Edna Earle Ponder JoBeth Williams Gossipy but good-hearted, Edna Earle is the brains of the Ponder family, doling out common sense and generally saving Uncle Daniel from himself. The proprietor of the Beulah Hotel, Edna Earle comforts Grandpa Ponder as Uncle Daniel, generous to his own detriment, proceeds to give away the family fortune, first through random gifts to the people of Clay County, then with his marriage to Bonnie Dee Peacock. "I fell in love with Edna Earle when I read the script," says actress JoBeth Williams. "She's such a strong character. ... I think looking back on Edna Earle as women of our own age, we feel that she was a victim. ... I don't think Edna Earle felt bad herself. I think she took a certain pride in being the one that everyone turned to. ... Today, she'd make a good boss. In those days, she was sort of the boss of the family." Williams, a native of Houston, Texas, has starred in The Big Chill, the enormously successful Poltergeist series, Kramer vs. Kramer, and Wyatt Earp, among other films. Her television work includes roles in such landmark movies as Adam, The Day After, My Name is Bill W., and From the Earth to the Moon. In Welty's words: It's always taken a lot out of me, being smart. I say to people who only pass through here, "Now wait a minute. Not so fast. Could you hope to account for twelve bedrooms, two bathrooms, two staircases, five porches, lobby, dining room, pantry and kitchen, and still be out here looking pretty when they come in?" The Ponder Heart, chapter 1