It reminds viewers that integrity, honor and sacrifice are the backbone of our country. Synopsis / Plot An earnest rural melodrama set among Norwegian immigrants in Wisconsin, Our Vines Have Tender Grapes is a slightly updated version of George Victor Martin's 1940 novel. Song-of-Solomon 7:7. Definitely worth the read! Start by marking “Our Vines Have Tender Grapes” as Want to Read: Error rating book. Anchored by the wonderful trio of Robinson, Moorehead, and O’Brien, this one sails under the radar and deserves a peek. But we are not being asked to follow a narrative, we are merely being asked to spend some time with these people and observe their lives.The request pays back the time spent. I think one of the things about Our Vines Have Tender Grapes that really resonated with me is how closely it resembles my own family heritage. Ingeborg could have been a Norwegian Boo Radley, but her death apparently indicates little more than uneducated, simple-minded ladies have no reason for existence. This thy stature is like to a palm tree, and thy breasts to clusters [of grapes]. This moment also allows Agnes Moorehead to shine, as a woman who wants her husband to be equal partners with her, and that means making him the bad guy at times. Luckily, these 32 novels are ready to sweep you away to vastly different eras and... Norwegian farm life in Wisconsin is depicted through the eyes of a sensitive and observant little girl named Selma. The farming community of New Hope, which was actually Benson Corners, Portage County, Wisconsin was the inspiration for the book. Nels is the editor of the Fuller Junction Spectator and the kids just call him 'editor'. Selma experiences many daily adventures along with her younger cousin Arnold who is occasionally a thorn in her side. An earnest rural melodrama set among Norwegian immigrants in Wisconsin, Our Vines Have Tender Grapes is a slightly updated version of George Victor Martin's 1940 novel. You won't regret giving a couple of hours of your day to this story; it's truly worth it. Listen to episodes early, receive gifts, and more by becoming a Patron. The one great ambition in the life of Martinius is to build a new barn, but tragedy strikes. To see what your friends thought of this book. Selma and Arnold, aged 7 and 5, pal around together between their two farms. Most of the story unfolds through the thoughts and experiences of Selma, who is a sweet and happy nine-year-old girl growing up in the Norwegian farm country of Wisconsin. Inspired by young Selma, the entire town of Fuller Junction come to the aid of proud Bjorn Bjornson (Morris Carnovsky), who has lost his livestock when lightning struck and burned down his newly erected—but uninsured—barn. Choose an adventure below and discover your next favorite movie or TV show. A freelance film critic whose work fuels the Rotten Tomatoes meter. Looking for something to watch? In particular, a screaming child and...a secret garden. Director Roy Rowland directed O’Brien in three features – this, Tenth Avenue Angel, and Lost Angel (the latter reteaming O’Brien with James Craig) – and Rowland’s trio of films with O’Brien are a tribute to small-town life as seen through the eyes of a perceptive young girl. [5], Told from the viewpoint of little Selma (O’Brien), the film explores grand childhood adventures: making friends, a pet calf, Christmas, a terrifying trip down a flood-swollen river, a barn fire and a ride on a circus elephant’s trunk. I've been published on The Hollywood Reporter, Remezcla, and The Daily Beast. Martinius simply wants to work his land and be a loving husband and father to his family. There is also Bjorn Bjornson. "Our Vines Have Tender Grapes" traces the fortunes of a small middle-American community, with particular focus on the Jacobson family, consisting of father Martinius (Edward G. Robinson), mother Bruna (Agnes Moorehead), and 7-year-old Selma (Margaret O'Brien). His loving, patient relationship with Selma is the kind of father all children need. Listen to episodes early, receive gifts, and more by becoming a Patron. We’d love your help. "I Remember Mama" is one example, and the Norwegian-American community must have been a rich source for such reflection, because the Norwegian-Americans of Fuller Junction, Wisconsin, are the subject of yet another in "Our Vines Have Tender Grapes." The two have the requisite cute love story you’re oft to find in films like this, but Viola’s change from hating the small town to loving it plays disingenuously.