jarrodmcdonald-1
First, I have to say that Dorothy McGuire is somewhat miscast in this classic 1970s miniseries as Mary Jordache. She is too elegant and fine-featured to be playing a working class mother. But that doesn't stop McGuire from doing an exemplary job. She digs deep and captures the scratch-your-eyes-out nature of a woman who ruins one son to push another son ahead. I think because she doesn't look the part, she is even more shocking when she conveys the shrewish, uglier aspects of the character. Her death scene in one of the later episodes should not be missed. It's the best death scene ever played on television. McGuire was nominated for an Emmy and should have been given it on the spot.
Jonthan22
This 1976 TV mini-series was aired before I was born, and I did not see it until i was a child in the early 90's, and the fact that a 10 yr old boy watching the show nearly 20 years after it was made, thoroughly enjoyed it speaks volumes for this TV masterpiece.Rich Man Poor Man is adapted from Irwin Shaw's incredible novel and tell the story of two Brothers, Rudy (Peter Strauss) and Tom (Nick Nolte) Jordache, and follows their lives spanning 20 years from the end of the Second world war, to the mid-60's.The series starts in 1945, when the brothers are in their late teens.Rudy is the rich man of the title. A prim and proper son and student, he does his homework, helps his father run the family bakery, dates a respectable young nurse, Julie (Susan Blakely), and has ambition to make something of himself in the growing corporate world.Tom, on the other hand, is a free spirit, and is the Poor man of the title. He is interested in little else other than having fun with his friends and getting into mischief and street brawls.Rudy is always treated as the favourite by both their mother and father, although Tom seems to harbour no resentment towards his brother for this, instead aiming most of his anger at his father.When a millionaire's mansion is set on fire by Tom in their quiet suburban town, Tom's parents expel their son from their home and so starts the two halves of the series as we are shown Rudy's life as a corporate bigwig and budding politician, and Tom's life as a lonely drifter, moving from town to town, resorting to Prize fights to make a living.Rudy chases the girl of his dreams, Julie, for years and finally marries her, and seems to have everything, a beautiful wife, money and a great career, but is his life really filled with happiness? He starts to alienate his wife and she turns to drink as an escape, and the two are locked in a rocky marriage which leaves neither of them fulfilled.Tom gets in trouble with the law, and the mafia and has to resort to living under a false identity aboard a merchant marine ship, where he strikes up a rivalry with the ships alpha male, the cruel and dangerous Falconetti (wonderfully played by William Smith). But in the end, he settles down in France with a loving wife and son, with little money, but surrounded by loving friends and family, running a tour boat business.This series has a simple message, money cannot buy happiness, and true happiness is found in love and friendship. But the way in which the series put across this message is truly genius. The show never holds back...we see the gritty world for what it is, there is action, drama, tension (all compounded by a great team of writers and superb acting on everyones part).The shock ending left me angry(in a good way), sad, and wanting more....which is what I got in RMPM Book II, also very good.If anyone hasn't watched this, do so, it is truly entertaining and may teach you a thing or two about life, and what it truly means.
eratony
Does anyone remember the 1976 series Rich man,poor man?Irecently bought the VHS tapes and thoroughly enjoyed watching it again.However, I definitely remember little bits and pieces that were not in these tapes.I also remember Rudy avenging his brother's death (Tom) at the hands of Falconneti.Did I imagine this?To say the least,it was very disappointing to watch 12 hours of this and not see the ending which I do remember very well.Almost like reading a book all the way through and then finding out the last chapter is missing.If anybody else has noticed this.please mail me at eratony@yahoo.com Also remember Rudy saying"give me a million dollars and I'll make another million",or something to that effect.
John
I remember when I first saw this miniseries. Week after week, I would literally swallow the episode in and then hungrily wait for the next one!The storyline was great, the acting was great, and the settings were great. I laughed, I cried, I clutched my chair in anticipation during the tense scenes. In short, I loved it!This was the first time I had seen Nick Nolte and he was GREAT! That year, Ed Asner won the Emmy and the Golden Globe for Best Leading Actor in a series, but I think Nolte was robbed. Nolte was fantastic!
