S1 • E12 Dec 27, 1959 60m
Mme. Ranevskaya is brought home to her Russian estate after having fled to France amidst family tragedy. Returning home in 1900 after the liberation of the Serfs, nothing seems to have changed. The mansion has been impeccably kept up and the trees in the cherry orchard are in romantic bloom. The reality, however, soon sets in: The family fortune has been squandered. Lyubov holds out for a miracle to save her home, her past, and her beloved orchard. When wealthy friend Lopakhin, who grew up as a servant on the property, recommends selling and developing the orchard land in order to save the property, he is met with fierce opposition from the family. With the mortgage date drawing nearer, Lyubov's hopes become as empty as the leafless wintry appearance of the trees in the orchard.
