East of Eden 

Screen adaptation of John Steinbeck's novel which begins in the years after the American Civil War and, through the story of the Trask family, brings to light a struggle and conflict inherent in the human condition.

Stars:

Timothy Bottoms, Jane Seymour, Bruce Boxleitner

Won 2 Golden Globes. Another 1 win & 4 nominations.

Cast

Series cast summary:
Timothy Bottoms	...	Adam Trask 3 episodes, 1981
Jane Seymour	...	Kate Trask / ... 3 episodes, 1981
Bruce Boxleitner	...	Charles Trask 3 episodes, 1981
Soon-Tek Oh	...	Lee 3 episodes, 1981
Karen Allen	...	Abra 3 episodes, 1981
Hart Bochner	...	Aron Trask 3 episodes, 1981
Sam Bottoms	...	Cal Trask 3 episodes, 1981
Warren Oates	...	Cyrus Trask 3 episodes, 1981
Howard Duff	...	Jules Edwards 3 episodes, 1981
Anne Baxter	...	Faye 3 episodes, 1981
Richard Masur	...	Will Hamilton 3 episodes, 1981
Nicholas Pryor	...	James Grew 3 episodes, 1981
Lloyd Bridges	...	Samuel Hamilton 3 episodes, 1981
Nellie Bellflower	...	Mrs. Trask 3 episodes, 1981
M. Emmet Walsh	...	Sheriff Horace Quinn 3 episodes, 1981
Vernon Weddle	...	Bill Ames 3 episodes, 1981
Grace Zabriskie	...	Mrs. Ames 3 episodes, 1981
Wendell Burton	...	Tom Hamilton 3 episodes, 1981
Matthew 'Stymie' Beard	...	Cotton Eye 3 episodes, 1981
Timothy Carey	...	The Preacher 3 episodes, 1981
Walter Brooke		3 episodes, 1981
Fredric Cook		3 episodes, 1981
Mike Johnson		3 episodes, 1981
Harry Lewis		3 episodes, 1981
Peter Maloney		3 episodes, 1981
Bert Williams		3 episodes, 1981

Storyline

Screen adaptation of John Steinbeck's novel which begins in the years after the American Civil War and, through the story of the Trask family, brings to light a struggle and conflict inherent in the human condition.

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Plot Keywords:

title based on the bible | tv mini series | based on novel | 

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Genres:

Drama

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Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

8 February 1981 (USA)

Also Known As:

John Steinbeck's 'East of Eden'

Filming Locations:

Calvary Episcopal Church - 532 Center Street, Santa Cruz, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Barney Rosenzweig Productions, Mace Neufeld Productions, Viacom Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

480 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Timothy Carey, who plays an evangelist, also appeared in the 1955 James Dean version.

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Connections

Referenced in The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson: Robert Blake/Calvin Trillin (1981)

User Reviews

They Don't Make 'em Like This Anymore!

This was produced during ABC's Golden Age of great miniseries, which began with Roots and ended with War and Rememberance. But, IMHO this was the apex of their efforts. "East of Eden" is storytelling on the grandest scale possible, an epic tale of multigenerational sibling rivalry that covers decades, and thousands of miles of American terrain. Yet, it still retains the intimacy of family relationships as the Trask family is cursed to repeat the lessons of Genesis time and again. The film is chock-full of amazing performance, especially from Timothy Bottoms who is more than up to the Herculean task of portraying Adam Trask over a lifetime, from a weak-willed teenager to a pillar of his community and from Soon Tek-Oh who is able to take the stereotype of the pigdin-speaking Chinese houseboy and turn it on its ear. But this adaptation surely belongs to Jane Seymour. She gives a mesmerizing performance that not only rivals Vivian Leigh as Scarlett O'Hara, but surpasses it; It is my all-time favorite performance by an actress in any medium. She was one of the greatest actresses of the latter half of the 20th Century, you will be quite amazed if your point of reference for her is only Dr. Quinn! Do try and find the uncut version of this film-it is well-worth your time.