Why Fans Love Laura from LITTLE HOUSE ON THE PRAIRIE
By Movieguide® Contributor
Last month, LITTLE HOUSE ON THE PRAIRIE fans flocked to Simi Valley, California, for the “Little House on the Prairie Cast Reunion and Festival.” The three-day event celebrated the 50th anniversary of the classic show, and fans met cast members, including Melissa Gilbert (Laura) herself.
An article from USA Today reflected on why so many people loved Laura.
“She stood up for herself. She wanted to make the right choice, but she struggled with temptation, jealousy, doing the right thing. It was part of her appeal. She wasn’t perfect, but she always got to the right thing,” the outlet said.
Gilbert discussed how much it impacts her when fans share what the show means to them.
“The thing that moves me the most is when people tell me the stories of how LITTLE HOUSE ON THE PRAIRIE impacted their lives, what their childhoods were like, and why it was so important to them,” she said. “A lot of people have said—and I’m sure will continue to say to me—‘Look, you were my escape from a bad childhood.’…We taught a lot of lessons and provided a lot of escapist entertainment.”
Fans also enthusiastically shared their love for Gilbert.
One long-time fan, Deborah Mendez, said after meeting Gilbert, “I feel like I just met my best friend. I wish I could have said something better, something different, so Melissa knows how I feel. I love how she’s doing now; she’s aging so gracefully, so naturally. She’s beautiful and she hasn’t had an easy life, but here she is and I love everything about her.”
Over 18,000 people attended the festival. Deadline reported, “Organizers also assembled a mini-exhibit of LITTLE HOUSE artifacts, like copies of old scripts, set stills, LITTLE HOUSE inspired lunch boxes, and a ’70s Panavision camera that’s similar to the type used by show.”
Movieguide® previously reported on why LITTLE HOUSE continues to enthrall viewers:
Melissa Gilbert is weighing in on why LITTLE HOUSE ON THE PRAIRIE still captivates audiences 50 years later.
“It’s a reflection of all the things that people crave in life: family, community, love, faith, and hope,” she told PEOPLE. “It’s all the good juicy things that make human beings so wonderful and different from animals. I mean, that connection. And LITTLE HOUSE is a reminder of that.”
Gilbert, who played Laura Ingalls Wilder, described the show as a “reminder of where we used to be,” adding, “It wasn’t just that cozy family show. We dealt with the issues of 1974, the recession, that’s coming home from Vietnam, chauvinism, equal rights for women, equal rights for people of color, antisemitism. We dealt with all of that, but we didn’t do it in an exploitive way.”
LITTLE HOUSE ON THE PRAIRIE recently celebrated its 50th anniversary, and the show’s cast has been reflecting on what it has meant to its viewers.
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