Bostonians, The - The Merchant Ivory Collection (1984) Rating: Starring: Vanessa Redgrave, Christopher Reeve, Nancy Marchand, Madeleine Potter, Jessica Tandy Director: James Ivory Category: Drama, Foreign Studio: Home Vision Subtitles: English Length: 122 mins     The Merchant Ivory Collection In Boston in the aftermath of the Civil War, Verena Terrant (Madeleine Potter), a gifted young orator , has attracted the attention of Olive Chancellor (Vanessa Redgrave), who wishes to nurture Verena as an inspirational force for the Women's Movement. But poisoned against her is Basil Ransom (Christopher Reeve), a handsome male chauvinist who wants Verena as his wife. Against a backdrop of luminous New England landscapes, the battle is joined, and for Olive, the struggle will prove an odyssey that forces her to acknowledge her true nature. Merchant Ivory Productions' acclaimed screen adaptation of the Henry James classic charts the struggle between two charismatic forces to gain control over the destiny of a spirited young woman.