The Staircase | |
---|---|
Directed by | Karen Arthur |
Written by | Christopher Lofton |
Based on |
The Staircase novel by Ann Rinaldi |
Produced by | Marty Eli Schwartz Art Levinson (uncredited) |
Starring |
Barbara Hershey William Petersen |
Cinematography | Tom Neuwirth |
Edited by | Craig Bassett |
Music by | David Michael Frank |
Production companies | BWE Distribution Craig Anderson Productions TeleVest Entertainment |
Distributed by | CBS |
Release date | 12 April 1998 | (US)
Running time | 96 minutes |
Country | USA |
Language | English |
The Staircase is a 1998 American television film about the story of the spiral staircase, believed by some to be miraculously built, at the Loretto Chapel in Santa Fe, New Mexico. It stars Barbara Hershey as Mother Madalyn in charge of the chapel and William Petersen as Joad, the traveling carpenter with spiritual talent as well as woodworking skill. [1] It is based on the novel, The Staircase by Ann Rinaldi.
The sisters of the legendary Loretto Chapel in Santa Fe are nearing completion of a chapel, but the architect, contractor and laborers have all omitted stairs to the choir loft. This becomes a source of disagreement and contention between all parties until one day a mysterious drifter, Joad, arrives in town and is hired by the Reverend Mother Madalyn to design and build the staircase.
Variety said, "A heavily fictionalized recounting of a real-life event that still defies explanation, “The Staircase” is a fascinating anecdote stretched to fit what are evidently thought to be modern tastes." [2]