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Conference ljsrv1::tv_chatter

Title:The TV Chatter Notes Conference
Notice:Welcome to TV Chatter :-)
Moderator:PASTA::PIERCE
Created:Wed Dec 16 1992
Last Modified:Thu Jun 05 1997
Last Successful Update:Fri Jun 06 1997
Number of topics:498
Total number of notes:5416

426.0. "Gulliver's Travels (TV movie)" by SSGV02::GRANT (Margo, DTN 381-6192) Tue Feb 06 1996 12:25

What, no note for "Gulliver's Travels"?  I'll start.  I was intrigued by the 
early advertising, and I think it lived up to that promise.  Ted Danson was 
perfect for the role, I thought -- the right mixture of demonstrative tale- 
teller, courtly gentleman, and wide-eyed kid.  The effects were great.  The 
4-hour length was sufficient to get into the 4 different "worlds" he visited, 
thus educating me about the book (I thought all there was to the story was 
the Lilliputians!).  My husband surprised me by staying interested throughout, 
and expressing interest in reading the book.

Anyone else?
T.RTitleUserPersonal
Name
DateLines
426.1BUSY::SLABOUNTYDon't like my p_n? 1-800-328-7448Tue Feb 06 1996 12:573
    
    	I heard that it strayed from the book.
    
426.2I liked itSWAM1::MEUSE_DATue Feb 06 1996 13:098
    
      Didn't think they would include his method for putting out fires, but
    they did.
    
      Found it very entertaining. Part two was more interesting.
    
     
      
426.3still love cartoonMAIL1::LOCOVARETue Feb 06 1996 14:129
    
    Very good,, only knew about little people and big from an old
    movie.. still love the cartoon though even if it wasn't accurate.
    
    I really didn't see why he wanted to stay with the horses really.
    
    The politics of the big people world were not so bad, but I 
    guess he did not want to be a doll size..
    
426.4SLEEPR::MAIEWSKIBos-Mil-Atl Braves W.S. ChampsWed Feb 07 1996 08:4424
  Well he didn't have the choice of staying in the big people's world, the bird
carried him away. As for the horses they represented a Utopian Society. 

  From the time Utopia was written up to the time of Carl Marx in the 19th
Century many British writers were taken with the idea of a Utopian society
where everyone treated everyone else well, shared resources, etc. The theme of
many of these books was that if people could only find a new continent or
Island and start all over they would be able to create a perfect society.
Gulliver's Travels was Swift's entry into that class of works and the horses
represented his Utopia.

  I always loved the 3rd and 4th books. The third book made me chuckle. It
reminded me of Digital, particularly the way the Islanders had to whack someone
to get them out of their trance long enough to talk to them and the totally
spaced out people at the Academy. They hit those of us in software engineering
right on the mark.

  Overall I thought it was really well done. I like the way they interwove
the story of him returning to England with the way he told the story. I
believe that part was new but it's been a really long time since I read the
book. As for Ted Danson, he did a fine job. I didn't find myself thinking "Sam
Malone" once. 

  George
426.5VAXCPU::michaudBugs BunnyWed Feb 07 1996 10:005
> ...to get them out of their trance long enough to talk to them and the totally
> spaced out people at the Academy. They hit those of us in software engineering
> right on the mark.

	speak for yourself!  dilbert is much more accurate :-)
426.6liked it!GRANPA::JBOBBJanet Bobb dtn:339-5755Wed Feb 07 1996 12:2531
    Liked it. Really liked the way the story jumped from "now" to his
    "adventures". I thought it made a good way of moving both storylines
    along and it made him seem quite possibly mad. And I liked Ted Danson's
    portrayal of Gullivar. I vaguely remember watching a movie and an
    animated version of this story years ago (with only the Lilliputans and
    the giants) and had a similar feel to it. 
    
    Who played the doctor who had him committed and was interested in the
    wife? He looked very familar, but didn't catch the credits.
    
    One of our local papers, in their sunday review of the show, hated it.
    Hated Danson most of all, but went on to blast almost everything about
    the show. And as usual, everything the critic dislikes, I liked. Seems
    to be a fairly consistent measure for me. The reviewer really disliked
    the "putting out of the fire", thought it totally inappropriate for a
    show where kids might be watching and warned parents they may want to
    make sure the kids knew this was not correct behaviour....
    
    I liked in the end where he said he had bought 2 young horses and could
    somewhat communicate. And wouldn't having a pocket size sheep be
    interesting? 
    
    When I originally saw Jim Henson productions was involved, I thought we
    would be seeing lots of their specialties, but most/all of the
    action/actors were human. I wonder if this means Henson productions
    will be involved in more "regular" movies (though a Muppet Treasure
    Island hits the movie theaters this week or next.)
    
    3 out of 4 stars
    
    janetb.
426.7The sheepSSGV02::GRANTMargo, DTN 381-6192Wed Feb 07 1996 14:025
The recapture of the pocket-sized sheep was a wonderful thing, and yet, after 
thinking about it for awhile, I decided that this turn of events didn't bear 
close examination.  After all, the poor thing had been stuck in his bag for 
how many years, thumped, soaked, dropped, starved, in the dark, who-knows-what.
But I'm willing to suspend disbelief. :-)
426.8sturdy sheep!GRANPA::JBOBBJanet Bobb dtn:339-5755Thu Feb 08 1996 12:339
    yeah... that was something I commented on after the ending. Especially
    since Gulliver gets dropped by the bird, almost drowns before he's
    picked up by the laputans/flying island. Not to mention a sheep smaller
    than a mouse would be fair game for dogs/cats/birds/snakes/etc. when
    it's back in every-day England. 
    
    but as you said - willing to suspend disbelief for the story  :^)
    
    janetb.