From my favorite movies..

Although it has its amusing moments, in eneral the plot does not convince.

This is a coming of age storyline that you've seen in one form or another for decades. It takes a truly unique voice to make yet another one worth watching.

There's no way I can possibly love it entirely but I just think its ridiculously bad, but enjoyable at the same time.

I've seen just about every film directed by Richard Pearce. There's something in his understanding of actors that always brings out the best in them. That's especially evident in films like "Country", "A Family Thing" and "The Long Walk Home". It's hard to walk that thin line between heartfelt personal stories and overwrought melodrama. "Plainsong", however, isn't completely successful in avoiding the latter. The story itself has a lot in common with other Hallmark films, a way of unfolding that is a bit more predictable and/or comfortable than you might see in an average theatrical film. The TV movie feeling is the main, and only real thing holding "Plainsong" back.I'd noticed America Ferrera before, like I suppose most people have. But the only thing I'd actually seen her in was her first film, "Real Women Have Curves". She's so quiet here that it's almost like she's not there at all sometimes. That's not a bad thing, it reminded me of myself for a good part of my teenage years. She gets across the lost and confused feeling so well. The most fascinating and accomplished performances are those of Geoffrey Lewis and William Andrews as the elderly farmer brothers, and Marian Seldes as the lonely shut-in. They are so real, so believable. Rachel Griffiths and Aidan Quinn, whom many will be familiar with, are actually of much lesser interest than the younger and older actors. Nonetheless, they give very good performances.In all, "Plainsong" doesn't reach so far as it might. It stays on the outskirts of anything truly intense, but the feeling of gentle reality still bubbles to the surface. I'm truly glad I saw it, and I can't see how anyone couldn't take at least something away from the experience. I recommend that you pursue more of Richard Pearce's films.

Interesting but too many plots bring this film down. We have a teacher who is pressured to pass a miserable child so that they can get him out of the school despite the fact that the brat assaulted the teacher. The teacher (Aidan Quinn) has a wife who has left him, apparently suffering from depression and has gone to her sister in Denver. There are 2 young polite boys from the marriage who eventually find an old lady dead in her apartment. They deliver the paper to her and never bother to report that the woman, who lost her son in Korea, has died. The boys get caught up with that miserable student, who has bigoted parents.If this isn't enough, we have America Fererra, who has been abandoned by her mother when it is determined that she is pregnant. She goes to live with 2 older gentlemen who have kept to themselves following the deaths of their parents. They are recommended by the teacher in the next room who has romantic visions on Quinn. The school secretary also has an eye on this man.Yes, the movie is interesting but the themes abound. Each character could have developed into a story by itself. Was the teacher motivating the student? The pressure that teachers are faced with to pass students according to their supervisors is another theme. The depression of the mother. The life of the old woman (Marion Seldes) and the 2 older gentlemen who find they can contribute to life. I could go on and on.

I loved the book and I loved the tv version. Every actor was superb. I skipped the Sopranos to watch this and I'm glad I did. Bravo to everyone associated with it. Aidan Quinn was so right as the dad and Brenda from Six Feet Under was perfect as the girlfriend. The three seniors in the story were best of all, the two ranchers and the old lady who dies. I could not get over how moving they were. Then there were the two little boys. They were real, not at all actor-y. The film managed to convey and America so at variance from the cold place many of us experience. It almost made me want to head west. One last thing: the thuggy teenager was also fine as were his repulsive parents. BUT BEST OF ALL was the writing.

For a Hallmark Hall of Fame movie, I was very disappointed. It wasn't up to par w/the other movies Hallmark produces. I felt there was a lack of character development & too many stones were left unturned. I felt like the viewer had to "assume" things about the storyline. There never was a clear explanation of details, which could have been pertinent to a good plot. Speaking of plot, there were just too many rollercoasters of storylines running throughout the movie; which led to an unanswered, unexplained end to the movie. I felt like there should have been "more". Lastly, I don't think the title of the movie had any relevance to the movie @ all.