Sarah, Plain and Tall (1991)

A single New England woman responds to an advertisement by a Midwestern widower in which he asks for a bride to help him raise his two children.

Director:

Glenn Jordan

Writers:

Patricia MacLachlan (book), Patricia MacLachlan (teleplay)

Stars:

Glenn Close, Christopher Walken, Lexi Randall

Nominated for 2 Golden Globes. Another 1 win & 8 nominations.

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Glenn Close	...	Sarah Wheaton
Christopher Walken	...	Jacob Witting
Lexi Randall	...	Anna Witting
Malgorzata Zajaczkowska	...	Maggie Grant (as Margaret Sophie Stein)
Jon DeVries	...	Matthew Grant
Christopher Bell	...	Caleb Witting
James Rebhorn	...	William Wheaton
Woody Watson	...	Jess Stearns
Betty Laird	...	Mrs. Parkley
Marc Penney	...	Ticket Agent
Kara Beth Taylor	...	Rose

Storyline

Set around the turn of the century. Jacob, a widowed farmer with two small children, places an ad in a paper for a new wife. The ad is answered by a spinster in Maine, who writes letters to them and describes herself as "plain and tall." And she takes a trip to Jacob's farm to see if she can make a difference.

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Plot Keywords:

children | letter | farmer | farm | maine | 

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Genres:

Drama | Family | Romance

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Certificate:

G

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

3 February 1991 (USA)

Also Known As:

Hallmark Hall of Fame: Sarah, Plain and Tall (#40.2)

Filming Locations:

Osage City, Kansas, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Hallmark Hall of Fame Productions,Sarah Productions,Self Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

98 min

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

John and Ada Bryan's old home served as the Whiting house. The Bryan's lived in the home from 1948 to 1960 before moving. Although they thought about selling the house, the couldn't bring themselves to do it, citing that their kids would never forgive them. Although the house was in very bad shape, it was remodeled by a movie company who wanted it to shoot a movie called "The Last Cattle Drive". Extensive renovations were completed, including enlarging the doors so camera equipment could come in and out. However, the movie plans were scrapped, but when a location scout for Sarah, Plain & Tall came upon the house, he knew he'd found an ideal location.

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Quotes

Caleb Witting: What color is the sea when it storms?
Sarah Wheaton: Blue and gray and green.
Caleb Witting: Now I know what's missing from your drawing. Colors. Colors of the sea, blue and gray and green.

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Connections

Followed by Sarah, Plain and Tall: Winter's End (1999)

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Soundtracks

Sumer is icumen in
13th century English round

User Reviews

Wow, Is This A Nice Movie!

What a nice movie! In this day-and-age, a movie this low-key and simply nice is refreshing to see. It's almost shocking, especially with Christopher Walken, playing against type. He and Glenn Glose end up being an inspiring romantic couple.

What I think I enjoyed best was the wonderful cinematography. With all the beautiful rural scenery, it was pretty to see. It was also nice to see Walken play a role this sedate and a pleasure to see a modern film that featured well-mannered kids, not spoiled brats. In fact, there are no nasty people nor bad language is this film, either.

Unlike many films which call themselves "family-oriented," this one truly lives up to that billing. It's not anything super dramatic that will knock your socks off, but a pleasant, very nice low-key 98 minutes to kick back and relax watching.