What happens when farmers go to the city is one thing. But what happens when city people try their hands at farming? Visit the newly wed MacDonalds to find out.
Finally watched the film, and about halfway through it suddenly hit me what it reminded me of...a British sitcom from the 70's called 'The Good Life'---almost the same idea, but on a scaled down level....a suburban British couple decide to change their life--while staying in the suburbs, and live "self-sufficiently".
I must admit, the film was a bit disappointing---it struck me as not being sure if it wanted to be a comedy or a melodrama, and not really committing either way.
I do HIGHLY recommend 'The Good Life' though--it stars Felicity Kendall and Richard Briers as the couple learning to farm on their small suburban homestead and Penelope Keith and Paul Eddington as the neighbors who don't get it, but remain friends. I found the characters played by Felicity & Richard to actually be quite similar to the MacDonalds.
Another fun film, in a similar vein, is 'For Richer Or Poorer', starring Tim Allen--a husband and wife, fleeing the city, hide out with an Amish family, pretending to be distant cousins.
My husband and I found Betty's book in a used book store in the 1990s, when discerning whether to jump into family farming (his passion) or staying in the suburbs with his high-paying financial sector job. Don't know if the book helped, but it did provide hours of laughter as we read it aloud after long days in the field! Later we discovered her "Onions in the Stew" and the movie. We still giggle about the "Gammy cookies". I must pick up the Mrs. Piggle Wiggle series for our baby grandson!
We raised our children on OLD children's books. Even thirty years ago our public library was purging their shelves of such books and filling their shelves with... well, nothing we wanted our kids to read. We filled our home library with books our library put out for the trash! Delight is exactly what children's books must be filled with.
Finally watched the film, and about halfway through it suddenly hit me what it reminded me of...a British sitcom from the 70's called 'The Good Life'---almost the same idea, but on a scaled down level....a suburban British couple decide to change their life--while staying in the suburbs, and live "self-sufficiently".
I must admit, the film was a bit disappointing---it struck me as not being sure if it wanted to be a comedy or a melodrama, and not really committing either way.
I do HIGHLY recommend 'The Good Life' though--it stars Felicity Kendall and Richard Briers as the couple learning to farm on their small suburban homestead and Penelope Keith and Paul Eddington as the neighbors who don't get it, but remain friends. I found the characters played by Felicity & Richard to actually be quite similar to the MacDonalds.
This only shows the trailer for the movie. Is there anywhere to watch the full movie?
I can’t wait to watch this film. I need a good dose of sanity!
Another fun film, in a similar vein, is 'For Richer Or Poorer', starring Tim Allen--a husband and wife, fleeing the city, hide out with an Amish family, pretending to be distant cousins.
Mark, we haven't seen that one! Thanks for the recommendation.
My husband and I found Betty's book in a used book store in the 1990s, when discerning whether to jump into family farming (his passion) or staying in the suburbs with his high-paying financial sector job. Don't know if the book helped, but it did provide hours of laughter as we read it aloud after long days in the field! Later we discovered her "Onions in the Stew" and the movie. We still giggle about the "Gammy cookies". I must pick up the Mrs. Piggle Wiggle series for our baby grandson!
Oh for the days when books like that were what people wanted to read -- for fun.
Betty MacDonald also wrote the Mrs. Piggle Wiggle series for children. Delightful!
We raised our children on OLD children's books. Even thirty years ago our public library was purging their shelves of such books and filling their shelves with... well, nothing we wanted our kids to read. We filled our home library with books our library put out for the trash! Delight is exactly what children's books must be filled with.