The Homecoming: A Christmas Story (TV)

This television adaptation of Earl Hamner Jr.'s autobiographical novel formed the basis for the series "The Waltons." Set during the Great Depression, "The Homecoming" centers on a family living in the Virginia mountains. This year, everyone worries they will have a lean Christmas, because there's so little money to celebrate. This anxiety is heightened, however, when the family learns that the bus on which the father commutes to work each day has crashed. The eldest son, feeling the first sensations of adulthood and responsibility, decides to leave home to reach the scene of the accident. As they wait for news of their father's fate, the family members stick together and, in the process, discover the true meaning of Christmas. This made-for-television holiday movie about a Depression-era family in rural America launched the popular and long-running TV series The Waltons. It's Christmas Eve on Walton's Mountain, and the close-knit clan prepares to celebrate the holiday together--only to have their love and courage sorely tested as they wait for their father to return home during treacherous weather. With Patricia Neal as the venerable matriarch, Richard Thomas in his famous role as John-Boy, and a strong supporting cast that includes Andrew Duggan, Cleavon Little, Ellen Corby, and Edgar Bergen, THE HOMECOMING celebrates trademark Walton values such as family, love, courage, and hope.