| Review:
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The fourth season continues the saga of the Walton familty,
stuggling to make a living in the Blue Ridge Mountains during
the Great Depression. Through the eyes of the sensitive
and artistic John Boy, we witness the family homestead burning
down, the family's struggle to survive on a meager income
provided by the saw mill, the looming spectre of war, John
Boy's turn as a preacher, and the even the truth about Grandpa's
war stories. *****
Directors Gabrielle Beaumont and Anthony Brand deserve
special credit for the success of this season, keeping the
performances and material fresh for a fourth year and never
descending into syrupy sentiment. The cast deserves an equal
measure of credit as they put as much effort into this season
as they did in the show's debut. Anyone yearning for a more
innocent time, when an agreement could be sealed with a
simple handshake, your word was your bond and families were
close knit would find this satisfying viewing. *****
Image and Sound:
Picture clarity is very good, although the colors frequently
seems rather dull and muted. In all fairness, this is probably
more to do with the fact that the source material is over
35 years old than the incompetancy of the cinematographer.
The Dolby Digital 1.0 audio adequately serves its purpose,
while nothing to do cartwheels over. In the end, the set's
audio/video hold up well after 3 1/2 decades, and probably
will for the next 35 years. **
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