The Gathering (1977) (TV)

User Rating:

8.0/10   

Director:

Randal Kleiser

Writer:

James Poe (writer)

Release Date:

4 December 1977 (USA)

Genre:

Drama

Tagline:

Emmy Award Winner - Best Dramatic Special [Video Australia]

Plot:

Dying father (Ed Asner) pulls his torn family together for a last Christmas.

Plot Keywords:

Christmas | Argument | Reconciliation | Terminal Illness | Father Son Relationship

Awards:

Won Primetime Emmy. Another 4 nominations

Cast

Edward Asner	...	Adam Thornton
Maureen Stapleton	...	Kate Thornton
Rebecca Balding	...	Julie Pelham
Sarah Cunningham	...	Clara
Bruce Davison	...	George Pelham
Veronica Hamel	...	Helen Thornton
Gregory Harrison	...	Bud Thornton
James Karen	...	Bob Block
Lawrence Pressman	...	Tom Thornton
John Randolph	...	Dr. John Hodges
Gail Strickland	...	Peggy Thornton
Edward Winter	...	Roger
Stephanie Zimbalist	...	Toni Thornton
John A. Hubbard	...	Reverend Powell
Mary Bradley Marable	...	Mary, the Maid

Runtime:

120 min (including commercials)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Filming Locations:

Chagrin Falls, Ohio, USA

Company:

Hanna-Barbera Productions

Movie Connections:

Followed by The Gathering, Part II (1979) (TV)

A Christmas movie you'll never forget

This movie used to be a Christmas staple each year to the point where you never worried about it coming on. Now, it hasn't been on in nearly a decade as I write this in early December of 2000. It's sadly missed. If you get a chance to see this, don't miss it. Tape it, Tivo it, do whatever you have to in order to catch it. The acting is fantastic, the story genuine and the feeling just perfectly balanced across all spectrums.