Surely Margaret Mitchell's legendary tome "Gone With the Wind" is not the only book of its type, nor is the film version the only movie of that type. However, the book and the movie, both, are sterling examples of the subject matter, some might say untoppable. So iconic and legendary is the story of Scarlett O'Hara that anything coming after it suffers by comparison. So here is a miniseries based on two books concerning the trials of the Deep South during The Civil War that comes off as a sort of parallel universe "Gone With the Wind," except that instead of a selfish heroine, there's a deeply caring and noble one. Warren plays the pretty and forthright young wife of inept and immature plantation heir Rudd. Rudd's mother Lange knows that he will never be able to properly manage Beulah Land, but sees potential in Warren. When the war comes, and with it destruction, desolation and depression, it is Warren's core of strength that keeps things afloat. Meanwhile, she must deal with her selfish, philandering sister Baxter, snarling, confrontational overseer Shenar, withdrawn, mentally-bruised sister-in-law Stowe and various other troublesome relatives, slaves, Yankees and so on. Several decades of storyline are presented, sometimes skipping a few years at a time, as Warren's character goes from a young girl to a mature woman. Warren gives a sensitive, multifaceted performance in what is about as close as anyone (outside of Joanne Whalley-Kilmer in that ghastly mini-series "Scarlett") will ever get to portraying a role so close to that of Mitchell's heroine. The 6-hour (with commercials) project needed someone very appealing and heartfelt to keep it going and she more than fits the bill. A few of her many costars stand out as well. Johnson has an all-too-brief role as a lascivious bridegroom of Stowe's and wears some of TV's most eye-opening trousers in his first scene. Lange lends quiet authority and stature to her matriarchal role (she's almost unrecognizable at first in her red wigs.) Baxter has a bit of a field day with her snotty character and even gets to sort of reenact the big Atlanta hospital and perilous journey home scenes. Albert affectionately plays an elder uncle. Scott enjoys a late career turn as Warren's caring, if traditional, aunt. Shenar is appropriately nasty and threatening, if rather one-dimensional. Harewood plays Rudd's boyhood friend, a slave who would eventually live to see freedom. Along with the decent performances there are those that fall short. Of course the landscape is so full, after trying to squeeze the material of two novels into one film, that sometimes characters show up only long enough to be killed a few scenes later! Sarrazin doesn't add very much oomph or charisma to his role of a photographer who is smitten with Warren. Agutter seems rather wasted as a prostitute who manages to marry her way out of the brothel. A lot of the smaller roles are filled with people who have a lack of acting skill and presence. There's a feeling (some might say fairy tale-like) of racial harmony at Warren's plantation. Perhaps there were some places like that and on one hand it's pleasing to see, though it may possibly be sending out an incorrect notion. However, the film will never be shown again on television in an uncensored version due to its use of frank racial language from the antagonists of the piece, among others. At this point in time, Warren was, if not Queen of the Miniseries, then at least a princess and it's all geared as a showcase for her and her melodramatic gifts. On that level it succeeds. It's less successful as a depiction of the way things were in that place and time. In the 80s, it became a brief rage to film miniseries out of sprawling Civil War stories such as "The North and the South" and "The Blue and the Gray." Oh, and keep an eye out for the preposterously revealing portrait that Sarrazin paints of Warren! No way.

I have all three volumes of Beulah Land and have read them numerous times. The overseer was Roscoe Elk, not Roscoe Corlay. In the book he married Clovis, not a hooker. In the book Roscoe kills Clovis when he finds out that Leon and her had become "pals". And Casey Troy was a photographer, not in the military. Where is Stella, the one who tends to Felix. Where is the Yankee deserter who marries Rachels daughter, Jane. Come to think of it, where is Jane?? Aunt Nell played a prominent part in the book, in this movie she only had bit parts. I was very disappointed in this movie. Had they have followed the book, I would of loved it. If you have read the book don't waste your time on this movie.

I voted this movie a ten because I was in it. Been too long ago now to actually remember it. I found this site when looking up info on Eddie Albert's death, God rest his soul.Several students from Chamberlain Hunt Academy were hired as extras for this movie, I was included in this group. A friend (JJ Mitchell) and I were having lunch and the only table available at the time was where Mr. Albert was eating and talking to Burt Reynolds (not in the movie) we asked if we could sit there and they smiled and told us to have a seat. They went back to their discussion and we didn't bother them any further. We ate our lunch and when finished we left. Two young girls had seen us eating with these 2 famous actors and assumed we were famous or up and coming and asked for our autographs. We of course signed for them.Another story was a scene where the people were leaving the town and Meredith Baxter was coming into the town. I was supposed to run across the street between some horses and up the side that Ms. Baxter was coming down. One of the horses was coming a little faster than I thought and I had to make a dash to keep from getting hit. I ran smack into Ms. Baxter. I would have knocked her down had I not caught her (I was a big guy even then). She gave me a peck on the cheek, for not knocking her to the ground I suppose.I don't remember actually seeing myself in the movie but thought I'd pass these stories along.

This miniseries, based on a series of supermarket novels, concerns the lives and travails of a southern family from the antebellum days on up past the Civil War. A TV version of "Gone With The Wind", cast with many well-known actors(Hope Lang, Meredith Baxter, Lesley Anne Down), as well as up-and-comers(Jonathan Frakes, Madeleine Stowe). Recommended.