Amazon.com
Round up the family for an hour of rootin'-tootin' fun, Shelly Duvall style. Executive producer of the
American Tall Tales and Legends Series, Duvall expertly combines talented actors with witty retellings of famous stories, and as Duvall herself says at this tale's outset, "Some of them are true and some of them are truer." Here, Jamie Lee Curtis dons petticoats and a curly wig to portray the legendary (and truly true) American sharpshooter, Annie Oakley. This thoughtful retelling follows Annie from cradle (where she foreshadows her talents by squirting big sis in the eye with her baby bottle) to porch (where, as an old woman, Annie and husband Frank Butler reminisce over the amazing life they've lived). Sure as shootin', plenty of realistic, exciting stunts happen in between. Curtis displays just the right amount of tomboy, looking every bit as comfy on a horse, slinging her rifle in "Buffalo Bill" Cody's Wild West Show, as she does sporting fancy Victorian garb. The story was filmed like a stage play, with detailed indoor and outdoor sets providing authentic flavor without going overboard. Hats off to Brian Dennehy in the gruff sweetie-pie role of "Buffalo Bill" Cody.
--Liane Thomas