[.ca] Christy: A New Beginning

From Amazon.com:
Christy (Lauren Lee Smith) and the rest of the Cutter Gap community are just beginning to recover from a typhoid epidemic when a storm hits the rural alcove. In A New Beginning, the second of a two-part PAX production that began with A Change of Seasons, she gets stranded in the forest with Dr. MacNeill (Stewart Finlay-McLennan), and her fiancé David (James Waterston) risks life and limb to rescue her. Despite a loss of property, the town makes it through the storm relatively intact, but many have been changed by the experience. Christy, for instance, has come to see Dr. MacNeill in a new light, thus questioning her engagement to David. Will she marry the preacher or break off the engagement? Marriage is on the minds of several characters in this engaging recollection by the elderly Christy about her experiences as a young schoolteacher in the Smoky Mountains. Age 8 and older. --Kathleen C. Fennessy

at least she marries the right one...:
This mini-series takes advantage of the fans' interest in the love triangle. Two different endings were shot, so that not even the actors knew who Christy would choose. Unfortunately, this decision to keep the viewer guessing until the final scene makes Christy looks like a flake. By the time this soap opera ended, I didn't care about Christy's fate; I was feeling too sorry for both the men in her life. Catherine Marshall's characters deserve better. Stewart Finlay McLennan is excellent as Neil; I wish he had an experienced actress playing Christy and a script worthy of his talent.

a bit disappointed:
Having read the book many times growing up & seen the CBS series, I was a bit disappointed with the movies. While great for loyal Christy fans who're familiar with the characters & the incredible story, I agree with some other reviewers that 'newbie' fans shouldn't start with the movies. The original CBS series was great!!! Although Lauren Lee Smith, Diane Ladd & Sam W. are commendable, I think Kellie Martin's Christy, Tyne Daly's Miss Alice & Randall Batinkoff's David were MUCH MORE believable. At times, the acting came off a bit overly done or not enough & unfortunately, Lauren's Christy struck me as a bit...bland. The saving grace: 3 cheers though for Stewart Finlay-McClennan's returning performance as Dr. MacNeil! Hope this helps: I'd try to get the whole series 1st, and then these movies.

Shocked and disappointed!:
I can't believe how much the quality of this series has gone downhill. Seeing someone other than Tyne Daly playing Miss Alice is almost enough to drive me to tears. No one can play Christy as effortlessly as Kellie Martin did. Thankfully Dr. McNeil is still played by the same actor, and he has become the only good reason to keep watching. The producers should have done anything, everything, whatever it took to re-assemble the original cast.

Ok...:
The new "Christy" was ok. But the original cast with Kelly Martin and Tyn Daly will alway be Christy and Miss Alice. I just thought that the girl they got to play Christy was so bland and calm when the Character was actually a little more fiesty. But that wasn't even my main problem with it. My problem was that they had replaced all the character's which is fine, but if your going to do that. Then replace all that characters. Dr.Mcneil is played by that same actor that was in the telvision series. He had chemistry with Kelly Martin. You knew those two. They had no history with him and "NEW CHRISTY". It just didn't seem right to have him played by the same man and everyhting around him different. I might have enjoyed it more if they had gotten a different actor b/c then I wouldn't thought through the whole thing, NO THIS WRONG. We watched the series as him and Kelly battled and domewhat flirted and You were so upset when they left you hanging. But to add new people and then keep him. Just wasn't right...

Disappointed...:
The 1 star is for Stewart Finlay-McClennan returning as Dr. MacNeill. As one reviewer mentioned, Kellie Martin played Christy effortlessly. While Lauren Lee Smith tries her best, the performance is a bit...bland. Some lines seemed a bit forced & having seen the CBS series, it was difficult not to be dissappointed--knowing what 'could have been.' But it is worth the watch just for the story's sake.