Christy: Return to Cutter Gap [DVD] [Region 1] [US Import] [NTSC]

I was dubious at first when I learned some "Christy" tv movies were coming out but I was willing to sit down and watch one to see if it held the same magic for me as the series held. Unfortunately, the magic that had me bowled over week after week with the series was not present in the movies.

Don't get me wrong, the tv movies might be of the highest quality and caliber but, for me at least, Kellie Martin will always be Christy. Tyne Daly will always be Miss Alice and Randall Batinkoff will always be David. These actors are forever going to embody the characters of the wonderful tv show which was "Christy" and no substitutes will do.

Which brings me to my real purpose of writing this review. PLEASE...I'M BEGGING the powers-that-be to release the "Christy" television show on DVD with all its episodes. The series is the only "Christy" that I'm interested in.

What is new to these movies from the series (besides cast changes) is the envelope, discussions between the aged Christy and her daughter "Catherine" as Catherine brings her mother to revisit Cutter Gap. (Those who have read Catherine Marshall's book _Christy_, on which the series and now the movie are loosely based, know that the Christy character is somewhat based on Catherine Marshall's mother.) And the whole Margaret McNeill sub-plot is ignored as if it had never happened (which, in the book, it didn't -- Margaret died before Christy ever came to Cutter Gap and didn't keep popping up to torment Neil and Miss Alice.) But the envelope and occasional voice-overs by the "older" Christy are okay and the story is involving, with poachers and an early aviatrix descending on Cutter Gap. Interestingly, the aviatrix Harriet Quimby was a real person and this episode left me wondering whether she and Catherine Marshall's real-life mother ever met.

The cast changes are neutral to slightly disappointing. Lauren Lee Smith's portrayal of Christy is as perky and naive as Kellie Martin's was. James Waterston doesn't have the presence of Randall Batinkoff's original David Grantland, and Diane Ladd seemed rather wishy-washy after Tyne Daly's characterization (and her "thee"s sounded totally artificial). But these are minor flaws. A flaw that bothered me more was the new Fairlight Spencer's emotional distance from Christy. Both in the book and in the series, their friendship was very important to both women, and I don't think Fairlight would have brushed Christy off no matter the provocation.

Finally, a word of warning about confusing titles. "Return to Cutter Gap" was shown on Pax-TV recently as "Christy: The Movie." Two other Amazon "Christy" titles, "Christy: A Change of Seasons" and "Christy: A New Beginning" were just shown on Pax as "Christy: Choices of the Heart" parts 1 and 2 respectively. Why rename them? Other than to confuse the viewers, I mean?