A Walton Easter (1997) (TV)

Director:

Bill Corcoran

Writers (WGA):

Earl Hamner Jr. (characters)
Julie Sayres (written by)

Release Date:

30 March 1997 (USA)

Genre:

Drama

Plot:

Sixth Waltons reunion movie is set in 1969 featuring John-Boy as the TV news anchorperson in New York and he is in the throes of writing a new book...

Plot Keywords:

Sequel | Character Name In Title

Cast

Richard Thomas	...	John-Boy Walton
Ralph Waite	...	John Walton
Michael Learned	...	Olivia Walton
Jon Walmsley	...	Jason Walton
Judy Norton-Taylor	...	Mary Ellen Walton Jones (as Judy Norton)
Mary Beth McDonough	...	Erin Walton Northridge (as Mary McDonough)
Eric Scott	...	Ben Walton
David W. Harper	...	Jim-Bob Walton (as David Harper)
Kami Cotler	...	Elizabeth Walton
Sydney Walsh	...	Aurora Jameson
Kate McNeil	...	Janet Gilchrist Walton
Ellen Corby	...	Grandma Walton
Tony Becker	...	Drew
Peter Crombie	...	Calvin Weeks
Zack Eginton	...	Jimmy Weeks

Runtime:

120 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Filming Locations:

Dijon Street, Warner Brothers Burbank Studios - 4000 Warner Boulevard, Burbank, California, USA

Company:

Eagle Point Production

Goofs:

Anachronisms: John Boy comments on TV about the first moon landing during Easter of 1969. However, the moon landing happened a few months later, in July.

Movie Connections:

Follows The Homecoming: A Christmas Story (1971) (TV)

A nicely done reunion.

My opinion is that Kate McNeil works well as John-Boy's wife because she is different from the other actresses the character was interested in on the show. She comes across as a sweet and kind person who has a career and who truly tries to stand up to her meddling aunt in the previous reunion film. She also has blonde hair, as does the real Mrs. Jane "Earl" Hamner in real life. I thought the film wrapped up the story nicely if this is indeed, as it looks, the last Walton reunion film with the original cast. What happens to John-Boy in the end brings him "full circle" in my opinion as a character. We see him reach this place in his life after seeing him years ago for the first time as the struggling young writer.