gail piersol

I have always loved this movie so much. I have never seen a better portrayal of an out of work man trying desperately to find another job while hiding it from his wife. I'll never forget Robert Preston picking up the farmer & carrying him to prove he was strong enough to do the work. There were so many moving moments in this picture. I love Dorothy McGuire as the mother & wife who learned the hard way that if you turn your husband away when he needs you, there is always someone else waiting. Angela Lansbury was great as the "almost" other woman. A single woman working hard to support herself & a sympathetic ear to Robert Preston, but a good woman who did not deserve to be the topic of the town biddies. Eve Arden was amazing as the clangy, loud, opinionated, big mouthed relative who was actually trying to deal with her own pain. The Jewish boy who dated the daughter & was befriended by Robert Preston made a big impression on me, and made me wonder what was wrong with people for being so ignorant. I loved the actors, the story, the music and everything else. I could watch this over & over & never get tired of it. I think it is one of the best movies ever made & do not understand why it is so seldom seen on tv. I found a copy of it on DVD so I can watch it anytime, but it really should be aired much more often. If you haven't seen it, do yourself a favor & watch it. You will laugh, cry & never forget it.

While I appreciate any effort to show off beautiful wild animals & support those who are providing a responsible, safe, natural habitat, I did not enjoy this movie. I think the big cats were tempted & provoked to do great harm to the humans & each other & I'm surprised any humans walked away in one piece, or even with their life. I would have enjoyed much more, a documentary of the family interacting safely & respectfully, & only when necessary-(to care for the cats)-but all the dangerous situations that were set up by the director-(Noel Marshall) were uncalled for & extremely dangerous for both the humans & the wildlife. I think the director was on an ego trip & did not show good judgement at all. What could have been a fascinating look at the behavior & beauty of big cats was ruined for me by the director's need to push the limits & exploit the cats & his family. (I'm glad Tippi Hedren survived & wish her well with her big cat sanctuary-Shambala.)

I was prepared to hate it, from all the negative reviews, so I was pleasantly surprised by how much I loved this production. (I have seen the live play & was familiar with the musical numbers), but I really liked how much the movie was able to go more in depth with the story & characters motives. (the people who don't know what it is about, probably don't want to know.) I could have done without the cameras changing angles & zooming in so much-I would like to have the choice of where I want to look & at who without eliminating them from the frame. I was entertained & enjoyed all the actors & musical numbers. I feel they respected the work & did this out of love for the musical & the characters. If you haven't seen it, & have enjoyed the Broadway play, I think you should watch the movie & form your own opinion. This movie has heart & talent & some of the reviewers are snobs & find fault with anything that is not jaded & cold blooded.

I love this show & think Danielle is amazing. Adam is a good, fun dad, & I know his girls adore him, but he doesn't always realize the extra burdens he is placing on his wife when he wants to do something "fun" for the girls. Overall, I have tremendous respect for both these parents & all their great extended family members who help & support them with their little girls. You can tell how much these parents love all their children & that is what counts. If they make money doing this show-good for them-God knows they need all the help they can get with a crew like this. It will be interesting to see how all the girls personalities develop as they grow into individuals.I wish nothing but the best for this family.