This is very reminiscent of an obscure Kathy Bates movie from the kid 1990's, "A Home of Their Own", about a quirky single mom who settles her children wherever she can, filling whatever stop they are at with love and grounded guidance. Mom here is Dina Merrill, beautiful yet troubled, apparently bipolar before that term came into usage, having issues with living with her own mother Sylvia Sidney who is well aware that her daughter needs help that she's not willing to get. Mom gathers her three kids together to move from Brooklyn to a small town in New Hampshire where they initially camp out on the lake front property her father left her, then moving into an abandoned mess of a house that needs more than its share of repairs.
At the center of the story is oldest child April Lerman who falls in love with a local boy and befriends Tichiha Arnold, a friendly black girl who shows her the ropes. This slice of life drama is something very different for the glamorous Merrill, playing the type of character that Gena Rowlands usually played. She gives a powerful performance, emoting heavily as she moves from motherly affection (as seen during a game of Monopoly) to scared little girl to overjoyed when she suddenly finds a job.
A powerful scene has Merrill cowering from her mother who doesn't seem at all abusive, yet very commanding in how she deals with her daughter's obvious problems. This gives Sylvia Sidney a very good opportunity to be more than just cantankerous, completely loving to her grandchildren yet aware of the damage that her daughter in her present state could cause. Stage actresses Shirley Stoler and Mary Alice have nice supporting roles. This is a well done TV movie (apparently syndicated because I could not find a network broadcast date) with a serious topic using the slice of life structure to make it enjoyable.
At the center of the story is oldest child April Lerman who falls in love with a local boy and befriends Tichiha Arnold, a friendly black girl who shows her the ropes. This slice of life drama is something very different for the glamorous Merrill, playing the type of character that Gena Rowlands usually played. She gives a powerful performance, emoting heavily as she moves from motherly affection (as seen during a game of Monopoly) to scared little girl to overjoyed when she suddenly finds a job.
A powerful scene has Merrill cowering from her mother who doesn't seem at all abusive, yet very commanding in how she deals with her daughter's obvious problems. This gives Sylvia Sidney a very good opportunity to be more than just cantankerous, completely loving to her grandchildren yet aware of the damage that her daughter in her present state could cause. Stage actresses Shirley Stoler and Mary Alice have nice supporting roles. This is a well done TV movie (apparently syndicated because I could not find a network broadcast date) with a serious topic using the slice of life structure to make it enjoyable.
