Christy (1994 TV Movie) User Reviews (9)

Beautifully Filmed Nice Pilot For TV Series

[ccthemovieman-1 · 8/10 · 10 December 2006]

This was a nice surprise: a modern-day movie with God actually spoken about in nice terms. It's a simple story of a young woman who goes to be a mission teacher in the back woods of Tennesee, and some of the problems she faces.

A high point of this film is the photography and the magnificent Tennesee fall scenery - some of the prettiest I've ever seen on film. A filter on one of the camera lenses, making the sky purple was a nice touch, too. Without scene after scene of that beauty, I would have enjoyed this as much.

Kellie Martin is the cute young woman who plays "Christy Huddleson." Something is out of whack, however, with her character. She travels to Tennesee to become that mission teacher yet she knows nothing about Christianity! Hello??! That's the movies for you, although it is based on a novel by Catherine Marshall and I wouldn't question her Christian credentials.

At any rate, Tyne Daly, playing a mature Christian ("Alice Henderson") who lives there, helps teach her. "Christie" also winds up a solid young minister as a boyfriend ("Rev. David Grantland, played by Randall Batnikoff.)

The movie was a pilot for a short-lived television series. Despite its flaws, overall it is a nice film and surprisingly interesting for what could have been a bland story. It has a nice ending, too, although not particularly where everything was perfect.

Great show

[Melissa Alice · 7/10 · 11 December 2000]

The actors are very good, and the story is inspiring. Just a few things I didn't like, such as the episode with the tea house, and a few times they use the Lord's name in vain. But mostly it is a very decent, entertaining family show.

Just charming

[JBThackery · 10/10 · 20 March 2006]

Aside from all the cinematic, photographic, casting, editing, and ambiance compliments I could lavish onto this lovely film, the thing that got me most was the balance of polarized realities and how they meshed through the conflict into a workable resolution. That all comes from superb directing.

This entire scenario is exactly like an Appalachian school house would have been in that era. My grandfather taught in one exactly like that. But they were often taught by men, in order to deal with the ruffians (both in the classroom, and the community.) Now comes this delicate girl of a school marm, played by Kellie Martin, who shows that virtue, ability, and dedication to principle can indeed rule over brutal opposition. In that sense, it is an inspiring movie.

Direction and filming are excellent, and scenes are edited together very smoothly. There is contained, all within this one film, a sense of adventure, fear, hope, rage, love, uncertainty, confidence, conflict, resolution, individuality, and community. It also reflects realistically a genuine era in the history of remote Appalachia. This is a film my family and I will never tire of.

This is a heart-warming family series that must go to DVD!

[dturner-18 · 10/10 · 25 October 2006]

Christy is based on the novel of the same name by Catherine Marshall, written in 1967. It is a book to remember. I read it as a teenager and I am reading it again, finding it impacting me in different ways than before. When MTM made this a major television event and it was aired on CBS in the mid 1990's I watched it with my then growing children and we never forgot it. This autumn, we dug out the old VHS copies we had taped from television and fell in love with the whole series again. I would recommend it for the DVD collection in my library and I would recommend it to any family looking for an inspiring, educational and motivational kind of movie that brings out the good and bad in people;encouraging young and old to be the best that they can be and give to all others as we walk this path of life. It is a wholesome, well-done, extremely historical story about life in the Great Smoky Mountains of Tennesee in 1912 when many people were truly poor, absolutely primitive, without modern conveniences or technologies, but wise beyond our times today. I thoroughly loved this series. I strongly believe we need more of this kind of movie for our young people today.

An intelligent, innocent schoolteacher comes to life

[justpeachy629 · 13 January 2001]

Kellie Martin does a wonderful job of bringing Catherine Marshall's heroine to life. Kellie is smart, convincing and lovely in this role. The series is has something for everyone - romance, drama and a universal message of faith. Christy is the best!

Enchanting, well-written adaptation of great book with incredible cast.

[Critic2017B · 10/10 · 3 March 2001]

This classic American novel was beautifully turned into a movie and then a television series. This film has it all for charming family entertainment. Cute, perky Kellie Martin in the title role who has the most expressive eyes of any actress around. Tremendously talented actress Tyne Daly playing Christy's mentor, Alice Henderson. Perfectly cast and playing Dr. Neil MacNeill is Stewart Finlay-McLennan who steals nearly every scene he is in. And then the very attractive Randall Batinkoff that does a pretty good job as Reverand David Grantland. Also outstanding in the cast is Tess Harper as mountain woman Fairlight Spencer and Mike Hickman playing the moonshiner Birds-Eye Taylor. Between MacLennan, Hickman and Daly, it's a wonder any other performances get noticed. But nearly every scene is compelling.

Cute children, beautiful location scenery, moving spiritual themes, unforgettable characters, and a budding romance triangle, these are all found in this film that you will watch over and over.

Great but incomplete

[stephanietheisen · 10/10 · 22 June 2007]

I gave this film a perfect mark because I loved it. The one series that was made was great. However I was very disappointed that it was cut off so soon. The ending was awful because it left me hanging. I wanted so badly to see more but it just stopped after the first season. I am still upset over it. For example, the end of the series leaves Christy standing in between Neil and David. She says it will be the most important decision of her life and then it ends, just like that! Nobody ever knows what happened and who she marries. I wish that it could be completed, thats all I have to say. A remarkable job done on what was completed but more should have followed or it shouldn't have even been started because now I'm left with nothing more to watch to finish the story.

The Best!

[ksirmon · 10/10 · 16 December 1999]

Christy was by far the best series to ever hit television. It is great for anyone who likes history based films. Kellie Martin did an excellent job as Christy Huddleston, and if you haven't seen this film than you need to. The book by Catherine Marshall was excellent too!

A great pilot to a great series

[Monika-5 · 4 March 2000]

This two-hour TV movie served as the pilot to the 1994 series starring Kellie Martin in the title role. This movie may be a little hokey and cheesy, but it's good wholesome entertainment. I think the show failed when trying to deliver comedic scenes and worked much better as straightforward drama. Tyne Daly, Tess Harper and Emily Schulman also shine here.