True Women

True Women
Theatrical release poster
Written by	Janice Woods Windle Christopher Lofton
Directed by	Karen Arthur
Starring	Dana Delany Annabeth Gish Angelina Jolie Julie Carmen Rachael Leigh Cook
Music by	Bruce Broughton
Country of origin	United States
Original language	English
Production
Executive producer	Craig Anderson
Producers	Terence A. Donnelly Christopher Lofton Lynn Raynor
Cinematography	Tom Neuwirth
Editor	Corky Ehlers
Running time	170 minutes
Original release
Network	CBS
Release	May 18 (1997-05-18) – May 20, 1997 (1997-05-20)

True Women is a 1997 American Western CBS TV miniseries based on the 1993 novel by Janice Woods Windle directed by Karen Arthur, starring Dana Delany, Annabeth Gish, Angelina Jolie, Julie Carmen, Tina Majorino and Rachael Leigh Cook. It was filmed in Austin, San Antonio, and McDade, Texas. The series covers five decades, from the Texas Revolution through Native American uprisings and the Civil War to the early stages of the women's suffrage movement. This miniseries was first aired on the CBS television network over two nights during May 1997.

The miniseries marks the debut of sisters Duff, Hilary and Haylie Duff, who were uncredited.

Plot summary

The story starts with young Euphemia Texas Ashby (Tina Majorino) and her older sister Sara McClure (Dana Delany). When Euphemia gets back to the house from picking flowers she finds out that Sam Houston is coming to the house. Santa Anna is on his way so they must head east in the Runaway Scrape. While they attempt to cross a river Sara suffers from a miscarriage while her young son Little Johnnie dies in Euphemia's arms. Many other young and old Texans die and Euphemia is almost lost in a sea of graves. After a month and a week, Sam Houston defeats Santa Anna's army and Texas is reborn as the Republic of Texas. They now live in a new home with their horses. Their sisters Fannie and Jane Isabella come to live with them after their father dies at sea. They are very different from Sara and Phemie (Annabeth Gish) and must adapt to their new brutal life.

One year later, Sarah survives an encounter with Tarantula (Michael Greyeyes), a Comanche warrior, and his band of Comanches. Later, Euphemia's close friend Matilda "Maddie" Lockhart (Anne Tremko) is abducted by the Comanches and only later released. When given back, the Texans discover that she was brutally tortured, with the right side of her face disfigured by burn scars; the Comanche repeatedly awakened her by placing burning coals on her face. Maddie is bloody and shows signs of beating everywhere. She never fully recovers from her time with the Native Americans.

Euphemia is now sixteen and almost gets attacked by a panther when William King (Matthew Glave), a boy who she dreams about frequently, saves her. They continue to talk every day for the next five years and then get married. Sara's own husband dies in battle, and she gets remarried to a musician. Euphemia has a few children with William while they live happily together with the slave Tildy (Khadijah Karriem). They have a few horses, including one called Dancer. Euphemia meets Tarantula once again at a show (he is one of the actors) and since he is walking far for an old man, she gives him Dancer, her best horse. He gives her the name "Brave Squaw Child". This is the end of Euphemia's life in the book.

Cherokee (Julie Carmen) and Lewis (Michael York) want to leave Georgia because Cherokee is half Creek and they are being driven out. They wanted to leave before they were forced to.

Georgia Lawshe Woods (Angelina Jolie) falls in love at the age of fifteen at Swann Lake when two dogs frighten her and make her fall and Colonial Doctor Peter Woods (Jeffrey Nordling) tends to her wounds. She finds herself falling in love with this man and they get married the same year. They have four children a few years later and head to Texas. Along the way Georgia has doubts but Peter wants to keep going. They live in Texas for a while but find out the river water is contaminated, which leads to many deaths from cholera. They move again, and Georgia and Euphemia meet when Sam Houston keeps them together. The story then switches to Bettie Moss.

Cast

• Dana Delany as Sarah McClure
• Annabeth Gish as Euphemia Ashby
• Angelina Jolie as Georgia Virginia Lawshe Woods
• Tina Majorino as Young Euphemia Ashby
• Rachael Leigh Cook as Young Georgia Lawshe
• Michael York as Lewis Lawshe
• Jeffrey Nordling as Dr. Peter Woods
• Salli Richardson-Whitfield as Martha
• Tony Todd as Ed Tom
• Michael Greyeyes as Tarantula
• Anne Tremko as Matilda Lockhart
• Irene Bedard as Tobe
• Powers Boothe as Bartlett McClure
• Julie Carmen as Cherokee Lawshe
• John Schneider as Sam Houston
• Charles S. Dutton as Josiah
• Matthew Glave as William King
• Khadijah Karriem as Tildy
• Reed Frerichs as Travis McClure
• Miles Fisher as Young Travis McClure
• Mona Lee Fultz as Ester Lockhart
• Terrence Mann as Captain Haller
• Kevin Page as Soldier
• Haylie Duff as Elle (uncredited)
• Hilary Duff as an additional role (uncredited)
• Shannon Woodward as Young Cherokee Woods (uncredited)

Awards

• 1997 Nominated Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Music Composition for a Miniseries or a Special Bruce Broughton (composer)
• 1998 Won Lone Star Film & Television Awards for Best Actress — Dana Delany
• 1998 Nominated ALMA Awards for Outstanding Individual Performance in a Made-for-Television Movie or Mini-Series in a Crossover Role — Julie Carmen

External links

• True Women at IMDb
• True Women at the TCM Movie Database
• True Women at AllMovie