Jessica

2004
Jessica
7.4| 3h16m| en| More Info
Released: 18 July 2004 Released
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Country: Australia
Budget: 0
Revenue: 0
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Synopsis

The Bergman sisters could not be more different. Jessica is a feisty tomboy who loves to help her father work their farmland. Her beautiful sister Meg is eagerly being groomed by her mother Hester (Lisa Harrow) to be the perfect wife, so that she can marry her way out of poverty. However, when the man, Jack Thomas, who Meg has set her sights on falls in love with Jessica and gets her pregnant, Hester schemes to wrench the couple apart to claim Jessica's son, Joey for Meg. Later she commits Jessica to a mental asylum. It is here that Jessica receives news of her lover's death and almost loses hope, but after enlisting the help of Mr. Runche, a down and out lawyer battling alcoholism, she is eventually released. Years later, it is the reformed Runche who gives Jessica the courage to fight for the return of her child. Eventually Meg and Hester call an uneasy truce with Jessica, and allow her to play a role in Joey's life as his aunt.

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ka-ry-na It's one of the best movies (mini-series) i have ever seen. It was touching, nice and one of few movies that made me cry. It was tension and excitement that kept me interested trough three hour's (i suppose). I could relate the story to real life situations and all the dramatic things that kept the movie going was sad. In the end, i had a deep compassion with Jessica (the main character) and I also once again as many times before realized how cruel people can be and how hard life can be.As talking about people, the actors were brilliant. Escpecially Jessica- Leanna Walsmann and her mother played by Lisa Harrow. Lisa's acting was so brilliant that I really hated her at some points of the movie. All the actors just play very trustworthy.The Australian landscape is as always beautiful and as I wished to move to Australia a couple year's, this movie changed my mind, thanks to all the snakes.All in all a movie everyone have to see. 10 stars!!!
jamesmoule Reading other reviews of this mini-series confirms my belief that it is one that people either love or hate. The reason is more than likely the plot of the novel by Bryce Courtenay. Either the viewer will see this as an astonishing true story of deception or a whole pack of lies. If you can't believe the story, both the book and the film will be difficult to enjoy. Having read the book first, I found the mini-series a very faithful adaptation. The characters in the book were accurately portrayed in the film and the acting was first class all round. We are used to BBC dramas with painstaking attention to period detail but it is rare to see an Australian story from the early 1900s in which so much care is taken with historical accuracy. The central tablelands villages of Carcoar and Millthorpe provide perfect backdrops, having been maintained as 19th century towns. I wonder did anyone notice that the sign on one of the buildings in "Narrandera" (actually Carcoar) had the town name spelled as it was in 1890? That level of attention to detail is typical of the fine work of the creators of this exceptional mini-series.
vk2gjt We watched the mini series "Jessica" and loved it. I haven't read the book before seeing the feature, so don't have any prior opinions about the story.'Jessica' was a wonderful story, combining both happy moments with incredibly sad. Leeanna Walsman playing Jessica was a very very strong character, and we're still talking about her performance, with a tear in our eye, days after watching. Originally we watched to see performances from actors we know well and enjoy, such as Sam Neill, John Howard and Tony Martin....but found that Leeanna's performance overshadowed all of them.Thoroughly enjoyed 'Jessica', and want to see it all again.
oliverl-1 "Jessica" is a dramatic and heartfelt true story. The adaptation of Bryce Courtenay's novel is more wonderful than I could ever have expected, as it tells the story of a gut-wrenching story of a hapless life. The acting is brilliant all around. Leanna Walsman is perfect as main character Jessica Bergman, with her good looks and her extreme talent she tells a remarkable story of a heartbreaking life.Oliver Ackland is excellent as Jack Thomas, the love of both Jessica and her spoiled sister Meg's (Megan Dorman) life, with his handsome charm and love for Jessica, how can you not like him? Wil Traval is just as superb as Billy Simple, the brain-damaged friend of Jessica & Jack. Traval puts in a beautiful performance. Sam Neill is wonderful as the drunken lawyer of both Billy & Jessica, Neill is the icing on the cake. Tony Martin is also great as Jessica's dad Joe, his love and support for Jessica is beautiful. With other great supporting actors such as Lisa Harrow, Megan Dorman and John Howard "Jessica" is a soulful and riveting mini-series. 10/10