TV-made adaptation of David Williams' novel "Second Sight" has troubled married couple trying for a second chance and buying a refurbished old manor just outside New York City; he's happy there, but she starts spending more time in the attic after coming upon an antique lace-and-ivory silk floor-length dress which opens a mysterious door to the past--and possibly true romantic happiness. A terrific entertainment with top production values and a fine cast, led by Lindsay Wagner. Often overlooked by critics because of her star status as TV's "The Bionic Woman", Wagner has indeed picked up some facile acting tics (faraway shrugs and tight little smiles), but she's an assured, assertive actress and manages to find the heart of this fantastic material. At first, writer-director Frank De Felitta appears to be spinning a tale of reincarnation, with Wagner--a lookalike for a woman in 1899 who died in an accident involving horses--experiencing odd memory flashes even before she puts the dress on. Also, the handsome man she meets in the past initially thinks Wagner is the ghost of his deceased beloved, and yet no one else from this alternate world takes an interest in her (not even the dead girl's father!). Flaws aside, the time travel angle is pleasing, and a far tastier path to take than with reincarnation. The producers had good timing, too: "Jennie Logan" beat the not-dissimilar theatrical feature "Somewhere in Time" in release by 12 months.
Review of The Two Worlds of Jennie Logan
The Two Worlds of Jennie Logan
(1979 TV Movie)
Despite some story problems, a lovely time travel romance
20 June 2017