Scarlett
by John Erman
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DVD details
Actor: Annabeth Gish, Barbara Barrie, Joanne Whalley, Stephen Collins, Timothy DaltonDirector: John Erman
Cinematographer: Tony Imi
Producer: John Erman
Producer: Doris Kirch
Producer: Larry Strichman
Producer: Robert Halmi Sr.
Writer: Alexandra Ripley
Writer: William Hanley
DVD: Region Code 1
Audio: English (Original Language), Dolby Digital 2.0
Format: Color, DVD, Full Screen, NTSC
Picture Format: 1.33:1
Running Time: 360 minutes
DVD Release Date: 2001-09-18
Audience Rating: PG-13 (Parental Guidance Suggested)
Studio: Lions Gate
DVD Reviews of Scarlett
DVD Review: Hilarious!
Summary: 3 Stars
I am a huge, huge fan of "Gone With The Wind", and therefore had to really prep myself for this classic slice of early ninties TV Miniseries by completely abolishing my expectations, prejudices and memories of the indescribably brilliant prequel. "Gone With The Wind", I told myself, is an incredible motion picture, even now, some sixty eight years after its initial release. It's expansive, breathtaking, exciting, emotional, and absolutely riveting. "Scarlett", I replied, is a T.V. miniseries with that guy that used to be James Bond, and whats-her-name on a horse in "Willow".
And so, bearing in mind these limitations, I sat down to an altogether pleasant surprise: "Scarlett" is no "Gone With The Wind", but it does what it does with vim and vigour, and is a very, very entertaining (and oftentimes side-splittingly hilarious) way to pass six hours.
Basically: It's the day after the final scene of the original movie, and Scarlett shows up at Melanie Wilkes' funeral. She's still on her mission to recapture the affections of Rhett Butler, and must run a gamut of innumerable obstacles to get there, stretching from social disgrace, to the sale of Tara, to neatly sidestepping an incestuous relationship with her cousin - a Catholic priest - and becoming involved with a forerunner political group of the I.R.A.
True to miniseries form, the production design and sets are expansive and spectacular - from Charleston and Atlanta to Dublin and London, the recreation of the historic backdrop of the original "Gone With The Wind" is painstaking, and rewarding: a shame that there isn't the same talent behind the camera to photograph the beautiful sets and costumes in "Scarlett". Still, what's there is beautiful and very true to form, and visually, "Scarlett" works reasonably well.
Acting-wise there's not a whole lot to stand out - Joanne Whalley-Kilmer isn't very good - bored and restrained - for the first ninety minutes or so, but then sinks her teeth into her role and is, for the main, a very watchable and likeable actress. Timothy Dalton, poor soul, is really dreadful as Rhett - his "accent" is the stuff of ridicule and he generally looks like he'd rather be anyplace else. Other principal nods go to Sean Bean as Evil Lord Richard Fenton, Rosaleen Linehan as the put-upon Irish housekeeper Mrs. Fitz., Colm Meany as Fr. Colum O' Hara, and John Gielgud as Grandfather Robillard.
Sidebar: As an Irish man myself I am used to American actors forcing foul accents when Irishness is called for, but here, the actors are Irish so the accents are authentic, and that's a nice touch: even if the acting is, in parts, unspeakably foul, at least the audio is authentic!
The minus points of casting come in the shape of Ann-Margaret as Belle Watling (Oh good Lord, she is appalling, it's like watching a slow-mo clip of a car accident with a big red wig on it) and bored, trite Annabeth Gish as repulsively ordinary Ann Hampton-Butler (although, given Dalton's reading of Rhett, maybe she's not so out of place after all?). When Ann meets her untimely demise (she dies of a nasty case of Plot), you feel relief and satisfaction - odd, since she's supposed to be a sympathetic character. Tina Kelleher as Mary Boyle puts me in mind of that "Day In The Life Of An Irish Woman" puppet vignette from the episode of "Family Guy", where Peter takes Chris to discover his Irish roots - Mary Boyle is the personification of everything pathetic, and so it's no surprise that her appearances on screen makes you want to vomit. Still, for entertainment value, her wild ramblings and attempted suicides can't be beat: this is real train-wreck acting wrought by a normally decent actress - she must have been in on the joke!
So why, with an average, unintentionally hilarious cast and sub-average direction, am I awarding three stars to "Scarlett"? Well, it's a miniseries, and I like miniseries. It's a bodice-ripping, pot-boiling, totally chiaroscuro romp through six hours of implausible plot twists (Scarlett, at one point, resembles Saint TooraLoora of Ireland with a direct line to Jesus), hilarious historical inaccuracies, plenty of "Mommie Dearest"-esque overacting, and enough large gowns to keep a platoon of Drag Queens in work until the end of time. It's a lot of fun, but be warned: should you choose to watch it you WILL be bored silly for the first hour and a half or so: it's not really until Rhett leaves Scarlett in Charleston that the action really quickens pace. If you liked the likes of "Sins" and "Master of the Game" then you might like "Scarlett", too. Give it a chance and it will entertain you: as a continuation of "Gone With The Wind" it doesn't work at all, but then, what could have? "Scarlett" is self-contained, but for what it is, it's very enjoyable.
Description of Scarlett
This soapy but highly watchable television "sequel" to Gone with the Wind, the most popular Hollywood movie ever made, has nothing to do with memories of a vanished antebellum South. But it does end up in Ireland, where the determined Scarlett O'Hara Butler (played with frosty passion by Joanne Whalley-Kilmer) turns hard times into an opportunity by buying the ancestral home of her family. Before that happens, however, Scarlett fights to win back the estranged Rhett Butler (manfully portrayed by Timothy Dalton), often seen in the company of other women, struggles for control over the homestead Tara, and gets caught in yet another compromising position with poor Ashley Wilkes (Stephen Collins). The troubles never stop (Scarlett's Ireland adventures land her in a heap of trouble from which only Rhett can save her), but this TV miniseries wisely keeps the focus on these captivating characters, their entangled histories, and the collective destiny that refuses to part them. The show also looks good: the location scenes in Ireland are particularly handsome, and there is something unaccountably satisfying about seeing Scarlett and Rhett walking through peaceful green hills. Enjoy. --Tom KeoghBestsellers in DVD
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