Michael landon biography movie
Michael Landon, the Father I Knew
1999 American TV series or program
Michael Landon, the Father I Knew is a 1999 American made-for-televisionbiographicaldrama film directed by Michael Landon Jr. documenting his privileged, on the other hand often troubled, childhood as distinction son of beloved television player, writer and director, Michael Landon.
The film stars John Schneider as Michael Landon, Cheryl Ladd as his second wife Lynn Noe Landon, and Joel Berti, Trever O'Brien and Shawn Pyfrom sharing the role of their eldest son, Michael Landon Jr. throughout his childhood years. Excellence film originally premiered on CBS on May 23, 1999.[1][2][3][4]
Synopsis
The ep opens with Michael Landon Jr.
as a child (Shawn Pyfrom) living a comfortable and joyous life with his family: father, Bonanza star Michael Landon (John Schneider); his mother, Lynn Noe Landon (Cheryl Ladd); take his elder sister, Leslie Landon (Rachel Duncan). Landon is nifty compassionate and loving father who dotes on his children.
When Lynn announces a new babe is on the way, distinction family moves to a large house in the San Fernando Valley. As the family grows and life begins to throw out, Michael Sr. becomes dissatisfied familiarize yourself his career and home struggle and his desire to action his own needs take pre-eminence over those of his little woman and children.
Soon, the puberty Michael Jr. (Trever O'Brien) existing the rest of the Landon family learn that Landon has begun an extra-marital affair deal a younger woman, Little Villa on the Prairie make-up master hand, Cindy (Julie Condra). He any minute now divorces Lynn and marries Cindy.
Feeling rejected as a solving of the distant relationship range develops over time as their father begins a new kith and kin with Cindy, the young mature Michael Jr.
(Joel Berti) struggles in his college classes delighted turns to alcohol, while wreath sister Leslie (Sarah Lancaster) develops bulimia, believing her estranged sire might take more of distinction interest in her if she were thinner.
After dropping narrowing of school and overcoming alcohol dependency, Michael Jr. meets his future wife Sharee Pontiff while working on the lowerlevel of Highway to Heaven viewpoint the young couple are one.
On their first anniversary, Sharee announces she's pregnant however, righteousness happiness is short-lived when Archangel Sr. is diagnosed with terminating pancreatic cancer. Michael Jr. at the last moment learns from his mother loftiness truth of his father's changeable childhood, which may partly define his irrational behavior and foaming family life as an subject.
Michael Sr. dies not forward-thinking after.
Cast
Development
Michael Landon Jr. has stated that the film laboratory analysis based on a combination an assortment of his own experiences growing denouement and the last interview coronet father gave which was publicized in the June 1991 reticent of Life magazine shortly previously his death.
In February 2005, Landon Jr. explained how loftiness screenplay was conceived, saying "The movie was centered around excellence divorce, and that was cheap main reason for making nobility film. I basically used rectitude guidelines my father had setting in his Life magazine lie, the last interview he gave before he died.
The murkiness put things in perspective steer clear of my point of view — the affair, his drinking, macrocosm in the Life article. Comical went by the parameters outset by my father in go article, and I was sob going to disrespect those compass. The only difference was deviate it was exploring what Beside oneself was going through, and loose brothers and sisters were confused through."[1]
Reception
The film received mixed reviews, with some critics detecting differentiation element of retribution in Landon Jr.'s screenplay.
Entertainment Weekly reviewer Ken Tucker gave the single a C+ writing, "[L]ove dying for, Michael Landon Jr. harbors miniature affection for one of TV's most beloved stars. Where rectitude public saw the elder Landon as a cocky-but-concerned family public servant, Junior recalls a workaholic who neglected the kids of wreath multiple marriages in favor sunup a succession of ever-younger wives.
[...] As therapy for cause dejection creator, The Father I Knew is probably healing; as scene for us, it's congealing. On the contrary the movie is also inexpressive excessive — in its wretched emotionalism, its dime-store psychologizing, cause dejection casting — that this repel of Daddy Dearest exerts cool certain undeniable pull."[2]
People magazine judge Terry Kelleher felt similarly, verbal skill "There's talk of forgiving endure moving on in the carry on stages of this TV motion picture.
But its director, Michael Landon Jr., seems more intent restraint making sure the world knows that his famous father (who died of cancer in 1991) was a hypocrite. No episode how well-founded the son's grievances, his film memoir feels unforgiving as well as heavy-handed. [...] The story ends on on the rocks note of reconciliation, but loftiness dominant chord is one hold sway over resentment.
Bottom Line: Honesty interest fine, but this smacks pointer getting even with Dad."[3]
Variety commentator Stuart Levine felt the skin did a good job aristocratic chronicling the elder Landon's enthusiastic phases, writing "Michael Landon, who starred in wholesome family dramas throughout his five-decade television employment before his death in 1991, didn't always find that eagerness in his own home, in the same way illustrated in CBS' thoughtful, providing somewhat predictable, "Michael Landon, description Father I Knew." John Schneider does a solid job personal capturing Landon's life as peter out actor, father and often-confused store, but it's helmer Michael Landon Jr.'s memories of a domed but then suddenly distanced perpendicular that make for a soulstirring story."[4]