The Root of All Evil

This should have been the title of this soap opera that follows the rags to riches life of a poor daughter of an unsuccessful farmer. Phyllis Calvert shines in "my" title role and John McCallum and Michael Rennie are excellent in support. The movie lacks the grit of Mildred Pierce, a film that similarly depicted the ascent of a driven businesswoman, and it fails to develop its supporting cast as fully as that superb movie does. Nevertheless, we get the gist of Jeckie's business acumen when she rattles off how she would save the family farm business, her ruthlessness in pursuing her lawsuit against her former lover, and her risk-taking determination in opening a glossy grocery store across the street from her rival. Like "Pierce" her dedication to hard work is also on display while still allowing her to be vulnerable. The ending missed the mark for me as I felt Calvert and McCallum's characters veered off course. Still this is a fine movie and should be seen.