Glenn Close doesn't do a whole lot of TV. Oh, she does the occasional high-profile TV movie, from "Something About Amelia" to "Serving in Silence."
But when it comes to "Sarah, Plain and Tall," she's almost a fanatic. Which explains why she's starring in and executive producing a third "Sarah" TV movie, "Winter's End," which airs Sunday at 8 p.m. on CBS/Ch. 2.The Hallmark Hall of Fame presentation comes almost nine years after the original film, and almost seven after the first sequel, "Skylark." But, according to Close, it's an idea that she and author Patricia MacLachlan -- who wrote both the Newberry Award-winning book and the teleplays -- cooked up years ago.
"Patty MacLachlan and I came up with it when we did the first one," Close said. "I always thought it would be great to have a trilogy.
"I like the idea of having three wonderful movies that can be in a nice case together," she added with a laugh. "With nice pictures."
"Sarah, Plain and Tall" told the tale of a New England woman (Close) who was the mail-order bride of a tormented, taciturn, single father on the plains of Kansas, Jacob (Christopher Walken), in the year 1909. "Skylark," set two years later, followed the family's struggles with a terrible drought.
"Winter's End" is set in 1918, as World War I rages in Europe and an influenza epidemic spreads through America. And there are crises for the family as well, with the sudden appearance of the father (Jack Palance) who abandoned Jacob and his mother decades earlier, and a sudden blizzard.
"I think this is exceptional material," Close said. "Also, I've been in on the very basic beginnings of creating it for film. So it's something that's (executive producer William Self's) and my baby.
"I believe in the material. I love Patty MacLachlan as a writer, and I love these characters, and it's something I was committed to."
She's enthusiastic about this not only as entertainment but as education -- "so that it is teaching history as well as telling a good story. I hope that this ends up being taught in schools as well because I think this will be a wonderful learning tool."
And, even if you haven't seen either of the earlier movies, "Winter's End" is still a fine, family telefilm.
"I don't think it really matters. I think this movie stands on its own," Close said. "But, you see, 'Sarah, Plain and Tall' is taught in practically every elementary school across the country now. So they are characters that our children love very, very much."
Including her own daughter, who had Close come to school and talk about the movie and the book.
"They did 'Sarah, Plain and Tall' in third grade. In fact, it was a great -- I asked Chris Walken to come in and speak to all the third graders," she said with a laugh. "Oh, it was great."
Hmmm . . . the image of Walken speaking to a bunch of third-graders is, well, rather interesting.
"Oh, he loved it," Close said. "He came in in black, with his hair standing on end.
"They loved him. He's Jacob to them."
The long gap between the second and third "Sarah" movies wasn't part of the plan, but MacLachlan had to deal with illness in her family and some illness of her own.
"She was delayed in getting us a script by probably a year," Self said. "We were very tolerant because we understood the problem. And, secondly, she was the only person we ever wanted to write it."
And the gap between the movies is reflected in the gap in age of the characters. In addition to Close and Walken, original cast members Lexi Randall (Anna) and Christopher Bell (Caleb) return in "Winter's End" as 19- and 14-year-olds.
"Lexi is a young woman and Chris Bell is this wonderful kind of slightly awkward adolescent, and they're just being who they are," Close said. "They were wonderful casting to begin with. And I think we were very lucky that everyone has kind of grown gracefully, or pretty great, into themselves, and can have a major contribution when we revisit these people."
While neither sequel lives up to the original "Sarah" -- which remains one of the finest TV movies ever made -- "Winter's End," like "Skylark," is far and away better than most telefilms. It's that rare piece that's genuine entertainment for the entire family.
"It is truly a family show," Self said. "It's aimed at the family audience. It's beloved by the families that see it and know it. It really is so different from the contemporary television, it's hard to explain the difference."
Although "Sarah, Plain and Tall" was planned as a trilogy, could they ever consider doing a fourth movie.
"We could, but we'd all be dead," Close deadpanned.
"Chris Walken says he'll only do it they discover oil and move to Paris," Self added.
But it's at least a possibility that "Winter's End" won't be the last we see of the characters.
"We've been approached a lot about doing 'Sarah, Plain and Tall' as a series," Self said. "And, while Miss Close would never act in that series, down the road somewhere, we might entertain doing that. But only if it's under our supervision."