best movie i've ever seen.

A lot of fun.

This is one of the few movies I've ever seen where the whole audience broke into spontaneous, loud applause a third of the way in.

By the time the dramatic fireworks start popping off, each one feels earned.

Shy, introverted eager beaver young school teacher Melodye Amerson (sweetly played by the adorable Kim Darby of "Don't Be Afraid of the Dark" fame) takes a job at a remote, quiet rural farming community that's isolated from the rest of the world. The job proves to be far more difficult and challenging than she initially figured: the students are extremely terse, reserved and uncommunicative, the other townspeople are every bit as reticent, mysterious and unapproachable, and everyone lives by a strict code which leaves Melodye feeling confused and alienated. Melodye remains determined and persistent, making a slow, but steady attempt at getting the students and other townspeople to open up so they can let her in on their incredible secret.Directed with exceptional restraint, acuity and tenderness by John Korty (who later helmed "The Ewok Adventure"), sensitively scripted by James M. Miller from Zenna Henderson's thoughtful, low-key, utterly beguiling novel, deftly acted by a top-rate cast which includes Dan O'Herlithy as a sage town elder, Laurie Walters as O'Herlithy's fetching, but repressed daughter, Diane Varsi as the token accessible kindly local who gives Melodye guidance and advice, and an uncharacteristically subdued William Shatner as a friendly "outsider" physician, this gentle, folksy, leisurely paced Francis Ford Coppola science fiction TV movie parable works as a lovely, reflective, and oftentimes charming exploration of overcoming fear, how tightly held to superstitious beliefs can be very constricting, opening up to allow nice, well-meaning others to have a positive, eye-opening influence on your life, and a particularly moving sincere plea for accepting and understanding those individuals whose uniqueness defies rigidly set and highly restrictive preconceived notions of so-called "normality." A beautifully lulling and poignant little gem.

"The People" is based entirely on one of Zenna Henderson's short stories, "Pottage", which appeared in the brilliant book "Pilgrimage: The Book of the People" back in the '60s. "Pottage" is the darkest of the stories, centering on a group of people living in fear and isolation in the tiny town of Bendo, and the teacher, Melodye, who learns the truth of their origins and the secrets they keep.In the book you've already read about The People in two other stories so you have a good idea what's coming. In the movie this should have been a major bit of suspense... but it wasn't. The written story is far more compelling than what appears on screen. Kim Darby plays Melodye with warmth, but the frustration, determination, and courage in the story is somehow muted in her performance. William Shatner plays Dr. Curtis, who has a somewhat expanded role in the movie version. Dan O'Herlihy's performance as the stern Sol Deimus is the best translation of the character to the screen."The People" is entertaining if woodenly acted at times. If you find a copy and have an evening to kill it is probably worth your time, but by all means read the book.

Kim Darby plays a teacher who is hired to teach in a small isolated town inhabited by a group who appear to be similar to the Shakers or the Amish. Even though the people of the town obviously have different values and rules to live by, Darby's character shows not only incredible ignorance, but intolerance as she dismisses everyone's ideas other than her own. She repeatedly tries to get the children to sing and play music. When they don't, she gets angry at them. Three costume changes later, she is still harping on them. What sort of time frame is this - a few days, weeks, months? Why is still trying to force the children to play music? Doesn't she have any respect for their beliefs? William Shatner is a local doctor, and is not in the film enough to make it enjoyable.

I stumbled upon this movie years ago, shortly after having read the book upon which it is based. Being a young kid then, with a crush on Kim Darby, I was just enchanted to see this movie. Of course seeing it again as an adult reveals it for what it is, a nice try that fell a bit short.