Very recently, the company I work for had to get rid of many of their employees because they've lost a lot of money and, sadly, that included me. That's all quite sad, but the bright side of unemployment is additional free time! So, I'm going to start re-watching The Waltons and posting a breakdown/review of every episode on here as I go
First, The Homecoming! I'm not actually rewatching it, since I saw it on Christmas Eve and it's still fresh in my mind. I'll break my thoughts down into a few categories.
Story:
It's Christmas Eve and John has been working away from home. As simple as it all sounds, it makes for quite a nice Christmassy story
Impressions:
- Very nice scenery for the film. It goes a long way to convey the Christmassy feeling.
- The scene with the missionary is very good, and one thing I like about The Waltons is how, with Christianity, it portrays both its strengths and it's more negative sides.
- The presents at the end are lovely (odd that we never see what the grandparents get, however).
- The Baldwin house and Christmas tree are all very striking and wonderful visual features.
- The "Hey, Mary" Christmas song is very catch-y.
- Mary Ellen certainly comes across as the meanest Walton child, with her shouting and ruining things for everyone.
- John-Boy, the children, Hawthorn and Charlie are all very likeable.
Hindsight:
- The different actors for the Baldwins and Zebulon are all very good. They may not be as good as those we're used later, but it's nice to see this different interpretation.
- There are a lot of 'seeds' planted in this episode which are then followed up in later stories, and it's nice to see them knowing what will happen later.
- It's strange to see John-Boy remember what happened in The Hunt, even though that episode hasn't been made yet! Just one of the problems of adaptation, I suppose.
- Sad that Hawthorn and Charlie were never really used again.
Problems:
- The only real thing I can think of is that it's perhaps a bit too long; it's very good at for the first two quarters, great for the final quarter, but, perhaps, sags a bit in the third quarter and could have maybe been a bit better.
- I do not like Olivia in this. She doesn't really seem very nice, and the fact that she's also portrayed by a different actor makes her hard to accept.
- John's also not great, but that may be because he only has a very small appearance in this and we don't get a chance to appreciate him.
- Ep is also quite unlikeable, appearing to be quite an arrogant man and a stark contrast to what he would later become.
I worried I've focused too much on the negative side of things, when really this is an excellent episode, one of the best, I'd go so far as to say
it's such a good standalone Christmas film too, that it has become part of my Christmas tradition. Rating: 9.5/10
First, The Homecoming! I'm not actually rewatching it, since I saw it on Christmas Eve and it's still fresh in my mind. I'll break my thoughts down into a few categories.
