The Good: Good detailing on the hair, Fair balance
The Bad: Animated look, Overpriced for what it is, No functions, Cloth elements do not match the plastic parts.
The Basics: For 2013, the Gone With The Wind ornament is Scarlett’s Green Gown which is disappointing on its own and when added to one’s collection.
Every year, I review as many of the new year’s collection of Hallmark ornaments as I can, especially the ones that are related to movies or television shows that I like. While I might not be a huge fan of Gone With The Wind, I seem to have gotten in the habit of reviewing the annual Gone With The Wind ornament. So, with the loss of the Barbie line to the Hallmark ornament collections, I thought I’d actually prioritize the Gone With The Wind ornament for a change and review this year’s outing right up front!
This year’s Gone With The Wind ornament is Scarlett’s Green Gown and it is the first real letdown of an ornament in this year’s assortment. Problematic on its own, Scarlett’s Green Gown has more issues when placed in one’s ornament collection with other Gone With The Wind ornaments as it is disproportionately larger than most of the other ornaments from the line.
For those unfamiliar with the film, Gone With The Wind (reviewed here!) is led by a female protagonist, Scarlett O’Hara. At one point in the film – I’ve not seen it in years! – Scarlett sports a fancy green dress. In that, she is the model of Southern affluence.
Basics
The Scarlett’s Green Gown ornament features Scarlett O’Hara in her green and yellow (goldenrod) dress standing with her hands in front of her, with her left hand holding her right one. The ornament includes Scarlett with her hair braided and a headdress. The ornament, released in 2013, is cast in solid plastic with a velvet cloth wrap for the skirt portion of the dress. This incarnation is not an iconic one of Scarlett O’Hara, so it lacks the universal quality or oft-referenced nature of prior ornaments, like the "Frankly, My Dear" ornament.
Moreover, Scarlett’s Green Gown has a pretty pathetic paint job and mediocre sculpt. This version of Scarlett’s Green Gown lacks a realism of human qualities that is possible in ornaments today. If there was an animated version of Gone With The Wind, this would be a great sculpt and coloring job. But Gone With The Wind was not an animated movie, so having ornaments that look that way is just problematic and insulting. Measuring four and three-quarters inches tall, the ornament is three and a half inches wide and three inches deep. The “Scarlett’s Green Gown” ornament is a surprisingly lackluster Hallmark ornament for the $22.95 original issue price.
The Hallmark “Scarlett’s Green Gown” ornament is made of a durable plastic and features Scarlett alone. She is wrapped in green velvet on the lower half and one of the biggest issues with the ornament is that the green of the cloth does not match the green of the sleeves on the upper half of the ornament. Unless Hallmark’s plan was to have the ornament fade into matching shades of green, the ornament is horribly mismatched. On the sculpting front, the ornament is rather underdetailed, though the detailing on the braids is pretty cool. The coloring is simplified for the skin tones and hair, so the hair especially looks awkward.
Features
Unlike most Hallmark Keepsake ornaments, the 2013 “Scarlett’s Green Gown” has no sound or light effects. The closest to an effect or gimmick it has is the cloth wrap for the skirt.
Balance
As with all ornaments, the intent of the Hallmark Keepsake “Scarlett’s Green Gown” ornament is to be hung on a Christmas Tree. And for those creating the ultimate movie nostalgia Christmas Tree, the “Scarlett’s Green Gown” ornament is at the very least a fairly balanced one. The ornament has the standard metal hook loop embedded into the top back center of O'Hara's head. The loop's location is fairly unobtrusive and necessary for the ornament. The “Scarlett’s Green Gown” ornament is surprisingly heavy and it sways slightly when hung from a hook on the loop. In addition to being heavy, the balance for the ornament is good, though there is a very slight bias to the right side, as if the ornament is just a little heavier than the rest of it. The character hangs only 5 degrees off level, making for a pretty great holiday ornament as far as balance goes.
Collectibility
Hallmark Keepsake began delving into the collectibles market in 1991 with Star Trek when it introduced the exceptionally limited edition original U.S.S. Enterprise ornament (click here for that review!). Within a few years, virtually every classic film franchise jumped on the bandwagon and began merchandising with Hallmark as well. Classic properties like Marilyn Monroe, Elvis, The Wizard Of Oz and Gone With The Wind have been made into Hallmark Keepsake Christmas ornaments. “Scarlett’s Green Gown” is one of the only Gone With The Wind ornaments on the market and the only one for the franchise in 2013. Fans of the book and film did not buy up the ornament its first weekend out. I suspect there was some sticker shock at the $22.95 original issue price. Given past history, I suspect this will be available after the holidays, but for those considering it, do not pay the overblown Internet prices for it. Precedent dictates that there will be plenty available up to and after the holidays so for those who are obsessive fans, this is one to wait until it is 50% off.
Overview
Fans of Gone With The Wind, Scarlett’s O’Hara, Vivien Leigh, and Hallmark ornaments are likely to be unimpressed by the Scarlett’s Green Gown ornament. Given the quality of many other Hallmark ornaments this year that do get skin tones and costume colors right, it is impossible to recommend the more animated appearance of the Scarlett’s Green Gown ornament.
For other Gone With The Wind Hallmark ornaments, please check out my reviews of:
2012 Scarlett Meets Her Match
2011 Almost A Kiss
2010 Scarlett O’Hara
2009 Frankly, My Dear
3.5/10
For other ornament reviews, please visit my Ornament Review Index Page for an organized listing!
© 2013 W.L. Swarts. May not be reprinted without permission.
No comments:
Post a Comment