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 - The Shell SeekersI had read the book and enjoyed it. The movie followed the story line in a believable manner. Rating: - WONDERFUL! Not to be missed!A beautiful, warm, and compelling film, THE SHELL SEEKERS is one of television's few genuine film masterpieces. Originally produced as a Hallmark Hall of Fame presentation, this absorbing and all too human drama deserves much more widespread attention. Though it may not follow the book in every respect, it nonetheless stands on it's own. (And --please!--readers of the book should ALLOW it to stand on it's own, as any film is meant to do, judging it on IT'S OWN merits and not against their memory of the book!) Well written and beautifully filmed, it features outstanding performances by a well rounded cast of uniformly excellent actors, not the least of whom is star Angela Lansbury. In a day in which grown children find it all too easy to blame their parents for every childhood shortcoming, the warmth, compassion, and uplifting message of this filmic gem can help bring healing and insight to many of today's searching "thirtysomethings". This isn't just a movie, it's a healing and enlightening experience. It can also bring encouragement and support to today's "sixty-somethings" who have felt the brunt of false guilt and undeserved criticism from ungrateful offspring. Unavailable on television or video for many years, truly this is a film not to be missed. It's a beautiful, poignant video that belongs in every family's video library. Rating:  - Not even as a stand aloneI have watched several film remakes of popular books, and I know that inevitably things will be changed. The important thing is that the movie be able to stand on it's own, so that even with the changes you embrace it. Not this movie. I actually couldn't wait for it to end - the acting was bad, the casting was even worse.... I think that sums it all up. Rating: - Try again later . . . I saw about 20 minutes of the Hallmark TV version and went shrieking from the room! And this is possibly my favorite novel of all time. Angela Lansbury is terribly miscast. Penelope with stiffly coiffed hair, a corsage and a pink afternoon dress?!? What happened to the boat cloak? It should have been Judy Dench! This is nearly as bad as the carnage wreaked on "Clan of the Cave Bear" by casting Darryl Hannah. Trying to stuff a big novel into 98 minutes is a travesty. I see why writers like Steven King and J.K. Rowling take such tough control of their works when someone wants to film them. Couldn't we wait a few years and try again, this time in a 13 week series or something like "Ballykissangel"? Rating: - The Shell Seekers betrayedNo realistic viewer expects a filmed version of a book to be identical. But it SHOULD be true to the spirit of the novel (or why bother filming it?), and this TV movie is definitely not. Most of the main characters are too different, especially Penelope Keeling (Angela Lansbury is quite the wrong actress) - the Penelope in this film is unrecognisable. But the worst betrayal is the portrayal of Penelope's love affair with Richard, especially the change to its ending and to the ending of the book. If you want to watch a banal movie, and have neither read the book nor wish to read one of the finest novels in English, buy the movie. Much better, buy, read and re-read the book, and give yourself a real treat.
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