I'm an American Ex-Pat living in Worchestershire. I love cheesy indie folksy type music (like Sufja...
I'm an American Ex-Pat living in Worchestershire. I love cheesy indie folksy type music (like Sufjan Stevens and Fleet Foxes) , old skool Classic Literature, Sleeping In till noon on Sundays, and Backpacking around random villages in Scotland =)
Member since:01.02.2009
Reviews:24
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Everytime I hear someone mention "Anne of Green Gables" I instantly remember my childhood. It's so rare nowadays for the current generation of children to be interested in movies based on literature without violence, sex, or action. This should be an outrage since there is so much to be gained from great pieces of older literature. My dearest hope is that some younger ones out there get to experience the wonder and story of Anne Shirley.
If your not familiar with this movie trilogy or the books, let me help you understand in a brief summary. Anne Shirley is an orphan in the early 1900's who gets adopted (quite by accident) by an old spinster woman and her bachelor brother. She's full of imagination and kindness in the midst of being mistreated as a child. Her love of life and sometimes overdramatic personality wins her new adopted family over.
During her young teenage years on Prince Edward Island in Canada, she shows her entire town of Avonlea how intelligent, free-spirited, and ambitious she is. She also has begins a strained relationship with a local boy named Gilbert Blythe, who has offended her by making fun of her hair. (She's constantly upset over her red hair). Her best friend Diana, who lives nearby, is a perfect compliment to her sometimes eccentric behavior.
The scenary on Prince Edward Island shown in these movies is beautiful. Her house which is called "Green Gables" is a picturesque "white picket fence" type farm house. It almost makes you want to buy a ticket to Canada
to see if it really exists.
I feel the most important fact to point out here is the acting. It's simply , superb. Matthew and Marilla Cuthbert ( her adopted "parents"), are are pefect combination with they're simple , quiet, and shy ways. Anne's relationship with Matthew is tearjerking because almost right away, Matthew is so taken with her. He really does make her feel like she is his own child in his own extremely shy way. Believe me, if you don't cry at several points in the first movie of this trilogy, you are heartless!
The first movie takes you through Anne and her childhood through around the age of 17. You see her go through the trials of being past around from Orphanage to foster home most of her child life. Her pre-teen foster care was with families that were only using her to babysit their other children. To say they treated her inhumane is an understatement.
She's given up to an orphanage at the age of 12 and someone finally gives her an opportunity to be adopted to, what ends up being, a wonderful family. Her trials at the beginning of her adoption are full of almost heartbreak and profound relief that she becomes appreciated by her adopted "parents" ( an Older Brother and Sister named Matthew and Marilla) , and the entire Prince Edward Island Community.
Her personaitly is what stands out from the very beginning of this movie. She is resilant, full of imagination, opinionated, intelligent, and avid reader, and self-reliant. Her strength and perserverance are the only reasons she is able to beat the "system" of parentless children in the early 1900's. Without those attributes, she might very well have ended up being in an Orphanage until her adult years.
The coming of age near the end of the movie and the ambitions she exudes while in school are entertaining and dramatic. She has a very blunt sense of humor that sometimes she doesn't even realize and that just adds to the intensity of the story and film.
I have to say this first movie in the trilogy is my favourite. Matthew and Marilla are wonderful characters and the actor and actress protraying them give standout performances. Megan Fellows, who plays Anne, is only 15 when filming this and it's amazing how she can transform from a 12 yr old young looking girl to a 16 yr old in front of your eyes. Gilbert ( her enemy,friend, love-interest), and her relationship is convuluted, yet in a good way. You are shown how different and similar they are at the same time and you are eager to find out what their relationship could turn into.
The other Canadian actors ( it was filmed entirely in Canada with all Canadian actors), are superb. You would be hard pressed to find a single performance where a character isn't giving 100% in every scene.
****** Anne of Green Gables - The Sequal*****
The follow-up to "Anne of Green Gables" is simply entitled " Anne of Green Gables The Sequel" shows Anne from 17 to 18 . During this time, she's a Teacher in a larger town some ways away from Avonlea. She meets an older, dashing, wealthy man of one of her students. I won't tell you what happens since that is one of the movies surprizes. Also in this mix now is the old schoolboy she grew up with named Gilbert, who is in love with her, but she refused since she thinks she only loves him as a brother.
I would fill you in on more details of this Sequal but I feel that I've almost shared too many spoilers about the first movie and in order for you too really appreciate the sequal, you should see it with as little knowledge about the storyline as possible. Suffice to say, the Sequal is almost as good as the Original movie and you will not be disapointed.
***** Anne of Green Gables- The Continuing Story*****
The third movie is a complete turn from the first two. It was made over 10 yrs later from the sequel , and takes place during World War I. The story here though, was gripping, and really made you see what the war was like and how difficult it really was. You still see many of the old characters, and how Anne has matured and her love for ******(the man she ends up with whom i'm not telling you the name of). She travels all the way to England to search for her husband who is missing in action.
The trials she endures during her search in Europe for her husband are well directed and acted for the most part. There are a few new character actors that do not perform very well, but they can be ignored by the overall storyline.
I was slightly disapointed by this third story since it really didn't go by the books my L.M Montgomery at all. The first two movies are at least based on her books , but this movie was almost entirely made up. I was hoping the third movie would follow the other books about Anne as she is grown up with Children.
Still, the movie was well made and entertaining. It was good to see the actors again, and the costumes anad attention to detail from the World War I era are fantastic. It's not as good as the first two movies, but well worth a watch.
******Conclusion*****
All these movies in the Box Set; Anne of Green Gables, The Sequel , and The Continuing Story, are so much fun. Children around the age of 7 and up will enjoy the first one. While children more around the age of 10 and up would enjoy the 2nd. The third and final film, is maybe more for 13 and up b/c of some of the wartime violence etc... In all honesty though, I still watch these as an Adult and appreciate them MUCH more now. Whenever it's a snow day, or when i'm sick, I put these movies in and almost instantly feel soothed and happy.
I do realize these are total 'chick flicks" =), and so what? Us chicks love our girly movies. If you want your father, husband, boyfriend or any man to clear a room, put these movies in!
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