Little House: Look Back to Yesterday

• for a make-believe boy in a make-believe world

I have strange concept of what is a good way to start the weekend. You see - around here, one of the satellite channels show re-runs of Little House on the Prairie on weekend mornings. And I love that show. I've read all of Laura Ingalls Wilders books and I know that the TV-show is not really very close to her real life. In a way you can say they took the essence of the books and created a make-believe world based on that. The TV-show took on a life of its own, in a way. To me, the characters are very real, even though I know they are just make-believe characters in a make-believe world. Don't misunderstand me - I am perfectly able to see the difference between Laura Ingalls Wilder of the TV-show and Melissa Ellen Gilbert the actress - and the real Laura Ingalls Wilder. But to me, Laura of the TV-show is almost as real as the other two. I've witnessed her life since the very first shows. I've cried with her and laughed with her. She and her father, the character Charles Philip Ingalls as portrayed by Michael Landon, have been my moral guideline at times. They've been my reminder of a way of life based on honesty, kindness and faith in God and your fellow man.

So when I woke up this morning, I turned on the television and watched another episode of Little House - or as it is, a movie sequel to the Little House series called "Look Back to Yesterday". It is a very sad story. Albert Ingalls (Laura's adopted brother) is diagnosed with leukemia. The story, although sad and heartwrenching, is still a story of hope and life. Charles and his family has moved away from Walnut Grove at the time. After receiving the diagnosis, Albert decides to go home to Walnut Grove - to live out his remaining days in the small town where he became Albert Ingalls. Charles and Albert move in with Laura, who is still living in Walnut Grove with her husbond, Almanzo, and their family. And the story goes on from being about sadness and loss to being about hope, memories and the fact that life goes on.

Albert, despite being weakened by his leukemia, is determined to go on creating good memories. His last romance, which could have been a sad tale of the lost dreams of a sick boy, is a beautiful rendering of a love which has no time in this world, but is sweet in all the sadness.

The last part of the movie, directed by Victor French (Isaiah Edwards) takes us to the Keepsake Tree on one of the hills (or small mountains) outside Walnut Grove. Albert, supported by the love of his family and friends, climbs the mountain unassisted and open the Keepsake strongbox to add a memento to the box. To add his last memories to those of his childhood. And in the background, a young boy steals a kiss from a young girl - which is that one ray of light the story needed to be more than just a sob story. It is a reminder of hope that goes beyond hope - that life goes on, even right up to the end and that even in the darkest hours, there is a ray of light.

I'm not a religious person. I'm not sure what I believe in. But the strength of faith which has lead Michael Landon and Victor French to create a world so poignant and strong, so memorable and so believable based on the unforgettable stories of Laura Ingalls Wilder is admirable. What I do know is that Michael Landon himself died from pancreatic cancer in 1991, a few years after the Little House ended and two years after the death of his friend and co-star through many years Victor French. And I believe they used the Little House moviesto convey that ray of light, that hope beyond hope, which they found in their faith in God. That is what makes me come back to Little House now, many years after their deaths.

Yes, life goes on. That's an important lesson taught to me by the death of a make-believe boy in a make-believe world, conveyed in reruns of a TV-show now long gone.

First off, I must add that I don't what's sadder, this particular show itself, or the fact that the last post on this Movie was 6 Yeasr ago! Is anyone watching these old Shows, or maybe this website is too obscure?

I was lucky enough to grow up when there was only a handful of Channels on TV, and you could actually go to school and most would know what you were talking about. Nowadays with so many Channels to choose from, I feel it has disconnected us a bit, though not completely.

Anyways, I was also lucky enough to watch this show from its inception,(pre-teen Years) with my Mother and Sister, and remember many times looking up at my Mother while she cried, with me and my Sister laughing at her, not really fully understanding why she was so emotional.

Also, as with the previous Poster, my Mother never brought us up on religion, and to this day, it is not prominent at all in my life, and I feel that this series "little House On The Prarie" may have made the perfect "substitute" if you will, for teaching morality, and life's lessons.

I really feel, I should make my Kids watch every episode, as it deals so well with many of life's, and Family challenges.

As I watched this Episode yesterday, it brought back both fond and sad memories, a renewed appreciation for what Michael Landon did while he had his time on this Earth, and a renewed sense of connectivity with the Characters.

Guess what? My 10 Year old son watched me cry yesterday and asked why, and boy, how strange it is to be on the other end of the spectrum now:). though he has no reference for any of the characters, as he has never watched the show before, I did my best to explain, but allot of it was the fact that Albert reminded me of my own son in allot of ways, and also the fact that I watched Albert grown up on that show.

Anyways, in a world with so much to watch these days, I hope that little gems like this show don't go totally unnoticed, as it really does have allot to offer Humanity.

I loved the movie-i've pre-ordered it when it's released on 10/24/06. The part that choked me up the most, was when Pa made Laura except the truth about Albert's illness-the way she broke down, really hit hard-it was an excellent movie-i've seen it many times, and am looking foreward to seeing it many more times. I'm looking foreward to seeing the commentary that Melissa Gilbert is going to give, regarding the series-Look back to yesterday ranks among my favorite little house story I guess i'd better get the tissues ready- I never tire of seeing this movie-it's just as good, as when I first saw it.

Adam

I'm glad somebody else noticed the inconsistent story line too. I asked my wife, "How could he be dead if he came back to Walnut Grove as a doctor later?" Other than that one error, I love this look back at a time before the American people were spoiled and soft, and knew the importance of God and country, hard work, and REAL hard times. Patriotism and unity were the American stronghold. It's sad to think that there may be no more Michael Landons or Victor Frenchs' in Hollywood, to remind us of who we are and how we got here.

I never get tired of Little House, or many of the old re=runs from the golden days of TV.

I was sure that Mathew Labeatereaux would go on to become a renown adult actor, but I called that one wrong. What happened to him?

Though it's sort of a "revisit" to an earlier episode, it's still really good. If I remember correctly, Charles Ingalls Jr. basically died from the same thing. I believe they both died from leukemia. It's interesting that Charles didn't mention this when the doctor told me. I half-expected him to say "Not again" or something like that - but he didn't.

So, Albert is just about to start medical school. Charles has gotten a new job and is being sent back to Minnesota for a month. After visiting the University, Albert and Charles head to Walnut Grove to relive old memories.

Walnut Grove is having some sort of baseball tournament. We see all the old cast there - except Harriet Oleson, whom we will not be seeing again because the actress had moved on. Things haven't really changed that much since the ending of Season Nine, but I guess they wouldn't have since (I understand) these three movies were done very soon after the closing of the season. I'm assuming they sort of had to do them since they didn't finish season nine and probably had contract obligations to finish...The baseball game is a side-story. Other side stories: Jason wanting to kiss a girl (the one he tried to impress with the glasses in Season Nine), and trouble with the farmers selling their crops to the grange.

The story is a sad one. I've only seen it a few times because it's just too awful to watch. I'm thankful they ended the movie before "the event."

If my son was dying, I know I would moved Heaven and Earth to be there. I think Caroline would have found somebody to watch the children so she could come be with her dying son. I'm sorry, but I just couldn't buy that. But since Karen Graslie didn't have a contract, she probably wasn't able to play in this episode. I'll be happy to see her return for the final movie.