1995 American television miniseries
A Woman of Independent Means is a 1995 American period drama television miniseries directed and produced by Robert Greenwald from a teleplay by Cindy Myers, based on the 1978 book of the same name by Elizabeth Forsythe Hailey. The miniseries stars Sally Field (who also served as an executive producer), with Ron Silver, Tony Goldwyn, Jack Thompson, Sheila McCarthy, Brenda Fricker, and Charles Durning in supporting roles. It follows for some seven decades the story of Bess Alcott, from her Dallas marriage to her fourth-grade sweetheart to the birth of three children to the fussings with grandchildren.
The miniseries received four Primetime Emmy Award nominations, including Outstanding Miniseries and Outstanding Lead Actress in a Miniseries or a Special for Field, winning one for its costume design. Field was also nominated for a Golden Globe Award and a Screen Actors Guild Award for her performance.
Reception.
Critical response.
"A Woman of Independent Means" received praise for the performances of the cast, particularly that of Field. Tony Scott of "Variety" stated that "Greenwald, with the reminiscing Bess as his constant object, directs Field and the large cast with admirable skill". Ken Tucker of "Entertainment Weekly" gave the miniseries a grade of B, writing that it "has a pleasingly diffuse, almost aimless structure" and "is stubbornly, intriguingly true to its title". Tom Shales of "The Washington Post" described it as "an absurdly lengthy parade of episodes, some of them admittedly moving, that fails to achieve any kind of meaningful cumulative impact".
References.
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