The Waltons, Season 5

Reviewer: Alyice Edrich

Movie

Plot

A drama that ran in hour segments from 1972 to 1981. One family, living in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia during the depression of the 1930s, discovers what it means to grow and change with the times, including surviving World War II. The family lives on a large slab of land that has been passed down from one generation to another, known as Walton’s Mountain. It is on Walton’s Mountain that the children learn to hold tight to their most important asset: family. The show centers around the oldest son, John Boy Walton, as he retells the story of his childhood, but also showcases the lives of every member in the family, including a few special guests that impact the lives of the Waltons forever.

Starring

Richard Thomas, Michael Learned, Ralph Waite, Ellen Corby, Will Geer, Judy-Norton-Taylor, Jon Walmsley, Eric Scott, Mary Beth McDonough, David W. Harper, Kami Cotler, and more.

The Review

After five seasons, The Waltons, continues to remain strong. The Waltons continues to be a series based on family, love, friendship, and the ability to stay true to one’s self regardless of life’s impact.

My favorite episode has to be Episode 24: The Achievement. After five years of writing his novel, only to have it destroyed in a house fire, John Boy Walton rewrites his novel, sends it off to New York, and impatiently waits for word from the publishing house. When word doesn’t come fast enough, he calls the publishing house. When the receptionist doesn’t provide the answer he was hoping for, he sets off for New York where he manages a meeting with the publisher and charms his way into have an answer to his unread manuscript in only two days! Of course, his persistence pays off because he gets the publishing contract and an advance to write another novel.

This could probably be my favorite episode for the simple fact that I, too, am a writer and it feels so good to watch another writer reach success. Or it could be the fact that this episode reminds me of the importance of persistence.

When one watches The Waltons, regardless of the episode, there is one commonality among every episode and that commonality is PERSISTENCE—the desire and the will to continue moving forward regardless of what life throws in one’s way. But it’s not just the ability to move forward, it’s the ability to move forward without allowing bitterness to take root. The Waltons were essentially relentless in their quest for happiness. They set a high standard and one that many Americans found rewarding to watch and mimic in some way, shape, or form.

Your Task

This week, pick up a copy of The Waltons, Season 5 and watch how The Waltons handle adversity, despair, trials, and tribulations. Then take a long, hard look at your own life. Have you been harboring bitterness over events that didn’t turn out as you had hoped? What can you do today to turn that bitterness around? What can you do to find joy in the events that have taken place and how can you move forward with your personal dreams and goals? Once you’ve answered these questions, take the time to write out a five year plan that will help you achieve the goals you let die so that the bitterness cannot return.

Order The Waltons today!