Les Filles de Caleb

Reviewer: Phyllis

In a one-room schoolhouse in the forests of turn-of-the-century Canada, a school teacher named Emilie (Marie Orsini) finds herself falling in love with one of her older students, Ovila Provonost (Roy Dupuis). The man-child/Ovila tenuously weaves his way down a path to win the love and attention of Emilie, his "Beautiful Mist".

The series follows the lovers as they test their mutual attraction, give in to the obvious physical and emotional need for each other, marry, have a family and face continuous hardships and tests of their love for each other.

Les Filles De Caleb places the characters in the beautiful but unforgiving world of the Canadian forest. This land, steeped in it's Catholic tradition, finds the women bearing many children and the men providing for their families by taking months away from home to cut wood in the forest.

There is a point, when they are first married, that Emilie tells Ovila she knows that he is happiest in the forest and that he must do what is necessary to support the family. But in her heart, she cannot accept his being away, especially as the family continues to grow. There is a point, when they are first married, that Ovila tells Emilie that he will never leave her, but he is, in his essence, a man of the forest, constrained by the life on the farm. They both make brave and honest attempts to make their marriage work, and throughout the tragedy that is their life you never doubt that they truly love and need each other desperately. They lose children, parents, siblings, cling to each other, drive each other away, fall into each others arms.

Emilie can never fully leave "the teacher" behind, and makes the fatal mistake of doubting Ovila's ability to keep his family secure. Ovila loves his family, but cannot, not even for his family, live the life of a farmer. Ovila loses himself to drinking, but always manages to put money in their account. Emilie drives him away with her bitterness, but clings to him when he returns. And he always returns.

Simply, their love could not survive their lives. After one painfully long and angry separation, they lie in each other's arms and sag under the weight of needing each other so much. Of all the things they have, a home, children, a marriage, what they never seem to have is time. Their lives never seem to fall onto the same page at the same time. But you know, that whatever the ending, Ovila and Emilie knew love.

This series is blessed with fine acting in the two lead roles. And it is quite obvious that a chemistry between them drove many of the more memorable scenes. In particular, Roy Dupuis shows great "stretch" as an actor, moving from the shy but virile student to the passionate man who was never more alive than when he came through the door of his cabin, frosty and cold from his months in the forest. Roy Dupuis, through his considerable acting skills, made Ovila so present and honest that you constantly forgave him for his flaws and always hoped that Emilie would too.

Ovila and Emilie taught us the true power of love.