The Dollmaker (1984) (TV)

User Rating:

7.6/10   

Director:

Daniel Petrie

Writers:

Harriet Arnow (novel)
Susan Cooper (writer)
(more)

Release Date:

13 May 1984 (USA)

Genre:

Drama

Plot:

Jane Fonda gives an Emmy-winning performance as Gertie Nevels, a pioneer woman and the mother of five...

Plot Keywords:

Strike | Hit By Train | Imaginary Friend | Train | Railroad Track

Awards:

Nominated for 2 Golden Globes. Another 5 wins & 5 nominations

Cast

Mike Bacarella	...	Truck Driver
Etel Billig	...	Mrs. Bomarita
Phyllis Boyens	...	Mrs. Hull
Nikki Creswell	...	Cassie
David Dawson	...	Amos
Diane Dorsey	...	Irish Neighbor
Christine Ebersole	...	Miss Vashinski
Jane Fonda	...	Gertie Nevels
Derek Googe
Cheryl Hamada	...	Mrs. Saito
James N. Harrell	...	Old John Miller
Ann Hearn	...	Max
Dan Hedaya	...	Skyros
Levon Helm	...	Clovis
Susan Kingsley	...	Sophronie
Bruce McKinnon	...	Soldier
Geraldine Page	...	Mrs. Kendrick
Elizabeth Perez	...	School Girl
Amanda Plummer	...	Mamie
Robert Swan	...	Victor (as Bob Swan)
Studs Terkel
Mike Timoney	...	Army Major
Starla Whaley	...	Clytie
Jamie Wild	...	Gilbert
Jason Wild	...	Jean-Claude
David Brady Wilson	...	Enoch
Sheb Wooley
Jason Yearwood	...	Reuben
Dennis Kelly	...	Mr. Daly (uncredited)

Directed by
Daniel Petrie

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Harriet Arnow		novel
Susan Cooper		writer
Hume Cronyn		writer

Produced by
Gary Daigler	....	associate producer
Bill Finnegan	....	producer
Bruce Gilbert	....	executive producer

Original Music by
John Rubinstein

Cinematography by
Paul Lohmann

Film Editing by
Rita Roland

Production Design by
George Jenkins

Costume Design by
Julie Weiss

Production Management
John G. Wilson	....	unit production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Gary Daigler	....	first assistant director
Katterli Frauenfelder	....	second assistant director

Art Department
Ralph Hall	....	set designer

Sound Department
Vanessa Theme Ament	....	foley artist
Chris Carpenter	....	sound re-recording mixer
Gordon L. Day	....	sound re-recording mixer
Scott D. Smith	....	sound mixer
Stan Wetzel	....	sound re-recording mixer

Stunts
James Fierro	....	stunts
Rick Le Fevour	....	stunts
Daniel Maldonado	....	stunts (uncredited)

Transportation Department
David Smalley	....	onsceen vehicles

Other crew
Ron Bledsoe	....	head animal trainer
Debi Karolewski	....	assistant: Jane Fonda
Ross L. Kulma	....	set medic

Production Companies

• Finnegan Productions

Distributors

• American Broadcasting Company (ABC) (1984) (USA) (TV) (original airing)
• Lorimar Home Vídeo (Brazil) (VHS)

Other Companies

• Chicago Audio Works  production sound services

Runtime:

150 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Iceland:L

Filming Locations:

Cades Cove, Great Smoky Mountains National Park - 107 Park Headquarters Road, Gatlinburg, Tennessee, USA

Company:

Finnegan Productions

Trivia:

Jane Fonda traveled for two weeks on Dolly Parton's tour bus while researching her role for this movie.

Heart wrenching and wonderful!

The summary may seem like a dichotomy but this movie is so achingly beautiful it is the only way I can describe it so few words. I have only seen this movie once about 20 years ago in its entirety and it's still imprinted on my memory. Each character in this movie is lovingly depicted and so 3-dimensional, even the children (they are such exquisite performances by the children too). You would hardly recognize Jane Fonda not necessarily because of her looks but because her demeanor and accent is so spot on. She really shows just how great of an actress she can be in this role because she couldn't get any further from her privileged background, Hanoi-Jane, wife of Ted Turner real life than this role and yet there isn't even one second of her portrayal that I doubted. She completely inhabited Gertie down to the fabric of her soul. I would highly recommend this movie to anyone who gets the chance to see it. It's hard to believe this was a made-for-TV movie because it so easily could've been made for the big screen. There are very few movies that I've seen that have left the last impression that this one did. To this day, I recall a vast majority of the movie vividly and it's not just the plot points that have stuck with me, it's also the way it made me feel when I saw it. You feel every poignant moment with these characters and you won't soon forget it. As an aside, this movie was my first real exposure to Appalachian music and I've had a fondness for it since. It's a wonderful soundtrack and I've often wished it was available for sale because it is truly beautiful.