Sandy Bottom is a picture postcard perfect little midwestern town where everyone is perfect right down to their imperfections which, if course, being perfect, they always apologize for having in the most perfect way. "The Sandy Bottom Orchestra" is a dreamy, sweet, sentimental little made-for-tv film about a family of three who infuse the population of Sandy Bottom with a dash of culture by creating a classical orchestra...etc., etc. An excellent little unpretentious "feel good" flick, "TSBO" does what is sets out to do and quits...in a perfect sort of way. Enjoyable stuff for anyone in need of a break from the usual frenetic film fare.
13 Reviews
the french version...
prettygurrly30 September 2006
I watched this film in dubbed French and it was the first time I've been able to watch a dubbed-film all the way through. I loved the fact that the film moves quite slowly and I felt that it had a certain "Fried Green Tomatoes in the WhistleStop Cafe" (one of my favourite movies) feel about it. It certainly wasn't as gritty as FGTitWC but I was glued for the entire afternoon.
This is a really good movie if you are really hungover or tired and don't need particularly brain tormenting TV to watch. I would recommend it for a group of girls especially if they're already into classical music.
This is a really good movie if you are really hungover or tired and don't need particularly brain tormenting TV to watch. I would recommend it for a group of girls especially if they're already into classical music.
Fine family movie, refreshing for good subjects with no sex or foul language.
TxMike11 July 2004
Warning: Spoilers
some MILD SPOILERS may be contained following, but not anything that would detract from a first viewing...
Judging from IMDb votes and comments, not many people have seen this movie. I found the DVD at my public library. The story is about a small town and its people. The town is Sandy Bottom, Wisconsin, where mom (Glenne Headley) is upset about a lot of things, such as the school dropping Spanish from its curriculum. "But mom, we live in Wisconsin!" She is also against the town mayor allowing a historic building to be torn down to make way for an entertainment complex. A musician and former virtuoso pianist, she agrees to be choir director but encounters resistance because she wants to do more than just sing the old favorites. She butts heads with the pastor, the mayor, and enough townspeople that she wonders if, after 15 years there, maybe she just doesn't belong there. And she wonders what might have been if she had been able to pursue a career in music.
Meanwhile her husband is very happy running the local dairy, everyone in town likes him. He organizes a concert for the community and attracts a talented director and a piano prodigy. Then there's the daughter, a violin student, a very well-mannered teenager.
Most refreshing is that in this movie the 'crises', while real, are not devastating. Teenagers may kiss, but it is an innocent peck on the cheek. The adults don't use foul language. In short, it is a movie that can be enjoyed by anyone.
SPOILERS - The guest conductor cancels, the young prodigy is useless, so the dad takes on the task of conducting, and eventually mom is coaxed into playing the piano concerto, which 16 years earlier had been her Master's performance. The townspeople recognized her talent, the pastor asked her to be choir director again, the daughter got a scholarship to an out-of-state music school, and the cute young cellist friend ends up going there too.
Judging from IMDb votes and comments, not many people have seen this movie. I found the DVD at my public library. The story is about a small town and its people. The town is Sandy Bottom, Wisconsin, where mom (Glenne Headley) is upset about a lot of things, such as the school dropping Spanish from its curriculum. "But mom, we live in Wisconsin!" She is also against the town mayor allowing a historic building to be torn down to make way for an entertainment complex. A musician and former virtuoso pianist, she agrees to be choir director but encounters resistance because she wants to do more than just sing the old favorites. She butts heads with the pastor, the mayor, and enough townspeople that she wonders if, after 15 years there, maybe she just doesn't belong there. And she wonders what might have been if she had been able to pursue a career in music.
Meanwhile her husband is very happy running the local dairy, everyone in town likes him. He organizes a concert for the community and attracts a talented director and a piano prodigy. Then there's the daughter, a violin student, a very well-mannered teenager.
Most refreshing is that in this movie the 'crises', while real, are not devastating. Teenagers may kiss, but it is an innocent peck on the cheek. The adults don't use foul language. In short, it is a movie that can be enjoyed by anyone.
SPOILERS - The guest conductor cancels, the young prodigy is useless, so the dad takes on the task of conducting, and eventually mom is coaxed into playing the piano concerto, which 16 years earlier had been her Master's performance. The townspeople recognized her talent, the pastor asked her to be choir director again, the daughter got a scholarship to an out-of-state music school, and the cute young cellist friend ends up going there too.
Most predictable movie ever!
erich-130 July 2001
We had to fast-forward through chunks of this movie because it was so easy to predict where the plot was going. What a waste of time. Maybe it would be okay to have on in the background while you're doing something else, but don't rent this if you're going to pay attention to it and expect it to hold your attention.
A Movie the way they used to make'em
Rod-3927 September 2000
A truly heartwarming "slice of life" drama. Conductor of the local town orchestra of Sandy Bottom, Minnesota quits just weeks before their big concert at the agricultural fair. Resident Norman Green must take over the conducting chores now. Green's wife, Ingrid, is choir director at the Lutheran Church there and is getting grief from the minister and music committee about some of Ingrid's music selections. There is a very touching scene when the pastor of the church lets Ingrid know that he is aware that it was Ingrid who left the weeks supply of food for the minister and his family, after she discovered that the pastor's wife has a very debilitating disease. To make matters worse, Norman Green's guest soloist on the Mozart Piano Concerto storms off one week before the performance. Now Ingrid must step in at the last minute and perform a piece she has not tried in years. Very moving performances by Glenne Headly as Ingrid, Tom Irwin as Norman, Madeline Zima as daughter Rachel Green, and veteran actress Jane Powell as close friend Delia Ferguson. This film will have you laughing in places and crying in places, but the story is never maudlin. A must see film for the entire family.
A sweet movie worth watching.
DawsonL12 November 2005
My wife and I thought this was a sweet movie about life in a small town. Maybe because we can relate to the main character who is a square peg in a round hole. We enjoyed the film and it made a nice quiet date night.
If you live in a small town you will recognize many of the characters and themes.
The story revolves around the mother and daughter, their stories intertwined but each stands on its own.
My three teenage boys probably wouldn't have cared for it. But if you have a teenage daughter she'll probably love it.
This based on a book by Garrison Keillor. If you like his "Praire Home Companion" show you'll like this.
If you live in a small town you will recognize many of the characters and themes.
The story revolves around the mother and daughter, their stories intertwined but each stands on its own.
My three teenage boys probably wouldn't have cared for it. But if you have a teenage daughter she'll probably love it.
This based on a book by Garrison Keillor. If you like his "Praire Home Companion" show you'll like this.
Life, death, and music in small town life
jmatrixrenegade28 December 2003
This movie is a loving look at small town life through the eyes of an offbeat family and their love of classical music. Glenne Headly stars as the musically trained mom stuck in a small town she feels is shallow and parochial, but is reminded of the special place she has in it all the same , the movie is Hallmark flavored sweetness, but it still has truth and honesty to it]. Her husband, a music loving dairy worker, decides to have a classical concert at the next annual dairy festival. Their teenage daughter (a talented musician) is having growing pains of her own -- she's the film narrator, and it's primary voice (we also see some things through the mother's point of view). An interesting subplot involves the mother's role as church choirmaster, and the struggles of the minister. This subplot in particular has some bite, and helps the movie not to be just written off as trite fluff.
An enjoyable movie that honors family, music, small town life, religion, and independence. A small film of a certain kind, predictable in its way, but not so easily written off as standard fare. We need more movies like this... how often do such themes get full length treatment?
An enjoyable movie that honors family, music, small town life, religion, and independence. A small film of a certain kind, predictable in its way, but not so easily written off as standard fare. We need more movies like this... how often do such themes get full length treatment?
Small Town Meets Refined Musicians
rrockwell-329 December 2013
Not expecting much, I was very surprised by how thoroughly I enjoyed this movie. It moved me so much I think I am writing my first movie review. Perhaps I should confess that I'm an amateur violist living in a small town with a loving family with daughters, so I identified with the situation in this movie. I felt it had an honest, though idealized, feel to it. Admittedly the story was fairly predictable but the acting was superb. The idea of focusing on talented musicians (mother, daughter) trying to fit into a small town isn't a common movie context. The tension between wanting friends yet needing to be yourself leads to risky decisions. Very worthwhile.
I loved this Movie
runnerguy78125 August 2005
I agree with all of the positive comments above. Our church in fact will be showing this movie in our Fall Movie Nights.
A great family and coming of age film. The scenery is beautiful, the acting very natural, the plot realistic, and the underlying theme is beautiful. It is a treasure of a movie for it's return to a simpler, more wholesome town that is reminiscent of Lake Wobegon - Garrison Keillor's mystical Minnesota town. I especially think it teaches the value of forgiveness, staying to your principles, and hope / faith.
I think all churches should review this film for showing to preteens as a lesson of being yourself and not getting caught up in the pressure to confirm to any popular lifestyle.
A great family and coming of age film. The scenery is beautiful, the acting very natural, the plot realistic, and the underlying theme is beautiful. It is a treasure of a movie for it's return to a simpler, more wholesome town that is reminiscent of Lake Wobegon - Garrison Keillor's mystical Minnesota town. I especially think it teaches the value of forgiveness, staying to your principles, and hope / faith.
I think all churches should review this film for showing to preteens as a lesson of being yourself and not getting caught up in the pressure to confirm to any popular lifestyle.
Nice Lighting
prjacoby12 February 2002
This is a film rich in good intentions, but they are so Hallmark-cleansed that much of the real tension is gone. The right people and pieces are there in the right order -- right down to the third cow in the barn -- but what was missing was truth, honesty. It is a suitable "feel good" picture if it doesn't take too much to make you feel good.
Another thing: "Sandy Bottom Orchestra" suffers from is what almost all pictures suffer from these days: the sound FX and music are mixed way in front of the voice tracks. That might work for "Terminator" (and I'm not sure it does), but good grief, "Sandy Bottom" is a narration and dialogue picture! Why is the VOX mixed so far back, and therefore hard to discriminate?
One more thing... I find great irony that a touchy-feely picture about a small town in Minnesota (tightly knit and very American, you know) was shot in Canada.
On the other hand, the DP should be congratulated on great lighting, especially for the exterior shots. "Magic time" was used a lot and very well. It gave most of the exteriors a very lush look without reverting to oversaturation during the timing and transfer process. Good job!
Another thing: "Sandy Bottom Orchestra" suffers from is what almost all pictures suffer from these days: the sound FX and music are mixed way in front of the voice tracks. That might work for "Terminator" (and I'm not sure it does), but good grief, "Sandy Bottom" is a narration and dialogue picture! Why is the VOX mixed so far back, and therefore hard to discriminate?
One more thing... I find great irony that a touchy-feely picture about a small town in Minnesota (tightly knit and very American, you know) was shot in Canada.
On the other hand, the DP should be congratulated on great lighting, especially for the exterior shots. "Magic time" was used a lot and very well. It gave most of the exteriors a very lush look without reverting to oversaturation during the timing and transfer process. Good job!
Heartwarming and inspiring, with great music
franke52925 September 2000
No cars blowing up, no liquor stores being held up. Just great, thought-provoking stuff, with beautiful scenery, a heartwarming story, inspiring message, and music that takes you into another world. Endearing characters & just the right dose of humour finish the recipe.
Predictable but not bad.
jimvandemoter-5023630 November 2019
I came across this movie on line and , having nothing better to do I checked it out. I'm a lifelong musician myself so I'm always interested in movies with a musical theme. This was a good one. One complaint, some of the scenes that showed the actors playing their instruments were faked so badly it was hard to watch. That's the biggest flaw I could see. One more thing, Interlochen Center for the Arts was mentioned many times. For those who don't know it's a real place in Michigan with an international reputation as one of the finest places of its kind in the world. I personally have known people who have gone there. All in all a worthwhile film.
Love It! ~!
Roxburyfunny16 February 2004
I rented the movie and fell in love with it so of course i had to buy the DVD. Everyone gives a amazing performance and it's jut really a cute sweet movie. You don't see movies like this come around often so when they do you absolutely have to take advantage of them. What more can i say about this movie it's well written and well acted. A complete gem in my opinion. Recommended for the people who love a great movie! ~!
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