Product: The Shell Seekers [VHS] (1989)
Rating: 1.0
This is Not the Shell Seekers
While I realize that this is a nice movie albeit it only 98 minutes, it is NOT the Shell Seekers. Anyone who loves this story-I have just reread it for the 7th time, will be very dissappointed. The story is totally butchered and even if Ms Pilcher approved the edits I dont care, it took out the depth and the incredible humanity of the original. The original is not sad, it is a tremendously uplifting and moving story. In addition to the dismantling of the story I believe the casting is particularly poor, not my image of the wonderfully dynamic characters in the book at all. While I love Angela Lansbury she has had to portray a Penelope that is a confused and melancholy old lady-not the vivacious and independent Penelope of the book -The most outrageous affront is the treatment of the role of Richard-that was the heart of the orginal and here its almost non existent. IF you are thinking of buying this to supplement your love for the book dont bother. Stick to your own images of the story -your own movie rather than ruining them with this melancholoy sudsy family soap opera of an older mother trying to cope with her 3 selfish adult children and having it all turn out sweet and fine in the end. Rubbish.