Oldest Confederate Widow Tells All Movie Review 1995

TV drama starts with the recollections of 99-year-old Lucy Marsden (Bancroft), the widow of the title, as she revisits her marriage to troubled Civil War veteran Capt. William Marsden (Sutherland, sporting an impressive set of whiskers). In 1899, the teenaged Lucy (played by Lane) marries the eccentric 50-year-old, who constantly relives battlefield horrors and the loss of his boyhood friend, while she deals with family and various domestic crises. Somewhat meandering story with fine performances and subtle details. Based on Allan Gurganus' novel.

Distribution

Available on VHS
Running time 180 minutes.

Cast and Crew

Genres

Marriage, Civil War

Screenplay

Joyce Eliason

Cast

Diane Lane, Donald Sutherland, Anne Bancroft, Cicely Tyson, Blythe Danner, E.G. Marshall, Gwen Verdon, Maureen Mueller, Wil Horneff

Director

Ken Cameron

Music

Mark Snow

Producer

Jack Clements, Frank Konigsberg, Larry Sanitsky