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Whistle Stopper - 1989 Thornton Wilder's Our Town
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List Price: $74.95
Our Price:
Your Save: $ 74.95 ( 100% )
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Manufacturer: WNET/Thirteen
Starring: Spalding Gray, James Rebhorn, Atticus Brady, John Griesemer, Frances Conroy
Directed By: Kirk Browning
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Average Customer Rating: 
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Audience Rating: NR (Not Rated)
Binding: VHS Tape
EAN: 9786303443928
Format: Color
ISBN: 6303443923
Label: WNET/Thirteen
Manufacturer: WNET/Thirteen
Number Of Items: 1
Publisher: WNET/Thirteen
Release Date: 1995-05-22
Running Time: 103
Studio: WNET/Thirteen
Theatrical Release Date: 1989
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Spotlight customer reviews:
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Customer Rating:
Summary: A Masterpiece!
Comment: Our Town is by far my all-time favorite drama to teach to my 9th grade English "Honors" classes every year. But what really makes it for my students is this 16 year old video of the 1989 PBS performance, a performance I would call a 'masterpiece.' Spalding Gray's rendering of the Stage Manager is right on the money; his delievery is not too casual and not too fast. Like an unforgettable wine-tasting experience, Spalding compels his audience to swish Wilder's words around inside the mind and soul, to resonate deeply there and to feel what Wilder ultimately wanted his audience to feel. When I watch this version these days, seeing the late Mr. Gray on screen, especially during the 3rd act, when philosophizing about death, it gives the experience an added feeling of hightened poignancy. The star of this performance, however, is Penelope Ann Miller. Her astonishing portrayal of Emily Webb, the protagonist of the play, is nothing short of miraculous. If you are a student of this classic American drama, then you must spend the bucks to get this version. You won't regret it. And when you watch it, have a box of kleenex close by.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Our Town never disappoints me
Comment: No matter what version of Our Town you see, this is one you want to get ahold of. Penelope Ann Miller is absolutely wonderful, along with the rest of the cast. Because I have been in this wonderful piece by the amazing Thornton Wilder, I have learned to appreciate every version for different reasons. Many argue that versions with no props make it annoying and harder to understand. In my opinion, it makes it much more easier to understand. Wilder's idea was to pantomime all props. If you're interested in Our Town, make sure to see the original television 1977 version with Robby Benson and Glynnis O'Connor, the original film,the 2003 version, and the documentry OT:Our Town.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Really, really, really good. Just Plain Good.
Comment: I'm a sort of "Our Town" junkie -- I've seen many filmed/taped versions. I was real lucky in that the kind folks at Brandman Productions kindly lent me a tape of this version for copying, back before they released it to the general public. This is my fave play of all time, and I say this is an excellent version, maybe the best. If you like Our Town, get this one, even if you have to fork out some of your Yankee dollars!
Customer Rating:
Summary: Dark Reinterpretation of an American Classic
Comment: Over the decades Thornton Wilder's play "Our Town", while justly recognized as an American classic, has gotten a reputation for a kind of sappy sentimentality. That was not Wilder's intention, and this production restores the play's multiple dimensions. It takes places "under the eyes of eternity", as the philosophers used to say, and this fearfully objective viewpoint can be terrifying as well as consolong. The key to this darker interpretation, produced for Lincoln Center and taped for the PBS series "Great Performances", is the casting of monologuist and actor Spalding Gray as the Stage Manager. He gives a sardonic, astringent performance, and much of Wilder's dialogue sounds distinctly chilling coming from him. This version re-emphasizes the play's criticism of the provincialism and narrowness of American small-town life; it adds a needed dose of irony and ambiguity to the play's emotional impact. It takes place on a nearly bare stage, just as in the original Broadway production; everything is stripped down to essentials. Penelope Ann Miller is heartbreaking as Emily, the dead girl who is allowed to re-live once again her 12th birthday. This scene is shattering as the opportunity to return becomes both a blessing and a curse. One can see in this production one of the sources of Ray Bradbury's nostalgic stories of America as both dream and nightmare. It is simply impossible to finish viewing this video without tears.
Customer Rating:
Summary: One of the most engaging productions of a drama ever filmed.
Comment: This production of the classic drama is extremely well done. The actors are superb, the editing nearly flawless, and the overall effect exactly as Thornton Wilder himself would have wanted it. I use this in my classroom and my students are impressed with the number of name actors (Stoltz, Miller, et al). The video, rather than film, quality adds to the effect of seeing a live performance. In short, this is engaging, educational and entertaining. It's about time the video went on sale.
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