Review(s): DVD Little House on the Prairie - Special Edition Movie Boxed Set (Look Back to Yesterday / Bless All the Dear Children / The Last Farewell)
A Moving Meditaton on Death
I personally think that Look Back to Yesterday is the best of the three LHOP television movies that formed the "unoffical" tenth season of the show. It is, of course, very emotional, but deep emotions are called for when a person we love dies. Thus the tears that Pa and Laura shed over Albert's impending death are fitting; a lack of tears, a lack of deep emotion, would have been unfitting. Popular culture usually either ignores death entirely or does not take it seriously enough. The fact that every person who ever lived or ever will live, no matter how good, how loving, how courageous, how talented, etc. will die, is an aweful fact, one that does call into question the fundamental goodness of the universe and the value of life. But it is hard to dismiss the goodness of the universe or the ultimate value of life based on the fact of death since there is so much beauty in the world and since there are so many good, loving, talented, etc. people. The intrinsic value of good people and the value of their having lived, does not seem to be cancelled by their death and their death can, odly enough, highlight the value of their lives and of life in general. And of course, for the spiritually minded person, the great worth of human life, and particularly of the lives of some humans, points to the existence of an afterlife and of a world to come where all that is precious and good in this life will be preserved.
I can't really express what I mean very clearly, but for me this episode of Little House does clearly highlight both the horribleness of death, the nearly unbearable aspect of it, i.e., that a person whom we love and who is worthy of love, and who has a value beyond price, will cease to exist, at least in the form we know, as well as the way in which death can rouse in us a renewed appreciation of all that is good and valuable in the world. Thus Albert's impending death causes Pa and Laura to become acutely aware of how much they love him, of how deeply their lives have been woven with his, just as Albert's awareness of his death causes him to become aware of how much he loves Pa and Laura and all his family and friends, as well as causing him to become acutely aware of the value of living and of the life he has lived. His attitude toward death in the film is enobling. He does not want to surrender to it by spending the rest of his life in bed feeling sorry for himself but by doing as much as he can and by helping the people he loves.
The last ten minutes of the film are the most moving of all. Albert's ascent up the mountain is symbolic of the triumph of his spirit over death and of the ascent of his soul to heaven, just as the badges he buries in the keep sake box are symbolic of the burial of his body. The children who surrond him and Laura at the end symbolize, certainly, the circle of life and the interconnectedness of all that lives and, perhaps, the communion of saints. Finally, the music in the last ten minutes is masterful. Rose's score is nearly Wagnarian in its eloguqence and the ethereal way he weaves together and transforms the Little House theme and Albert's theme in the very last two minutes of the film sends chills up my spine every time I listen to it. I do agree with other fans on the very high quality of the music Rose wrote for the series and would welcome a recording of the very best music he wrote for Little House.
Three "Little House" Films Makes One Great Box Set
These three television specials aired from late 1983 to early 1984 and were the last words Michael Landon had to say regarding the adventures of Laura Ingalls Wilder.
By this time, of course, many of the characters were no longer based on the actual people in the books, but the spirit of the television series continued to emulate the literature.
LOOK BACK TO YESTERDAY
Charles and Albert return to Walnut Grove when it becomes clear that Albert has a serious illness. This is perhaps the most difficult of the films to watch, not for lack of talent or story, but because it carries a somber tone.
BLESS ALL THE DEAR CHILDREN
This is the strongest of the three installments. The story reunites Charles, Isaiah Edewards, Laura, and Elmonzo as the search for the couple's kidnapped child. The sub-plot with the Carter Family is the best of the three. A great film to watch annually during the Christmas season.
THE LAST FAREWELL
Something of a controversial end to the beloved series that was enjoyed for being more sweet than sour. I believe Michael Landon was making a statement about where television was heading and taking a stand as he brought his acclaimed series to an end. This installment far outshines "Look Back to Yesterday", but will most certainly be difficult for some fans to swallow.
I have grown up with the "Little House" series and have great respect for most of the beliefs and values that Mr. Landon propogated on this show. These tele-pictures represent the last three statements he made through this set of characters and circumstances. He would never again return to the past for inspiration, but looked to contemporary times for "Highway to Heaven" and the short-lived "Us" series.
This would make a great Christmas gift!
I am so happy that these TV movies of "Little House On The Prairie" have found a new home on DVD. These are such beautiful and heart-warming movies. I have seen them many times on TBS as a child growing up. But I do not believe they have been shown on TV Land or The Hallmark Channel, making these tales very rare in recent years. This DVD is coming out at the perfect time because it would make a great Christmas gift or stocking stuffer.
These are the TV movies included on the "Little House On The Prairie - Special Edition Movie Boxed Set:"
Look Back To Yesterday (original air date: December 12, 1983)
Charles comes home from the big city to Walnut Grove to try to get the farmers to share their crops. He brings his oldest son, Albert. While in Walnut Grove Albert displays mysterious medical symptoms. Charles brings Albert to a specialist and finds out that he has a serious disease. This is actually a very sad episode, so be warned. Some say that Albert died in this episode, others say that he was able to beat the disease and go on to fulfill his dream of becoming a doctor. What happens to Albert is never stated, instead the movie lets the viewer form their own conclusions.
The Last Farewell (original air date: February 6, 1984)
Charles and Caroline return to Walnut Grove to learn that somebody else owns the town and wants everyone to leave Walnut Grove. The townspeople decide that the person can keep the land but they own the town. Allison Arngrim (Nellie Olson on the original series) has a cameo as a telephone operator.
Bless All The Dear Children (original air date: December 17, 1984)
This was actually a Christmas-themed movie. (Didn't "Little House On The Prairie" always have the best Christmas episodes?) Laura and Almanzo's baby daughter Rose is kidnapped while they are Christmas shopping.
Michael Landon was a genius and no one compares to the very high standards that he always set!
Related DVD's Little House on the Prairie - Special Edition Movie Boxed Set (Look Back to Yesterday / Bless All the Dear Children / The Last Farewell)
The ninth season of Little House on the Prairie was re-invented as Little House: A New Beginning after star Michael Landon decided to leave the series. (He continued to produce, direct and write for the show.) The first episode began with the departure of Landon's Pa Ingalls, who fell on hard economic times and moved his family to the city . He returned for just one harrowing two-parter, "Home Again," in which son Albert (Matthew Laborteaux) battled a morphine addiction. In Landon's absence, it was up to the other denizens of Walnut Grove to provide drama, and provide they did. The meddling, gossipy Harriet Oleson (Katherine MacGregor) played town villain, followed by her whiny adopted daughter Nancy (Allison Balson), who was annoying but never as deliciously wicked as her... More Info about this DVD DVD Release Date: Released the 01 November 2005 Usually ships in 24 hours
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I love the LHOTP series, but the DVDs could be so much better. Editing, timing, sound are often way off, but like big corp. has figured out, I'll watch it anyway, because the show is just so wonderful. More Info about this DVD Actor(s): Michael Landon DVD Release Date: Released the 14 June 2005 Usually ships in 24 hours
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Nellie has her twins!!!! Love the character of Nellie. The other stories were interesting. More Info about this DVD Actor(s): Michael Landon DVD Release Date: Released the 15 February 2005 Usually ships in 24 hours
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Season 6 is my favourite Little House Season, and the end to what I call the "Mary in Trauma" Years. In Seasons 4 - 6 everything bad that could happen to anyone did - from going blind, to being held hostage, not once, but twice, with all the bad things climaxing in season six the burning of the blind school and the loss of her child. These years showcase Melissa Sue Anderson as one of the most amazing actresses of the 70's and 80's. I was most anxious to get season 6, expecting the three part 'Little House Years' and the pivotal deleted scene from 'May We Make Them Proud' - where the blind boy goes into the bathroom to blow his nose, consequently resulting in the deaths of Adam Jr and Alice Garvey, neither of which are included in this collection. Other than that disappointment - I... More Info about this DVD Actor(s): Michael Landon DVD Release Date: Released the 26 October 2004 Usually ships in 6 to 7 days
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I was excited to buy the DVD box sets especially since the box covers brag at what lengths had gone into making the episodes at such highest quality. Truthfully, you will be getting better quality recording them off TV.
The TV episodes are probably an approximate 42 to 43 minutes to where the DVD episodes are an approximate 45 minutes. However, there are still some scenes cut out in the DVD episodes.
Some cuts I found are:
In the episode "Fagin", an important scene where Charles tells Albert that since he is having a hard time with kids at school making fun of him for not having a father, why not start calling him "Pa". Instead, they cut to the scene where Laura overhears Albert call Charles "Pa" and she mentions it to the boy, who tells her that... More Info about this DVD Actor(s): Michael Landon DVD Release Date: Released the 29 June 2004 Usually ships in 6 to 7 days
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