb series, nicely presented on DVD
Honk if you love Scotland.....

Doctor Finlay
Starring: Raymond Ross , and Colin McCredie
Manufacturer: Bfs Entertainment
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Drama | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Television | Genres | DVD | Video

( D ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video

Drama | Boxed Sets | Stores | DVD | Video

Television | Boxed Sets | Stores | DVD | Video
Similar Items:

ASIN: B00006C7GE
Release Date: 2002-10-22

Customer Reviews:

Doctor Finlay.......2007-07-31

I enjoyed this series immensely.The evocation of the period after WW2 and the poverty endured by the working classes in Britain is powerfully drawn.The characters are beautifully played by an ensemble of actors/actresses ,experienced in playing people from all walks of life.David Rintoul,Annette Crosbie and the late Ian Bannen are all fine actors and bring to this wonderful series an authentic feel that truly evokes that post-war period and the attitudes that prevailed at the time.I suppose in a way I harbour a deep nostalgia for that period and the cosy rural community in which it is set;the values of honesty,kindness and altruism seem quaint today,but as portayed here through the eyes of a doctor they represent a world where material gain was not the motivation for putting the well being of others before one's own.i;m looking forward to series 3 and possibly,if it's available,the original series made in the sixties.Perhaps if anyone out there has knowledge of this earlier Doctor Finlays Casebook they could let me know.

Doctor Finlay.......2007-03-21

I purchased this for my wife, who enjoys English programs from the 70's when we lived there.

She is quite pleased with the CD.

An aside, the National Health scheme in the UK as with all others, is a disaster. If you want good care on a timely basis you must go private.

This is a superb series, nicely presented on DVD.......2003-01-21

This series ranks well with those productions--Hope and Glory, All Creatures Great and Small--which depict a changed and changing British society during and after WWII. The stories focus movingly on how the war affected individuals within virtually every class of society from the very poor to the upper levels, from the indigent (and the dropouts) to the professionals. The principal actors (David Rintoul, Jason Flemyng, Annette Crosbie and the now late Ian Bannon) are beyond praise, as are the scripts by a whole series of writers. And the sound, the photography and the editing are truly wondrous, as are the lush orchestrations of the Scottish National Symphony. This is a superb series, the kind one wishes would never end.

Honk if you love Scotland............2002-10-25

The Dr. Finlay series was filmed in Auchtermuchty Scotland and stars David Rintoul the fellow who played "Darcy" in the BBC version of PRIDE AND PREJUDICE shot in the 1980s. You may also recall Rintoul from the FIVE RED HERRINGS, a Peter Wimsey tale also dramatized by the BBC. In addition to Rintoul, the cast includes Annette Crosbie and Ian Bannon(??) the recently deceased actor who played the lead in WAKING NED DEVINE.

The series begins as Dr. Finlay returns to his hometown following a stint in the Royal Army Medical Corps during WWII. Finlay arrives just in time to discover his long-time girl friend and ex-fiance involved with an America GI who is about to ship out to the States and wants to take her home as his bride.

Finlay's village has changed dramatically while he was away, and he soon discovers life is just as turbulent in his home town after the war, as it was at his last posting. For one thing, the village has acquired many new inhabitants. In addition to U.S. Army personnel, who are in the process of demobilizing, a collection of German War Prisoners lives in nearby ex-prison encampment. Seems no one has an interest in them any longer, but they still need medical care.

Finlay's private medical practice is about to become part of the National Medical Service, his old friend and partner is about to retire, and a new young doctor has arrived to begin his practice -- literally. On top of everything else, the long-time spinster housekeeper, who has kept everything organized for ages, is about to become a married woman and leave housekeeping permanently.

In some ways, the characterization of three doctors in a small Scotish village in the 1940s is very reminscient of the series ALL CREATURES GREAT AND SMALL where three bachelor veternarians have set up practice in Yorkshire. However, Dr. Finlay was a Masterpiece Theater production based on the book by A.J.Cronin, whom I seem to recall was a Scottish physician himself and probably the basis for the story, just as the CREATURES series about James Herriot was based on a real vet's life in Yorkshire.

Description

A MASTERPIECE THEATRE PRESENTATION

"...genuine drama... sharp entertainment... acting's superb..." - VARIETY

"Highly enjoyable." - ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY

A village doctor's tales of challenges, caring and trust

David Rintoul, Annette Crosbie and Ian Bannen star in the continuing all-new adaptation of one of the most popular programmes on British TV.

Five years have now passed since the end of the war and the Arden House medical team function with well-practiced efficiency, servicing the residents of Tannochbrae, who for the most part, have gradually come to trust their doctors and follow their advice. Even so, as the post-war era unfolds, Doctors Finlay, Cameron and Napier face many interesting dilemmas in their caseloads, while struggling to cope with the demanding challenges of their personal lives.

Starring: David Rintoul (Horatio Hornblower) as Dr. John Finlay, Ian Bannen (Waking Ned Devine) as Dr. Alexander Cameron, Annette Crosbie (Calendar Girls) as Janet Livingstone-MacPherson and Jessica Turner (The Cazalets) as Dr. Jennifer Napier

Based on the characters created by A.J. Cronin

Episodes: Home Truths / All Jock Tamson's Bairns / Days of Grace / A Simple Operation / Mercury / The Life of Men / Still Waters

Special Features: Cast Trivia / Cast Profiles

approx. 6 hrs. col.

Customer Reviews:

Dr. Finlay Series Is Excellent!.......2007-08-11

For fans of the Dr. Finlay series, this is season four and I think it is the last set of dvds. This set is even better than the previous episodes.

There is a Christmas Special sequel to season four but it is not included on these dvds so hopefully that will be made available soon.

This is a series that I hated to see come to an end.

Average customer rating:

Splendid Doctor Finlay series continues...
A series to be watched, and watched again

Doctor Finlay - Volume 2
Starring: Raymond Ross , and Colin McCredie
Manufacturer: Bfs Entertainment
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Drama | Genres | DVD | Video

( D ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video

Drama | Boxed Sets | Stores | DVD | Video
Similar Items:

ASIN: B00022EEE4
Release Date: 2004-08-24

Customer Reviews:

Splendid Doctor Finlay series continues..........2007-01-03

The Doctor Finlay series was one of my FAVORITE programs to ever run on PBS. Unfortunately, PBS only showed the first two series. (Great Britain had 4 series of this program, I think.) Series 2 continues the stories of these well-drawn characters.

I was delighted to see this series available on Amazon and have purchased Series 1-3. (Note to Amazon: please make series 4 available!)

This series would appeal to fans of "All Creatures Great and Small" and to those who have enjoyed other programs about life in post-WWII Britain. The actors are superb and do a great job making you truly care about the characters and their lives. David Rintoul, who was a fantastic Mr. Darcy, and whom I still slightly prefer to the Colin Firth version of Darcy, is engaging as Dr. Finlay. His character and those played by Ian Bannen, Annette Crosbie, and Jason Flemyng are all multi-dimensional and each is endearing in his/her own way. The secondary characters are well drawn too.

The stories are very true to life with twists, turns, misunderstandings, and not always a happy ending. I love the characters in this series, the "ambience" of the time period, the scenery, and the insights into what life was truly like at that point in time. It was also interesting to me to learn more about the changes in the healthcare system in Britain and how they impacted the Brits -though deep interest in medicine is not necessary to enjoy this series.

I hope others will take a chance on a wonderful entertaining evocative series! I will be starting series 3 later this afternoon! ENJOY!

A series to be watched, and watched again.......2005-12-21

I loved the first series of Doctor Finlay - but I loved Volume 2 more. Like Series One, it is brilliantly scripted, acted, and filmed in the fictional Scottish town of Tannochbrae, and its post-World War II setting is impeccably recreated (although at a time when rationing was still in effect in Britain, there seemed to be a rather large supply of meat in Part 4 of Series One). But what I found particularly captivating about Series Two is that the episodes center on the main characters, themselves. There's square-jawed Doctor Finlay (David Rintoul), solid and focused but still unattached after his two romantic frustrations of Series One. And the retired Dr. Cameron (Ian Bannen), wise in the ways of the world, yet merry and always ready for a `wee dram.' And handsome Dr. David Neil (Jason Flemyng), the new partner: beneath his capable but feckless façade lies a young and inexperienced heart that, in both series, takes medical science's inadequacies all too personally. And last but hardly least, there's the inestimable Janet (Annette Crosbie), housekeeper for decades at `Arden House' where the doctors and their practice reside; never married, she becomes engaged to the local pharmacist in Series Two, but clearly has mixed feelings about radically altering her life at this late stage.

Series Two does not defer to the current need for satisfying `closure' on every issue. Patients with problems are introduced but, just as in real life, their stories do not necessarily resolve to our satisfaction if, indeed, they resolve at all. The series instead concentrates on the relationships among the main characters. And, as in real life, we find in them the full spectrum of emotions: love, longing, conflict, fear, all packaged in captivating tales that not only entertain us, but also enrich us by teaching us about ourselves. We could hardly ask more from a drama.

This is a beautiful series that I will treasure as part of my collection. I plan to watch it again, and I'm sure I will enjoy it even more the second time around

Average customer rating:

What are "Episode Titles" of this grand series ?

Doctor Finlay - Set 3

Manufacturer: Bfs Entertainment
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Drama | Genres | DVD | Video

( D ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video

Drama | Boxed Sets | Stores | DVD | Video
Similar Items:

ASIN: B0009WFFRW
Release Date: 2005-09-13

Description

DOCTOR FINLAY - NO TIME FOR HEROES - Journey into a world of healing, humanity and hope. - Dr. John Finlay survived the war only to find himself fighting more challenging battles on the home front. Leaving behind the senseless bloodshed that darkened his stint in the Royal Army Medical Corps, his homecoming to the small Scottish town of Tannochbrae is not what he expects. One of the most popular series ever aired on the BBC, Doctor Finlay forges ahead in the continuing all-new adaptation based on the vivid characters created by A. J. Cronin. Starring David Rintoul (Horatio Hornblower), Annette Crosbie (Calendar Girls) and Ian Bannen (Waking Ned Devine), this Masterpiece Theatre presentation is an intriguing journey into the world of healing, humanity... and hope. DVD Features: Cast Trivia / Cast Profiles

Customer Reviews:

What are "Episode Titles" of this grand series ?.......2007-05-28

What are the episode titles of this set ?

- x - x - x - x -
By the Way ... I DO very much LIKE the two seasons/series of the story which I have viewed already.

- x - x - x - x -
Also, By The Way -- I continue to be amazed, that Amazon rarely includes the titles of the episodes on dvd items -- while Amazon DOES almost-always, include titles of songs on cd items. There must be an official reason. but: what could the reason be ? AND why won't they tell us what the reason is ? AND why can't they fix that reason and begin supplying episode titles ? SIGH.

Average customer rating:

Not Full Screen as Advertized
Glenda Jackson at her finest

Return of the Soldier
Starring: Dorothy Alison , Ann-Margret , Alan Bates , William Booker , and Patsy Byrne
Director: Alan Bridges
Manufacturer: Trinity Entertainment
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Drama | Genres | DVD | Video

Drama | Independently Distributed | Stores | DVD | Video

4-for-3 Art House & International | 4-for-3 DVD | Stores | DVD | Video

4-for-3 Drama | 4-for-3 DVD | Stores | DVD | Video

4-for-3 All DVDs | 4-for-3 DVD | Stores | DVD | Video

Independently Distributed | Indie & Art House | Stores | DVD | Video

DVDs Under $7.49 | Today's Deals in DVD | Special Features | DVD | Video

( R ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video
Similar Items:

ASIN: B000BDH6GC
Release Date: 2005-09-13

Description

Captain Chris Baldry has suffered the injuries of many during the war, lost in a state of young love he struggles through the overpowering presence of all of the women in his life. Trapped in his past with his true love, his present wife, cousin and woman of his dreams all compete to bring him back to the present as each see fit for him to live out his life.

Customer Reviews:

Not Full Screen as Advertized.......2006-09-22

When I read that this DVD was "full screen" I opted to rent it rather than buy it. If you care about the film as I always have, you'll be pleased to know that the "Tinity Home Entertainment" transfer is excellent and in WIDESCREEN.

Glenda Jackson at her finest.......2005-11-02

This film had limited distribution when released and the HBO
video was not around long. The dvd is most welcome. Alan Bates
portrays a shell shocked soldier during World War I. His family
fears that if he gets his memory back his life will never be the
same. Glenda Jackson portrays Margaret, his first love, and the
only person Bates remembers. She gives one of her finest
performances. In an ugly raincoat and an even uglier hat she still
manages to be more attractive than the beautifully coifed and
dressed Julie Christie who stars as Bates wife who wants him to
get his memory back.. Ann-Margret also turns in another fine
performance. Many thanks to Trinity for putting this out on
DVD.

Average customer rating:

Arch of Triumph
Starring: Martin Benson , Joyce Blair , Alexander Davion , Lesley-Anne Down , and Frank Finlay
Director: Waris Hussein
Manufacturer: Direct Source Label
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Drama | Genres | DVD | Video