Anne Of Green Gables (Box Set) (DVD)

Author's product rating:   

Did you enjoy it?	Loved it
Story	Outstanding
Characters / Performances	Outstanding
Special Effects	Good
How does it compare to similar films?	Outstanding

Advantages:	Great story
Disadvantages:	Quite long

Recommend to potential buyers:

yes

Full review

* This is review of the films on Video not Dvd*

History:

The Anne of Green Gables Trilogy is made up of three videos; Anne of Green Gables, Anne of Green Gables The Sequel, and Anne of Green Gables: The Continuing Story.

The film is set at the turn of the century, Prince Edward Island and follows the life of Anne Shirley an orphan girl who is sent to live at Green Gables with Matthew and Marrila Cuthbert.

Lucy Maud Montgomery a Canadian writer is responsible for the novels on which the first two films are based. The first Anne novel was published in 1919 and she went on to write 8 more. Kevin Sullivan and Laurie Pearson wrote the third film.

The first two films are directed and produced by Kevin Sullivan; Kevin also produced the third and helped to write the screenplay for all three. Stenfan Scani directed the third film.

1) Anne of Green Gables, 1985, Run time 199mins

The Story:

Matthew and Marrila Cuthbert is brother and sister they live alone together and are, as they are getting older decide to send for an orphan boy to help out. Due to a mistake they are not sent a boy they are sent Anne Shirley.
Anne with an e is a young girl about 12 years old, very thin with red hair, which she detests. Anne has a wild imagination and sometimes talks with out thinking and this often gets her in trouble, she also has a very quick temper that she hasn't quite learnt to control.
Before Anne is sent to live with the Cuthbert's she has moved from home to home never really belonging anywhere, it is her dream to be loved and have a home and to find her very own bosom friend and kindred sprits.
Marrila Cuthbert is unsure whether to keep the girl or not and sets her on a trail, during this trail Anne gets herself into some mishaps and Marrila has to make the decision of whether to keep her or not, Matthew on the other hand falls in love with his 'Little Girl' straight away.
Anne Shirley meets many people on her journey including her Bosom friend Dianna Berry, Her sworn enemy Gilbert Blithe and Marrila nosey neighbour Rachel Lynde.

My Thoughts:

I love this film so much, it is full of innocence and adventure, I love Anne's character she is so lovable with her funny ways and overactive imagination. It is a sweet story of a young girl finding herself and growing up. Megan Follows who plays Anne Shirley is a fabulous actress it is hard to believe she really isn't Anne, I also think that Colleen Dewhurst is fantastic as Marrila Cuthbert.
The set and costumes are so detailed and beautiful, the scenery really helps to capture the beauty of the story.
Jonathan Crombie who plays Gilbert Blithe is so handsome and charming I have to admit that when I first watched this movie I had a little crush (Ok I admit it I still do).

2) Anne of Green Gables The Sequel, 1987, Running Time 241mins

Here we see Anne Shirley as a woman, she has just accepted her first teaching post and is also trying to become a writer. Gilbert and Anne finally put their differences between them but Anne is not ready to admit her feelings and decides to leave and take up a position at Kingsport Ladies School. Anne has a struggle to fit in at the school and along the way she meets Morgan Harris a handsome and charming man.
Will Anne come back to Anne Gables were she belongs?

My Thoughts:

I think this is a great sequel to the first film, I really enjoyed the love story between Anne and Gilbert, it was so exciting yet frustrating I found myself wanting to shout at the screen 'Can't you see he loves you girl'. It is also great to see Anne as an accomplished young woman teaching other children.
After this film I found myself even more in love with the character of Anne Shirley, she has got a place in my heart just as she does with everyone she meets.

3) Anne of Green Gables: The Continuing Story, 2000, Running time 108mins

Anne and Gilbert head to New York together, Gilbert is working as a doctor and Anne is trying to get work as a writer. Without much success they find themselves back at Green Gables but everything changes when Gilbert is forced to enlist for The Great War in Europe. When Anne loses contact with Gilbert she decides she has to fins him and some how ends up with a baby on the way (Not her own).

My Thoughts:

I didn't enjoy this film as much as the others, I think this was because it wasn't as quaint and innocent, with the main story being about war it lost it's 'nice film' feeling. It wasn't full of gore or anything but it was just deeper than the other two.
Personally I don't think this last film was really needed.
Apparently it is a totally different ending to the series of 8 books, and the book ending is much better.

Characters/Actors:

Anne Shirley is played by Megan Follows in all three films; Anne Shirley is a young orphan girl with a wild imagination and quick temper. She is sent to live a Green Gables and makes everyone fall in love with her. Over the three films we see her turn from a clumsy girl into a beautiful intelligent woman.
Megan Follows gives an incredible performance as Anne, as Anne is growing up so is Megan and I think that is what makes her character so believable. Megan won two Gemini Awards for best actress in her role of Anne Shirley.

Colleen Dewhurst plays Marrilla Cuthbert, Marrilla is a stubborn woman with strict views, at first she is unsure of Anne Shirley but soon she realises that this child is exactly what she needs to make her life complete. Marrilla is in the first two films.
Colleen Dewhurst is fabulous actress and does herself proud with the character of Marrilla Cuthbert. Colleen Dewhurst died two days before receiving her fourth Emmy Award.
Matthew Cuthbert is played by Richard Farnsworth, Matthew Cuthbert lives with his sister Marrilla, when Anne arrive she opens his heart to the child and enjoys spoiling her. Matthew is a loving character and appears in the first film only.
Richard Farnsworth gives a heart wrenching performance as Matthew, Richard was a stunt man for 40 years before becoming an actor, and he should have started earlier because he is great.

Schuyler Grant plays Diana Barry Anne's bosom friend, Diana becomes Anne's bosom friend and they spend a lot of time together, she loves her friend's strange ways and finally starts to have fun and adventure of her own.
Schuyler Grant plays the role of Diana in all three films and does a sterling job, as well her role as Diana Schuyler Grant is also known for her role of Camille Hawkins in TV series All My Children.

The very handsome Jonathan Crombie plays Gilbert Blythe; Gilbert starts of as Anne's enemy but eventually ends up as the love of her life. Their romance blossoms over the three films and you can't help but fall in love with him yourself, as he is so charming and romantic.
Jonathan Crombie is a fine actor and was nominated for Dora Award for Outstanding Performance in production of "Arcadia", 1996.

There are so many great characters in all the films that I could go on forever, I am planning to write more detailed reviews on each film individually so I promise will follow. I hope that this has given you a nice over view.

Where can I buy?

I purchased mine before DVD's really came out but you can now buy the whole lot on DVD from play.com for £39.99.