Beautiful movie.

Just saw this tonite; and I was not at all familiar with the story, but I found it a beautiful film -- allowing for a little sentimentality and schmaltz. The actors played it with heart. And while I was uncomfortable only with Gabriel Byrne and I did not buy the "chemistry" or lack of it with the Jo character, everyone else seemed adequately cast.

One queston though: who were those "foreign" people from whom Beth caught the scarlet fever? Were they gypsies??