Touches You

Sorry, this movie sucks

Good movie but grossly overrated

It’s not bad or unwatchable but despite the amplitude of the spectacle, the end result is underwhelming.

This has all the characteristics of "Little House on the Prairie", focusing on newcomers to a small community where they make both friends and foes, work hard, have a ton of children and even more tragedies. There's the kindly minister, doctor, giving women of the town, and one interfering busy body who is the poster hag for good intentions are the pathways to hell.Instead of being already parents, newcomers Glynis Johns and Cameron Mitchell are Scottish immigrants who have come to see her uncle, unfortunately recently deceased in a fire. They decide to remain to give their unborn child a home, and before long, there are six of them. Papa passes on, and with mama ailing, it seems that they will soon need to be placed in other homes. Nasty Reta Shaw, who has been a thorn in John's side since the very beginning (think Mrs. Olsen without humor) begins to follow what she believes her Christian duty to be, obviously only going to make things worse.People on the prairie faced many hardships, whether it be the weather, financial or medical, and with one child suffering from diphtheria and Johns from typhoid, their tragedies seem insurmountable. Of the children, Rex Thompson and Patty McCormick stand out the most. Johns is also excellent, with Mitchell often funny, especially when dealing with boss Alan Hale Jr., a strong Irishman who hates Scotts. This is a story of survival, family sticking together even when the worst has happened and it's only the children. Shaw's hateful character deserves old fashioned hisses, a contrary to the hugs audiences wanted to give her as the lovable Mabel in the same year's film version of "The Pajama Game".The beautiful snowy photography is another plus, showing both the danger and magnificence of it. I wouldn't recommend going into this film without Kleenex as many moments occur that could bring on a flood of tears.

When my family watched this we had gotten very attached to the characters and wanted to know the whole story (today's films would have followed the tale with "So-and-so went on to do such-and-such"). Knowing that the tale is TRUE made it more powerful but unfulfilled at the end without following up. The local Wisconsin online historical societies had the best coverage of the Eunson's. The writer (who lived to be 98) is one of the grandchildren of the parents in the story.... Clark County Press usgennet.org is where I found what we wanted to know when the film 'ended'. Could be a good propaganda piece for vaccinations!

This film use to be on television all the time in the 60's and now hardly ever. It came on just a few hours ago and I immediately sat down to watch it as I wondered if it would be as good as I remembered it to be. It was actually better as I picked up on a lot of things I may have taken for granted.I wont go into what has already been said.... sad movie that starts you tearing up mid way through right to the end. Towards the end when eldest brother is delivering his youngest sister to her new home he stops to look in the window of one of the other families where another brother has been taken in. The brother is playing cards with his "new" sister with the parents in the background sitting talking and doing things. The reflection on the window is of him looking in, the sled with his sister in the background, and then you see him leave and start to walk up the road dragging the sled behind. Wow.... this scene was so powerful you wanted to ball right then. Amazing film making and score...definitely more appreciated now than before.

CAMERON MITCHELL and GLYNIS JOHNS are young newlyweds trying to find their place on arrival in Wisconsin as Scottish immigrants. They're soon pioneering with him finding work as a logger (thanks to bossman ALAN HALE, JR.) and gradually start raising a family of six children.Some charming moments as the kids grow and interact with parents and neighbors, but then the soap suds angle gets the upper hand in the script. First the youngest son gets diphtheria but recovers. Then the father becomes ill but fails to survive the illness. And finally, the brood of children are left orphaned when their mother dies of typhoid fever.The last third of the film has the youngest son promising his dying mother that he'll find good parents for the kids instead of sending them off to an orphanage and the Christmas theme works nicely here in time for a happy ending.It's a bit schmaltzy at times--a sort of poverty story a la A TREE GROWS IN BROOKLYN with a different setting--but at times it has the ability to hook you into the story and really care about those kids. Among them, blonde PATTY McCORMACK stands out although given little to do. REX THOMPSON does a nice job as the "man of the family" who fulfills his mother's wish in finding families to take the kids.Summing up: Nice, but could have been a lot better with a finer cast and director. Too predictable right up until the end.