INHERITANCE, THE (TV)
Summary
This made-for-television romantic drama is based on the long-lost first novel of Louisa May Alcott, written when she was seventeen and discovered in the Harvard library in 1988. The story begins in 19th-century New England at the Evenswood manor as Edith Adelon, companion to the wealthy Miss Amy Hamilton, enjoys her daily ride on her ill-behaved horse Celine. Amy's mother Beatrice announces that cousin Ida Glenshaw is coming for a visit and urges the girls to make her feel welcome, wondering if they might pair her off with one of the local eligible bachelors. Amy assures Edith that she herself has no intention of marrying, preferring intellectual pursuits to the typical "ladylike" pastimes. Ida soon arrives and, learning that Mr. James Percy is soon to arrive, reveals that he suffered great heartbreak in the past when his beloved married his own brother. Ida snidely notes that the Hamiltons "saved" the orphaned Edith from a life of poverty, and Edith acknowledges that she does not socialize with their higher-class friends. Edith ventures into town and has a momentary flirtation with a handsome stranger, and she is later startled to find that he is James Percy himself.
Edith heads out for a picnic with James, Amy, Ida and Beatrice, and the wealthy women are shocked by James' confession that he would prefer to live a simpler life out in nature, though Edith is pleased by his down-to-earth views. Amy slips and nearly falls over the edge of a cliff, but Edith and James rescue her together, with Edith dislocating her shoulder – and losing her late mother's scarf – in the process. Ida implies that Edith, as Amy's companion, is to blame for the accident, but the Hamiltons are grateful for their daughter's safety and invite Edith to an upcoming ball as a show of thanks. Edith, aware that lady's companions are not traditionally invited to such events, is flustered by the offer, though she is touched when James retrieves her mother's scarf from the cliff and returns it to her. Catching up with her on her daily ride, James gives Edith a much-needed al-fresco dance lesson, though Louis, the groom, seems disappointed with her choice to become "one of them." Later, he pawns a necklace, apparently belonging to his own mother, for cash. Beatrice loans Edith her own jewelry for the ball and reassures her that the frosty Ida bears her no ill will, and the family heads out to the party.
At the ball, Ida flirts with Frederick Arlington, though he warns her that she is being "too eager" in her pursuit of him. She watches resentfully as Edith enjoys a dance with James, though another local lord, Arliss Johnson, criticizes Henry for bringing "the help" along to the party, reminding him of his late brother John's similarly improper behavior. Ida pulls Edith aside and warns her against "enticing" men above her station, reminding her that she does not belong among their class. Humiliated, Edith flees, but James chases her and begins to tell her how she has revitalized his once-broken heart, but she stops him and hurries away. Later, Ida presents Edith with a "peace offering": an opportunity to go and live with Ida's own maiden aunts as a maid of sorts, urging her to take advantage of the change to seek out a "more suitable" husband. The annual Greens Cup horseracing competition approaches and, learning that James' horse has been injured, Amy's father Henry decides to defy Arliss and the other "pompous morons" of the town and asks Edith to ride Celine in the race, using his late brother's saddle. Edith, worried that James and Amy have developed a flirtation, is shocked when she catches Louis stealing Beatrice's jewelry. He professes his dislike of the rich and their careless greed, reminding her that the Hamiltons regard them both as inferiors, and though Edith defends the family's kindness, she reluctantly agrees to keep Louis' secret if he stops his thieving.
Edith accepts the position with Ida's aunts, and Beatrice is crestfallen to hear that she will be leaving the family. James is pleased to learn of Edith's plans to ride in the Greens Cup race, though Arliss is outraged that a lower-class woman – riding astride, no less – would dare to compete with upper-class men. Amy and Frederick both defend Edith's talents, however, and she proves her capabilities when she defeats Arliss and wins the race. Everyone celebrates, and James again attempt to tell Edith of his feelings, but she reminds him that they are "very different" and tells him that she is soon to leave Evenswood. Henry continues examining John's belongings and makes a shocking discovery, and Frederick soon rejects Ida and makes aggressive advances towards Edith, sure that she has been "subtly" indicating her interest in him. James intervenes and angrily tells the Hamiltons of his ungentlemanly behavior, but the stress causes Henry to fall suddenly ill. He summons Edith to his bedside and confesses that he has unintentionally "robbed" her, explaining that he has only just discovered a letter from his late brother, revealing Edith to be not the abandoned child of John's Italian maid, but John's own legitimate daughter, making her the Hamiltons' niece. Shocked, Edith bids farewell to her honorary father-turned-uncle as he dies, but she opts not to tell the grieving family of her discovery, promising only to stay at Evenswood for the time being.
Louis, secretly returning to Beatrice's bedroom, spots Edith burning something in the fire, and Edith misunderstands when she hears James reading an affectionate letter from Henry to Beatrice aloud. Amy, however, confides to Edith that, far from intending to marry James or anyone else, she has decided to attend college and pursue a more active life than that of a housewife. James prepares to leave Evenswood, and Ida is disgusted to realize that he has developed deep feelings for "pathetic orphan" Edith. Learning that Mrs. Hamilton's jewelry has gone missing, she plants the necklace from the night of the ball in Edith's room, and Edith, having given her word to Louis, cannot satisfactorily explain why she has apparently stolen from the family. James offers to take her away from Evenswood, but she sadly explains that she cannot escape her shame. Louis, however, then bursts in and confesses his crimes, returning the other jewelry items and explaining that Edith attempted to set him straight, and Ida's treachery is finally revealed to the others. Louis then produces the letter that he rescued from the fire, and Beatrice is stunned to find that Edith is in fact her niece – and the rightful heir to Evenswood. Edith admits that she kept the secret out of a fear of alienating the Hamiltons, but Beatrice and Amy assure her that they are thrilled to learn that she is truly family after all. Edith is now free to confess her love for James, and the two are eventually married and retire to a cottage by the sea. Amy becomes a prominent suffragette, while Beatrice cultivates a new breed of rose and Frederick goes on to marry – several times. Ida, briefly imprisoned for thievery, returns to her aunts and never marries. Commercials deleted.
Details
- NETWORK: CBS
- DATE: April 6, 1997 9:00 PM
- RUNNING TIME: 1:38:45
- COLOR/B&W: Color
- CATALOG ID: B:83922
- GENRE: Drama
- SUBJECT HEADING: Drama; Literature - Adaptations; Romance; American literature - 19th century
- SERIES RUN: CBS - TV, 1997
- COMMERCIALS: N/A
CREDITS
- John Cosgrove … Executive Producer
- Jeffrey S. Grant … Executive Producer
- Terry Dunn Meurer … Executive Producer
- Laura Pozmantier … Executive Producer
- Ed Self … Producer
- Todd Shuster … Associate Producer
- Lane Zachary … Associate Producer
- Bobby Roth … Director
- Maria Nation … Writer
- Louisa May Alcott … Based on the novel by
- Christopher Franke … Music by
- Alan Wagner … Conductor
- Lynne Hockney … Choreographer
- Berlin Symphonic Film Orchestra, The … Symphony Orchestra
- Cari Shayne … Cast, Edith Adelon
- Brigitta Dau … Cast, Amy Hamilton
- Paul Anthony Stewart … Cast, Frederick Arlington
- Brigid Brannagh … Cast, Ida Glenshaw
- Michael Gallagher … Cast, Louis
- Max Gail … Cast, Arliss Johnson
- Thomas Gibson … Cast, James Percy
- Tom Conti … Cast, Henry Hamilton
- Meredith Baxter (see also: Meredith Baxter-Birney) … Cast, Beatrice Hamilton
- Alicia Bergman … Cast, Emma
- Michelle Davison … Cast, Cook
- Henry Sanders … Cast, Blacksmith
- Paul Bartel … Cast, Doctor
- Rob Nilsson … Cast, Minister