HotToastyRag Barbara Taylor Bradford's sweeping feminine tale comes to life in this entertaining British miniseries. In contemporary times, meaning the 1980s, Grandy is surrounded by her children and grandchildren, who are trying to usurp her position as chairwoman of the very successful family business. She fights for her seat and tells her story of how she became A Woman of Substance. The majority of the story is told in a flashback, and it's very fun to see Jenny Seagrove cast as a young Deborah Kerr, who plays Grandy. While the old timers in the cast add class and glamour to the miniseries, the young actors also give great performances and effortlessly capture the audience's attention. This is a fantastic story of a young woman's journey in the early 20th century, her career and loves and struggles through WWII. Joining the cast are John Mills, Miranda Richardson, Liam Neeson, Diane Baker, Barry Bostwick, and Peter Chelsom. Although everyone is wonderful, Deborah Kerr really stands out. She's feisty and strong, but still feminine and caring, the perfect combination of emotions that shows she really lived through what Jenny Seagrove lives through during the episodes. Anyone who likes British miniseries, or stories with a strong heroine, will love A Woman of Substance.

vitachiel A Woman of Substance is an entertaining, typically British mini series, which tells the story of a young woman empowering herself through hard work and hatred against a high class family that have always been indifferent and bossy to her and her poor relatives. She rapidly grows into a powerful business woman who ruins the hated family to the very last crumb.A biography must always find a fine line: how 'old' can the actors grow and when to substitute characters with new players? They've done a marvelous job with 'Blackie' Neeson; he really looks like an old man at the end of the series, although his mannerisms completely oppose his former, playful self. And it must be added: gluing a beard and silvering his hair makes the job a lot easier.Miss Seagrove didn't make it into old age, she got replaced by (a first-rate) Deborah Kerr. In the main story Emmy ages some 40 years, but in her fifties she still looks like the teenage lass from the beginning of the story. Here, old-fashioned haircuts and clothes don't help; Seagrove just has too youthful a face The acting is of a reasonable level. Seagrove does a fine job, with the exception of some cheesy moments and the instances where she talks to her young children - as if she doesn't know how to talk to kids. Although this could also have been the director's fault. All in all, Seagrove is believable in her role, and she has one of the sweetest smiles I've ever seen...The other dozen or so actors are okay but forgettable, except for two of them: Blackie, the happy-go-lucky everybody's friend and Gerald Fairley, Mr. Evil Impersonated; overacting has never been so effective!

Shazzer30 Whenever my sister and I get in the mood for a mini-series marathon, we rent "The Thorn Birds", but only if our all-time fave is checked out. I refer, of course, to BTB's "A Woman of Substance". This mini-series boasts a stellar cast- Deborah Kerr, Liam Neeson, Jenny Seagrove, Barry Bostwick, and a young Miranda Richardson. The rags-to-riches story of Emma Harte's (Kerr/Seagrove)empire is riddled with tragedy and passion (what else?). The acting at times can be a bit overdone, but that makes it all the more a guilty pleasure. And hey- yummy Liam Neeson is in it! How can you go wrong? Check out Barry Bostwick pre-"Spin City" sporting a cheesy Freddie Mercury mustache!

reneta89 The plot of the film is very good!Jenny Seagrove is perfect as Emma Harte.!The films' music is wonderful!The actors are perfect! I haven't read the Barbara Bradford's book but I'd like to read it! I like the sequence-"Hold the dream",too.I will never forget this film!