''O Pioneers!'' is a 1992 American

drama Drama is the specific Mode (literature), mode of fiction Mimesis, represented in performance: a Play (theatre), play, opera, mime, ballet, etc., performed in a theatre, or on Radio drama, radio or television.Elam (1980, 98). Considered as a g ...

television film A television film, alternatively known as a television movie, made-for-TV film/movie, telefilm, telemovie or TV film/movie, is a film with a running time similar to a feature film that is produced and originally distributed by or to a Terrestr ...

produced and directed by

Glenn Jordan Glenn Jordan (born April 5, 1936) is a retired American television director and producer. Born in San Antonio, Texas, Jordan directed multiple episodes of ''Family'' and numerous television movies, several based on real persons as diverse as B ...

and written by Robert W. Lenski, based on the 1913 novel of the same title by

Willa Cather Willa Sibert Cather (; born Wilella Sibert Cather; December 7, 1873 – April 24, 1947) was an American writer known for her novels of life on the Great Plains, including ''O Pioneers!'', ''The Song of the Lark (novel), The Song of the Lark'', a ...

. It originally aired as a ''

Hallmark Hall of Fame ''Hallmark Hall of Fame'', originally called ''Hallmark Television Playhouse'', is an anthology program on American television, sponsored by Hallmark Cards, a Kansas City, Missouri, Kansas Citybased greeting card company. It is the longest-ru ...

'' presentation on February 2, 1992 on

CBS CBS Broadcasting Inc., commonly shortened to CBS (an abbreviation of its original name, Columbia Broadcasting System), is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the CBS Entertainme ...

, and stars

Jessica Lange Jessica Phyllis Lange (; born April 20, 1949) is an American actress. With a career spanning over five decades, she is known for her roles Jessica Lange on screen and stage, on stage and screen. She has received List of awards and nominati ...

. It was also the film debut for

Anne Heche Anne Celeste Heche ( ; May 25, 1969August 11, 2022) was an American actress, known for her roles across a variety of genres in film, television, and theater. She was the recipient of Daytime Emmy, National Board of Review, and GLAAD Media Awards ...

, who had a small supporting role in the film.

Plot summary

The film centers around a family of

Swedish Swedish or ' may refer to: Anything from or related to Sweden, a country in Northern Europe. Or, specifically: * Swedish language, a North Germanic language spoken primarily in Sweden and Finland ** Swedish alphabet, the official alphabet used by ...

immigrant Immigration is the international movement of people to a destination country of which they are not usual residents or where they do not possess nationality in order to settle as permanent residents. Commuters, tourists, and other short- ...

s in

Nebraska Nebraska ( ) is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. It borders South Dakota to the north; Iowa to the east and Missouri to the southeast, both across the Missouri River; Ka ...

around the turn of the 20th century. The family's father dies and leaves the family farm to his daughter. She does her best to make the farm work when many others are giving up and leaving.O'Connor, John J. (31 January 1992
TV Weekend; Jessica Lange as Willa Cather Heroine
''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...

''
Marie Shabata (czech Šabata) is Emil’s childhood friend and the object of his love. She comes from a Bohemian family and is beautiful, She runs off and marries Frank Shabata when she’s just eighteen, but comes to believe that she was not the right person for Frank. She comes to return Emil’s love, and though she tries (and fails) to resist her feelings.

Cast

as Alexandra Bergson *

David Strathairn David Russell Strathairn (; born January 26, 1949) is an American actor. Known for his leading roles on stage and screen, he has often portrayed historical figures such as Edward R. Murrow, J. Robert Oppenheimer, William H. Seward, and John D ...

as Carl Linstrum *

Tom Aldredge Thomas Ernest Aldredge (February 28, 1928 – July 22, 2011) was an American television, film and stage actor. He won a Daytime Emmy Award for playing the role of Shakespeare in ''Henry Winkler Meets William Shakespeare'' (1978). His Broadway ...

as Ivar *

Reed Diamond Reed Edward Diamond (born July 20, 1967) is an American actor. He is known for the roles of Det. Mike Kellerman on '' Homicide: Life on the Street'', Jason Pillar in season 8 of '' 24'', and recurring character Laurence Dominic on '' Dollhous ...

as Emil *

Josh Hamilton Joshua Holt Hamilton (born May 21, 1981) is an American former professional baseball player. He played in Major League Baseball as an outfielder from 2007 to 2015, most prominently as a member of the Texas Rangers (baseball), Texas Rangers teams ...

as Young Carl Linstrum *

Heather Graham Heather Joan Graham (born January 29, 1970) is an American actress. The accolades she has received include nominations for two Screen Actors Guild Awards, a Critics' Choice Movie Award, and an Independent Spirit Award. After appearing in tel ...

as Young Alexandra Bergson *

as Marie

Filming locations

Much of the filming was done on location in and around Johnstown, in northern

. Many of the buildings used are still in use today and retain the board sidewalks seen in sections of the film.Johnstown, Nebraska Homepage
Additional scenes were filmed in

Clarkson, Nebraska Clarkson is a city in Colfax County, Nebraska, United States. The population was 658 at the 2010 census. History Clarkson was platted in 1886 when it was certain that a new railroad line extended to the site. It was named for T. S. Clarkson, ...

, in the northeast part of the state, at what was then the city's library, as well as a small farmhouse north of town.

Reception

It first aired on television on February 2, 1992, and was the second-most watched primetime show of the week.

Awards and nominations

;Awards * 1992

Emmy Award The Emmy Awards, or Emmys, are an extensive range of awards for artistic and technical merit for the television industry. A number of annual Emmy Award ceremonies are held throughout the year, each with their own set of rules and award categor ...

- Outstanding Music Composition for a Miniseries or a Special (Dramatic Underscore) *1993 Western Heritage Award - Television Feature Film ; Nominations * 1992 Emmy Award - Outstanding Hairstyling for a Miniseries or a Special * 1993

Golden Globe award The Golden Globe Awards are awards presented for excellence in both international film and television. It is an annual award ceremony held since 1944 to honor artists and professionals and their work. The ceremony is normally held every Janua ...

- Best Performance by an Actress in a Miniseries or Motion Picture Made for Television (

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:O Pioneers! (Film) 1992 television films 1992 films 1992 drama films 1990s American films 1990s English-language films American drama television films CBS films English-language drama films Films about immigration to the United States Films based on American novels Films based on works by Willa Cather Films directed by Glenn Jordan Films scored by Bruce Broughton Films set in the 1890s Films set in Nebraska Films set on farms Films shot in Nebraska Hallmark Hall of Fame episodes Swedish-American culture in Nebraska Television films based on books