The Simple Life of Noah Dearborn

source: The Simple Life of Noah Dearborn

I was rather sceptical before watching this film. I had seen so many crappy lovely plots of this kind in the past. But I must admit this one positively surprised me. This film conveys great valors which people nearly forgot nowadays. Sidney Poitier is really moving in this film. The kind of grandfather, brother, husband, whatever, that everyone would like to have. His kindness and inner sorrows make him someone really intelligent and touching. Mary-Louise Parker plays also very well. Through her behaviour and her thoughts, the viewer starts to understand why Noah Dearborn is such a wonderful person and what life should be made of. The only thing I found quite disappointing about this film is the fact that they don't share any kiss on the mouth, which I've been waiting for till the end... :-) But still, it remains a nice and well shot film. Worth seeing for sure !

The Simple Life of Noah Dearborn is an eloquent story told in the most basic of terms. Sidney Poitier portrays Noah, who at 91 still leads an active though unfulfilling life. He stays busy every waking hour and has virtually no life outside his daily labor. He keeps potential friends at arms length, but goes out of his way to be a good neighbor. His routine varies little from day to day and he is haunted by the unsettling events of his early life. Unknown to Noah, a group of investors have targeted his land as a potential site for development. Noah rejects their initial efforts to purchase his land outright, so they hatch a scheme to have him declared incompetent so he will be committed and removed. Dr. Valerie Crane (Mary-Louise Parker), a clinical psychologist will be their weapon. But like everyone else who comes in contact with Noah, she is touched by his openness, honesty and simple philosophy. She becomes his ally and defender. After contacting several of the townspeople she realizes how positively Noah affects the lives of those around him, despite his inability to show open affection toward them. Noah is soon taken into custody for an forced evaluation based on sham allegations, but the effort is sabotaged by Dr. Crane. The Developers then try harassment in an effort to drive Noah off his land. Valerie is injured trying to halt their plot and Noah comes to her rescue. While visiting her in the hospital Noah at last begins to drop his emotional block against those who love him. He finally allows Sarah McClellen (Dianne Wiest), who has had a decades long crush on him, to get close. Because of all the opposition, the investors abandon their plans and the new Noah will live a new, fuller life. The film is very effective in showing how love, friendship and understanding is so much more important than money, career and greed. Poitier is well cast and very effective as Noah who is content to live a simple, uncomplicated life.

Ms.M. Louise-Parker and Mr. S. Poitier as well as the rest of the cast and crew did an excellent job in presenting this heartfelt story. A story that told the truth for so very many people in this country that will in no way have such a spectacular ending. Many times it is the children that take away their parents properties. They break the spirit of their loved ones in conjunction with land developers/or whom ever the interested party may be, and most often the victims are committed or die of a broken heart. It did not matter that Dearborn was so perfect, (Guess Whose Coming to Dinner?) most victims are not clean and healthy and strong. The powers that be were determined. In realty Louise-Parker would have been taken away never to be seen again. The performances of Dearborn made all of us feel much more than they presented to the viewers. This is writing and production at its finest with a happy upbeat ending white puppy and all. These are the movies that we as a people would have return to our screens. If not completely, then at least several times a year. At least they offer hope and faith...something that this planet is at this time so very short on. To The 'Simple Life of Noah Dearborn' we say thank you and BRAVO!!!!!!

I rented this movie on VHS video to watch with my family, and I just loved it. Each character is so well done, with a resounding role by Sidney Poitier as Noah Dearborn. This movie is a great movie and makes you feel as if you are an unnoticed observer in the picture. If you love a movie that makes you feel good and think about life, rent "The Simple Life of Noah Dearborn" Tonight.

Sidney Poitier is still a great actor and this film is a demonstration of his skills. Here he is a carpenter touched by his tough life, which taught him to work as much as possible without hurting anyone. But one day some people wanted to take him away of his land and the tragedy started for him. However he took it as part of life and fought against it with patience and showing himself calm. The morale of the film is simply excellent.

WARNING: REVIEW CONTAINS MAJOR SPOILERS It almost makes me cry to see Sidney Poitier shunted into a land of mediocre TV movies. His intensity, concentration and facial array are still finely honed, so what's a first-rate actor doing in dirge like this? I love Sidney – love him, I tell you – and watching him work the cable circuit in what is practically a watered-down version of A Raisin in the Sun is disheartening indeed. Poitier plays Noah Dearborn, a 91-year-old "carpenter God". No disrespect to carpenters, but pumping up such a glamourless job with aggrandising lines like "Nothing seems to interest him but his work. In my mind that makes him a noble man" just doesn't work. What next – the Lord of accountancy? The saviour of tax inspectors? Sidney Poitier as Tony Smith, Dental Research Technician? It's revealed that since the death of his family Noah has lived his life without touching another human being, and so spends his days playing with his tools. (Leave it!) Dearborn isn't perhaps Sidney's greatest characterisation as he sports a not totally convincing Southern accent. But don't hold it against him – Michael Caine and Bob Hoskins are ropy when it comes to assuming a dialect, and even Robert De Niro fails to engage as anything other than an Italian American. Backing up Sidney are some cheesy TV movie actors delivering hackneyed TV movie lines. Gregg Champion is a TV movie director, whose groundbreaking technique seems to involve placing the camera down and then rushing off for a cup of tea while the actors say their lines in front of it. Even Poitier can't set alight clanky lines like "All you people come out here dressed as lambs, but you smell like foxes." Or how about "You folks are long-winded when a small breeze will do just fine" and "Some say when God comes down to vacation on Earth, he stays at Noah's." The film's narrative is punctuated by four flashback sequences, each sentimental one of them delivering a trite platitude like "When a man loves his work... truly loves it... sickness and death will get tired of chasing you." But while the 'sell your land' plot is evocative of Raisin, there's no racial or social dynamic, merely a group of rich city businessmen trying to buy the land of the poor country worker. The recreation of a close-knit Southern community is also somewhat stereotyped and rose-tinted, with not a worried-looking rooster in sight. Predictably, a psychiatrist (Mary-Louise Parker, better than most) starts to see things Noah's way. The title is also apt, because 'simple' perfectly describes the A to B plotting which could comfortably fit on the back of a matchbox. Breaking down the character name is also telling, not least the unsubtle Biblical reference of his first name. The tacky conclusion sees Noah get Parker out of a car crash with some of his carpentry tools. Presumably if the crash had killed her, he'd have resuscitated with a hammer and chisel. For there's nothing that Noah can't do, a folk hero, Santa Claus and minor deity all wrapped into one. That said, the film is quite sweet, albeit in an overstated, sickly way. But after In The Heat of the Night, The Defiant Ones and Lilies of the Field - to name just three – then why did it have to come to this? Make the most of him, Hollywood... he won't be around forever.

Refreshing movie with a great message. I would recommend this to anyone. Direct, simple, and filled with clear truths about the importance of the honest basics of life. Stands out nicely amongst the usual made for TV fare. Make be uncomfortable to watch for anyone who has a difficult time explaining truthfully, what they do to make a living to their children.

The best word I can think of to describe this movie is "nice." It is definitely not award winning material; even for a TV movie the plot is rather predictable, most of the talent is ho hum(Poitier does a nice job as the stoic Noah), etc. But, it is an enjoyable way to spend a couple of hours enjoying a simple story with your family and (for me) makes you think of how far some of our values have gotten off whack. That said, I think the movie is propaganda from Mother Earth News for self sufficient and back to the country living...my friends and I were joking about this for the first half hour of the movie, but we think the hypothesis was tested when the lawyer quit to start a vineyard. It was also nice to see on screen techniques of woodworking that have all but vanished in the "enlightened" 20th century. Like I said, nice.

I totally enjoyed this movie. The story line was interesting and the acting was good. Poitier and Parker did an excellent job. The supporting actors were good too. I thought it was very good for a TV movie. The flashbacks were great filling in the background information, with smooth transitions and was easy to follow. It had variety with some humor and a lot of drama. The ending was satisfactory which is a big thing to me. You leave the movie feeling good. I loved it and bought my own copy. Highly recommended. Appropriate for children - another big plus for me. There was no offensive language, sex or violence. My teenage children watch it with me and like it too.