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Audience Rating: NR (Not Rated) Binding: DVD EAN: 0841887000987 Format: Color, DVD-Video, NTSC Label: PBS (Direct) Languages: Manufacturer: PBS (Direct) MPN: 8672 Number Of Items: 2 Publisher: PBS (Direct) Region Code: 1 Release Date: July 02, 2002 Running Time: 360 minutes Studio: PBS (Direct) Theatrical Release Date: April 29, 2002 Editorial Review: Amazon.com: Based on the sweeping success of PBS' 1900 House, producer Simon Shaw applies the same standards of accuracy and authenticity to this imaginative sequel, giving viewers a glimpse into frontier America during the years proceeding the 1882 Homestead Act when land out West was "free for the taking." Appropriately billed a "docu-soap," Frontier House is part of PBS' House Series, blending documentary and reality programming as three modern American families test their grit and resourcefulness during a five month immersion as pioneers in the Montana Territory. The Clune, Glenn, and Brooks families' daily lives are recorded and condensed into six one-hour episodes chronicling the hardships and, in some cases, humor of building cabins, planting gardens, digging outhouses, chopping wood, and tending livestock—all while bearing the strain of close familial living and neighborly interdependence necessary for survival. While the film's bickering between families grows wearisome, narrator Kathryn Walker provides a historical context, explaining that such squabbles were typical of homesteading communities. PBS deserves kudos for its meticulous and painstaking commitment to the highest caliber of credibility, employing a team of historic preservation specialists to attend to every detail of the series. Highlights include the touching, actual wedding of Nate and Kristen Brooks, and a compelling "Making Of" bonus feature that caps the overall effort with charm and appeal. (Ages 8 and older) Lynn Gibson Average Rating:
 Rating:  - Time Travel Is PossiblePBS is excellent at providing quality entertainment and slipping education into the equation. With the success of 1900 House, a realty mini-series where one family was transported to the Victorian Era, executives decided to send three families to the frontier of Montana with only the supplies that families would have had in 1883. Meet The Clunes, The Brooks', and The Glenns. The Clunes are a wealthy family from California, accustomed to frequent business trips and luxury. The Brooks family begins ... Read More Rating: - A Must-See for All family MembersThis is a story that all members of your family should see... how the lifestyle in the 1883 Montana wilderness was one of simple pleasures with a lot of honest work. Thoroughly enjoyable viewing of the lives of three families. Once you start watching this excellent PBS production, you won't want to stop. Rating: - Top Quality DocumentaryThe most important thing about this type of experiment (the House series, and this is obviously the best one) is the interactions of the family members, to find out what is the basis of a family, what are more exactly the roles we members (male, female, child, adult) have to play. It is absolutely not (even if from the producer's point of view it may be) to see how we, modern day city slickers can make it in an 1883 Montana environment. At least not for me. I don't care for that: lack of comforts, ... Read More Rating: - Fascinating Social ExperimentThis series features six hour long episodes involving three 21st century families attempting to live as homesteaders in the Montana Territory of 1883. Historically speaking, the original homesteader families were required to farm the land for 5 years in order to gain ownership. But in "Frontier House" the families are only here for 6 months, with the major goal being to become prepared to survive the upcoming winter. In the end, the relative success or failure of each family is evaluated by a group ... Read More Rating: - How can you not love this show???Love. Hate. Loss. Gain. Anger. Joy. Wedding. Separation. Struggles. Triumphs. Illness. It's just another day on the frontier. How can you not love this show? It's a surreal combination of make-believe and reality. The families in this show fight the elements of life on the frontier, every day. Sometimes their fights are with their neighbors, their families, or even within themselves. It is remarkable to see how the families change during their stay in the Montana wilderness. It is interesting ... Read More |
