As a fan of the original series, I concur with most fans in that I was not too impressed with this re-make. However, I didn't think it was all bad. In fact, I think there are a few things it did well.
There is one aspect which I think was an improvement over the original series. A few characters didn't have the accent or dialect that would have been appropriate for the time and place. But of the characters who did, it was an improvement over the original show. I who was born and reared in rural central Kentucky, and I have often traveled to the Appalachian area. And I'm not young. The accent in this movie sounded authentically rural to me. As much as I like the original Waltons series, I never really felt that they had gotten the accent quite right.
The very final scene, which I won't spoil for anyone who hasn't seen this yet, was a newly added scene and quite poignant. I also liked the Grandma and Grandpa characters. In the original series, I liked Will Geer but I always thought his portrayal was overacting just a bit. This more reserved Grandpa was refreshing.
Sheriff Ep Bridges in this version was, in contrast to the gentle Ep of the original, a little heavy handed. He was a bit of a jerk, but not a monster. I could believe him as a rural sheriff.
Some reviewers criticized the fact that the house appeared to be pretty big and rather nice for a poor family. They may be forgetting that wood was the primary occupation of the Walton men. They had all the wood they could ever need for free, and they knew how to build.
That being said, I do agree with those who say the whole production looked too clean and neat. In the original series, everything looked a bit worn down and rough. It had more authenticity. This version looked more like a Currier and Ives print.
Some would defend this movie by saying that since the original Homecoming is ingrained in people's minds as such a classic, there's no way a remake could have the same magic. That's probably true. But even allowing for that, this version missed the mark. It did not have much dramatic power.
There is one aspect which I think was an improvement over the original series. A few characters didn't have the accent or dialect that would have been appropriate for the time and place. But of the characters who did, it was an improvement over the original show. I who was born and reared in rural central Kentucky, and I have often traveled to the Appalachian area. And I'm not young. The accent in this movie sounded authentically rural to me. As much as I like the original Waltons series, I never really felt that they had gotten the accent quite right.
The very final scene, which I won't spoil for anyone who hasn't seen this yet, was a newly added scene and quite poignant. I also liked the Grandma and Grandpa characters. In the original series, I liked Will Geer but I always thought his portrayal was overacting just a bit. This more reserved Grandpa was refreshing.
Sheriff Ep Bridges in this version was, in contrast to the gentle Ep of the original, a little heavy handed. He was a bit of a jerk, but not a monster. I could believe him as a rural sheriff.
Some reviewers criticized the fact that the house appeared to be pretty big and rather nice for a poor family. They may be forgetting that wood was the primary occupation of the Walton men. They had all the wood they could ever need for free, and they knew how to build.
That being said, I do agree with those who say the whole production looked too clean and neat. In the original series, everything looked a bit worn down and rough. It had more authenticity. This version looked more like a Currier and Ives print.
Some would defend this movie by saying that since the original Homecoming is ingrained in people's minds as such a classic, there's no way a remake could have the same magic. That's probably true. But even allowing for that, this version missed the mark. It did not have much dramatic power.