The Dollmaker (1984)

73% of users liked it
(941 ratings)

Jane Fonda stars in this made-for-TV movie, which uses the backdrop of World War II and urbanization to tell the story of one woman's fight to keep her family together. Gertie Nevels (Fonda), the wife of a Kentucky sharecropper, wants nothing more than to one day own her own farm. Thriftily hiding… More Jane Fonda stars in this made-for-TV movie, which uses the backdrop of World War II and urbanization to tell the story of one woman's fight to keep her family together. Gertie Nevels (Fonda), the wife of a Kentucky sharecropper, wants nothing more than to one day own her own farm. Thriftily hiding her savings from husband Clovis (Levon Helm), she prepares to make her dream come true -- until Clovis summons her to come join him in Detroit, where he's gone to work in a factory to help with the war effort. Arriving with her children in tow, Gertie finds Clovis all settled into a tenement-like block house and living the life of a union man. Soon, though, the downside of urban life -- from monstrous neighbors and repressive schools to the pitfalls of the industrial landscape itself -- threaten Gertie's family both individually and as a whole. Despite Clovis' freewheeling way with money and his propensity to blame her for the family's problems, Gertie continues to save money. A lifelong whittler, she begins selling hand-crafted wooden dolls, and when the union goes on strike, Gertie finds herself supporting the family. Adapted from Harriet Arnow's novel by Hume Cronyn and Susan Cooper, who would go on to collaborate on the similarly themed Foxfire in 1987, The Dollmaker was directed by feature and TV veteran Daniel Petrie. It debuted on ABC on May 13, 1984, and earned Fonda an Emmy for her work. ~ Brian J. Dillard, Rovi

Play Trailer

Rating, Runtime: Unrated, 2 hr. 20 min.
Directed By: Daniel Petrie Sr
Written By: Hume Cronyn, Susan Cooper
Genres: Drama, Television

In Theaters: May 13, 1984 Wide
On DVD: Jun 11, 1992
Studio: Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment

Critic Reviews

Emanuel Levy, EmanuelLevy.Com
Jane Fonda made her TV debut in this stirring story of an uneducated Kentucky woman and mother of five who struggles to make ends meet.
Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat, Spirituality and Practice
Offers viewers an opportunity to clarify their own definition of "the good life," and to discuss some of the challenges of individualism.

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Cast

            Etel Billig as Mrs. Bommarita

            Patrick Billingsley as Cooper

            Phyllis Boyens as Mrs. Hull

            Diane Dorsey as Mrs. Daly

            Christine Ebersole as Miss Vashinski

            Jane Fonda as Gertie Nevels

            Ralph Foody as Scrapwood Man

            James N. Harrell as Old John Ballew

            Alex Harvey as Whit

            Ann Hearn as Max

            Dan Hedaya as Skyros

            Levon Helm as Clovis Nevels

            Dennis Kelly as Mr. Daly

            Susan Kingsley as Sophronie

            Marge Kotlisky as Nurse #2

            James Lashly as Cop

            Mike Nussbaum as Car Dealer

            Geraldine Page as Mrs. Kendrick

            Amanda Plummer as Mamie Childers

            Les Podewell as Eye Doctor

            Mary Seibel as Woman at Train Station

            Ray Serra as Joe

            Harry Everett Smith as Ice Man

            Studs Terkel as Taxi Driver

            Francis John Thornton as Nurse #1

            Jamie Wild as Gilbert

            Sheb Wooley as Mr. Kendrick

            Tom Hanks
            
            David Wilson as Enoch

            Derek Googe as Bubble Gum Boy

            Gwen McGee as Black Girl at Station

            Bob Swan as Victor

            David P. Dawson as Amos

            Robert L. McCord III as Red Cap

            Bruce McKinnon as Soldier

            Philip East as Orderly

            Jason Yearwood as Reuben

            Starla Whaley as Clytie

            Nikki Creswell as Cassie

            Ellen Marchman as Wheateye

            Edward Sadlowski as Bender

            Billie Henson as Mrs. Nevels

            Mike Timoney as Officer

            Van B. Fox as Doctor

            Bob Keenan as Desk Officer

            Ellen J. Smith as School Secretary

            Sheila Keenan as Stringer

            Ida Will Smith as Red Cross Lady

            Jason Wild as Claude-Jean

            Matthew Freeman as Frankie Daly

            Billy Fitzgerald as Christopher Daly

            Jimmy McDermott as Mike Bommarita
See full cast

Trailers & Clips

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