Genres

Visitors Review

wfjohnston14 2013-05-20 15:53:04

Pictures of Hollis Woods

- FI saw this movie because I read the book in my English class. It was anokay book that was boring early and got better. I'm glad we saw itbecause it wasted class time, but everyone in the class hated it. Themovie was nothing what I imagined in the book which always effects mythought, and the lead did nothing special. The film was not able to goback and fourth between the memories and reality SD it seemed rushedand didn't make sense at first. It made me like the book more. Not agreat TV movie, in fact, it's an awful TV movie. No charm and nodelight in watching it.

dgz78 2013-05-19 20:41:52

Another Hallmark Classic

I have been watching Hallmark Hall of Fame productions for a long time- the first one I remember was George C Scott and Colleen Dewhurst inArthur Miller's The Price from 1971. Never having read the bookPictures of Holliss Woods is based on but knowing how these productionsusually end, I fully expected to withstand the pulls on my emotions.But like always with Hallmark, I failed.Jodelle Ferland plays Hollis Woods, so named for the intersection ofstreets where she was abandoned as a baby. Growing up in the fostersystem and being shuttled from family to family, she has built anemotional wall with no gates to deal with the inevitable rejection sheknows is coming down the road.Hollis gets placed with an old eccentric artist and sculptor after herlast placement with the Regans had failed. The story of that failure istold in intermittent flashbacks of spending the summer at a remotecabin the Regan's go to every summer with their teenage son Steven.Josie (Sissy Spacek) plays the eccentric Hollis is placed with afterthe Regans. From the beginning it's obvious Josie has memory lapses andthe specter of Alzheimer's disease will be a part of the plot. Longbefore anyone should have to, Holliss is going to have to makedecisions about her future and the care of Josie.James Tupper and Julie Ann Emery do a great job of playing the Regan's.You get the feeling they are real parents that are just what Hollissneeds and not the cartoon caricatures most movie married couples areportrayed as. Ridge Canipe as their son Steven is not so convincing - Ialways got the feeling he was acting like a teenager instead of beingone.Alfre Woodard does a good job as Holliss' social worker. You wonder whyshe got into the business sometimes but it's a tricky line betweenbeing too nice and too harsh that any successful social worker has totread.There are a few plot holes - you never get an understanding why Hollisshas had trouble getting a permanent home. Usually infants are theeasiest children to place in adoptions. And the incident that causedHolliss to leave the Regans was seen coming a mile away. But by theend, knowing it's just a story and they are just acting, don't besurprised to have a tear or two along with a smile because that's whatHallmark is great at.

vchimpanzee 2013-05-18 00:26:09

Sweet , with the occasional drama

At the start of this fact-based movie, Hollis tells where she got hername as we look at her beautiful art work. As a baby, she was abandonedat Hollis and Woods in Queens. A note attached to her said to call herHollis Woods.Hollis has spent time in a number of foster homes, and apparently shehas never been happy in any of them. Edna, a social worker, is drivingher to her latest home, with quirky and scatterbrained artist JosieCahill in a small town with a lighthouse.In flashbacks, we learn that Hollis was actually happy with the Regans.She spent the summer in a cabin with no TV or phone, but with lots oflove and beautiful scenery to draw. She developed a brotherlyrelationship with the slightly mischievous Steven. And Steven's fathergave her his old drawing set, something Hollis really appreciatedbecause she's such a talented artist. But we later learn why she leftsuch an ideal situation.Hollis may have found yet another loving guardian, and she lies to makesure she will spend as much time with Josie as possible. Her lies mayend up having the opposite result, but because of a situation beyondher control, Hollis may not get to stay anyway.Josie's cousin Beatrice, also an artist, runs the movie theater. She'salmost as weird as Josie, and it turns out Josie and Hollis havesomething in common, which is why Josie and Beatrice are so close.There are a couple of near-tragedies toward the end, but don't worry.Things will turn out all right. It's a film the whole family can watch,provided the kids are willing to be a little scared.All the leading actors do a good job. Sissy Spacek stands out from therest just because she's so delightfully quirky, but also because shehas a real challenge. Alfre Woodard has one really good scene thatstands out from the rest of her fine performance. And of course JodelleFerland is good in the leading role.Henry the Cat (Josie's best friend) doesn't do much, but he's cute andquite pretty to look at. He doesn't look like he likes Hollis, butlater she gets to hold him. I didn't see the name of the artist who drew Hollis' pictures, but thisperson is really talented. Josie's sculptures were also quite good.It's a production worthy of the Hallmark Hall of Fame.

bonnie-156 2013-05-17 10:20:59

Was a great show

I had not planned on watching the movie because I work early in themorning. The show was so good I stayed up till 11:00pm. I wished I hadtaped it for my husband, who had been unable to watch. It was awonderful show and I hope they make it available on DVD so I can watchit again and again. The fact that the show was spell binding and contained mystery as wellas suspense without sex, violence, smoking, drinking or bad languagefollows along with the quality of shows presented by Hallmark andproves they are not necessary to make a show worth watching. Jodelle Ferland proved to be a very convincing actress. Sissy Spacekwas as usual absolutely wonderful. I love all of her movies. I do notwant to say anything that would give the show away, but it warmed theheart and made you feel that good things do happen.