Plain and simple account of plain and simple folk in rural Idaho, a single mom and a brood of six, "the Lacey tribe," as she dubs them, struggling to construct a dream house out of little more than a teepee. Screenwriter Patrick Duncan ("This is a true story," says his voice-over counterpart. "This really happened to me") has an ear for everyday language ("Pipe down, you two"), and he goes into chilling detail about the calamitous first Christmas in the new home ("Santa Claus hates me!"). Niceness and decency prevail, but they receive a strong challenge from insipidness and ingratiation. With Kathy Bates, Edward Furlong, Clarissa Lassig; directed by Tony Bill. (1993) — Duncan Shepherd
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