When a movie has you begging for it to end not even half way through it's pure crap. We've all seen this movie and this characters millions of times, nothing new in it. Don't waste your time.

At first rather annoying in its heavy emphasis on reenactments, this movie ultimately proves fascinating, simply because the complicated, highly dramatic tale it tells still almost defies belief.

One of the most extraordinary films you will see this year. Take that as you want.

Actress is magnificent and exudes a hypnotic screen presence in this affecting drama.

I would refer readers of this review to the review written by Steve Skafte in this review forum. He has pretty much nailed the movie in his review and I agree with most of what he has to say.However, I would add the following. Heather Graham's struggle with the role of young Alexandra entails more than just the written dialog. She also struggles with a Swedish dialect (as to other characters). It's too bad because she really looks like she could be a young Jessica Lange. I would add that Reed Diamond's performance as Emil seems stilted to me. Maybe that is just the dialog, as Steve Skafte suggests, but I really think it's an acting problem. These two aren't the only actors that fall short.To the praise of Jessica Lange, I would add significant praise for Anne Heche as Marie. She really brings this role to life and you will see no issues with her dialog. Her performance alone makes the love between Marie and Emil believable.Now, for the spoiler. If you haven't seen the movie, don't read this part!!! The story of Emil and Marie is beautifully done and when they finally consummate their love, great tension is generated as her husband goes through a series of actions that lead to his taking up his rifle. This part is very, very well done. And when he kills the lovers, it is a perfect tragic moment.I wish I could give this movie seven stars instead of six, but the great photography, locations, directing, music, and the performances of Lange and Heche cannot make amends for the poorly written dialog and the other unprofessional performance issues that keep this from being a great film.

There are several very good points to "O Pioneers!" that are partially drowned under miscasting and stilted dialogue. Heather Graham (who plays the younger version of Jessica Lange's character) is the worst of the lot. Even the more talented actors sometimes struggle to get the words out. There are far too many cases throughout where unnecessarily complicated lines are forced to be delivered in a way that is anything but natural. It's too bad that this is the only major flaw, because the constant re-occurrence of the issue is the only thing that keeps "O Pioneers!" from being a great film.Jessica Lange is certainly the best thing here. The emotion and power with which she imbues her character is palpable. David Strathairn, who is one of my favorite actors, is given much less to work with. He tries his best, but the character is written too coldly to truly come to life. The absolute stand-out performance, however, is that of Tom Aldredge. His depiction of Ivar is amusing, alive, deep and absolutely human. Most of the other actors live up to standard, save for the aforementioned dialogue issues.Glenn Jordan directs quite nicely, but it's less his sensibility than the eye of cinematographer Dick Bush that makes "O Pioneers!" so visually appealing. Bush captures a washed-out world of warm-pale greens, blues, and sepia tones that fill you with a sense of longing and overwhelming calm. This film has something in common both visually and thematically with Jordan's film of the previous year, "Sarah, Plain and Tall". That movie is ultimately more consistent and satisfying that this one. I couldn't say there's any reason for me to watch "O Pioneers!" a second time, but it was a meaningful experience in spite of the flaws. It has much to say about contentment and the search for home. You should gain something from it.

Such a stunningly beautiful film, lovely score, Jessica Lange and David Strathairn are wonderful as Carl and Alexandra. Any fan of Willa Cather's novels will be pleased at how well they have kept to the story of O Pioneers,I loved every minute of it. I wish everyone who sought to adapt a novel for screen {big or small] would do it with the same care and attention to detail that this production shows I thought the film was well cast, the actors look as they are described in the book.I think this film would appeal to a wide range of tastes and interests, beautiful scenery, beautiful people, wonderful love stories. This is one movie that I watch often.

Scandinavians are, as a rule, stoic -- I think the previous viewer missed that dynamic. That, and for a woman to have achieved success during the time this woman did was quite an accomplishment. I guess we just want more drama or shoot-em-up in our films these days, but having run a farm and done so well seems a task that eludes many in our modern world. Whoever didn't like this film most likely was sorely out of touch with the culture at the time it was set, as well as that of the ethnic group. Jessica's character reminds me very much of someone in my own family, and her accomplishments, against often insurmountable odds, is nothing short of spectacular.Sorry it's not exciting enough for some. The real world is not made up of alien invasions and ghetto trauma. It's a feel-good film of a culture that worked hard and succeeded. I, for one, appreciate it.