Review
by Moyra J. Bligh originally written for the "John
& Delenn Site"
A made for television
movie based on Wila Cather's classic novel of the same name. Set in
the late 1800's on the Nebraska plains, it is an unconventional love
story narrated by "Jim Burden" about the object of his affections.
It tells both their stories starting with their meeting shortly after
they both arrive in Nebraska as children, through to their adulthood.
Mira plays "Mrs. Shimerda"
a Bohemian immigrant, the mother of "Antonia" and three other children.
Unfortunately a great deal of Mira's work in this film was dropped
on the cutting room floor. Having read the book, and knowing what
is missing I think that that is a tragedy, there is a great deal Mira
could have done with the material that was omitted. However, the few
scenes that there are of her are wonderful. Notable especially are
the rant in the sod lean-to that passes for the family's house, the
despair in her voice will break your heart, and the scene after her
husband's death. Her eyes look dead, as though all the life had been
sucked out of her with his passing.
It is so very strange
to hear Mira speak broken English, knowing what a beautiful command
of the language she actually has (in fact I suspect her vocabulary
is larger than most native English speakers).