I watched the series growing up, & I loved it. Watched this TV movie when it came out, & I disliked it. I watched the movie again yesterday- 30 years hasn't improved it.
This is the equivalent of a paint by numbers copy of a Rembrandt done by committee. (Most) All the pieces are there; characters are flashed before the viewer, but important characters are forgotten/ignored- conveniently disposed of through death (Virginia) absence (Jonesy is overseas, Paul has been divorced) & Virginia's brother Charlie is not even mentioned. Characters we haven't seen in ages appear to pluck the sentimentality/nostalgia heartstring; Virdie & Yancey, even Ike and Cora Beth's adopted daughter Aimee gets a few seconds on screen! All the old tropes get shaken out; Erin has boy trouble, Ben and John butt heads. Stuff that they are far too old for. The whole thing gives the impression that a bunch of people with only a cursory familiarity with the series were given a box with all the pieces and told to put a story together, but they missed some of the important bits.
You know what happens when you make a photocopy of a photocopy of a photocopy; the way it gets fuzzier & blurrier & each copy is a poorer version of the one before? That's what these TV movies are like. Like the owners of the property are milking the nostalgia and sentimentality cash cow and the actors loved the franchise & each other enough to keep coming back despite the jagged edges and disappointing execution.
This is the equivalent of a paint by numbers copy of a Rembrandt done by committee. (Most) All the pieces are there; characters are flashed before the viewer, but important characters are forgotten/ignored- conveniently disposed of through death (Virginia) absence (Jonesy is overseas, Paul has been divorced) & Virginia's brother Charlie is not even mentioned. Characters we haven't seen in ages appear to pluck the sentimentality/nostalgia heartstring; Virdie & Yancey, even Ike and Cora Beth's adopted daughter Aimee gets a few seconds on screen! All the old tropes get shaken out; Erin has boy trouble, Ben and John butt heads. Stuff that they are far too old for. The whole thing gives the impression that a bunch of people with only a cursory familiarity with the series were given a box with all the pieces and told to put a story together, but they missed some of the important bits.
You know what happens when you make a photocopy of a photocopy of a photocopy; the way it gets fuzzier & blurrier & each copy is a poorer version of the one before? That's what these TV movies are like. Like the owners of the property are milking the nostalgia and sentimentality cash cow and the actors loved the franchise & each other enough to keep coming back despite the jagged edges and disappointing execution.