Production Year: 2000, 1968 - Family - Director: Catherine Morshead, Julia Smith - Original Language: English - Classification: Universal - Starring: Gregor Fisher, Jack Blumenau, Jemima Rooper, Clare Thomas, Jenny Agutter, Michael Kitchen, Richard Attenborough, Gillian Bailey, Frederick Treves, Neil MacDermott, Ann Castle, Gordon Gostelow, Brian Hayes more
Jenny Agutter (who played Bobbie in a 1970 film version) stars as Mother alongside Sir Richard Attenborough in this Masterpiece Theater presentation of Edith Nesbit's popular... more
The Railway Children
Three Edwardian children Roberta (Jemima Rooper), Peter (Jack Blumenau), and Phyllis ... more
(Clare Thomas) move to Yorkshire with their mother (Jenny Agutter) when their father (Michael Kitchen) is falsely imprisoned as a spy. The nearby railway becomes the centre of their new life, providing them with many adventures whilst they strive to prove their father's innocence...
The Railway Children
When Father has to go away for a time the three children and their mother leave their ... more
London house and go to live in a small house in the country. They seek solace in the nearby railway station making friends with Perks the porter and with the station master himself. But the mystery remains: where is their father and is he ever going to return?
A review by tiger645 on The Railway Children (DVD) May 6th, 2006
Author's product rating:
Did you enjoy it?
Loved it
Story
Good
Characters / Performances
Good
Special Effects
Outstanding
How does it compare to similar films?
Outstanding
Advantages:
Great film and suitable for all
Disadvantages:
None
Recommend to potential buyers:
yes
Full review
THE RAILWAY CHILDREN ------------------------------------
~~~Where did this film originate from?~~~
Originally "The Railway Children" was a book which was written by E. Nesbit. This product can also be found on ciao for those who enjoy reading. However many know this film from TV, of course every Christmas since 2000 when it was released ITV go out of their way to dig up this classic and play it.
~~~What's the film about?~~~
This film is about three children, Roberta, Peter and Phyllis who have to move away from their posh rich home in London and live in a small cottage in the country. This happens after their father goes "away" and their mother was left to look after them. The children adapt to life without having waiters and nannies and have to learn how to live life like a normal person. The children live near a railway line and the trains become their source of fun. They make friends with Perks the Porter and even the station master. But then Roberta finds out what really happened to her father and tries to discover the truth and starts to uncover some secrets which have been kept from the children. With the help of some friends along the way she tries to find out what really happened and why, but can she save her father or is it too late?
~~~Did you like it and why?~~~
Personally I like this film I think it has a great story line, thanks to Nesbit and has been cleverly adapted to film. The plot is good because not only just it keep the viewer interested but also there are many funny moments which will have you laughing out loud. Some of the characters are very funny especially Perks the Porter. The way the children go about their everyday life is rather amusing and Phyllis and Peter certainly make the film more amusing.
~~~What are the actors like?~~~
*Roberta* Roberta is played by Jemima Rooper, she is the oldest and takes responsibility over most of the household chores including looking after the younger two. She tries to forget that she is now living in poverty and always sees the best in things. Her famous quote from the film has to be without a doubt "Daddy, that's my Daddy!" Her acting is certainly very good and makes the film more believable and at one point she makes me cry every time.
*Peter* Jack Blumenau plays Peter and in my opinion suits the character well. Jack Blumenau shows a variety of emotions and manages to act well. Often he appears immature and silly but also manages to act when it comes to the serious parts. Although Peter does not do that much he considers himself the man of the family and occasionally tries to help out. We are reminded about how much Peter does care for his family when he tries to steal some coal after his family moaned it was cold.
*Phyllis* Phyllis is played by Clare Thomas who manages to portray Phyllis' character well in her acting. Phyllis is the youngest and very immature. Although she loves her family she is very selfish and immature at times. However she also adds a lot of humour to the film as she is continuously hungry and cold.
*Parents* The mother is played by Jenny Agutter who manages to portray well how upset and distraught she is whilst trying to hide it from her children. Her acting is good and she certainly suits the part well. The father is played by Michael Kitchen and even though we don't see him much; when we do he has a great impact. His acting is very good and he contributes well to Roberta's famous "My Daddy!" quote.
*Other characters* Perks is played by Gregor Fisher who suits the part very well. Perks is a very funny character and adds some liveliness to the film. The Gentleman on the train is played by Richard Attenborough who has a vital role in the film but I will not ruin it…
~~~Who is it suitable for?~~~
This film is suitable for anyone as it has been certificated U. I think this certificate is suitable as there are no scary parts or violent scenes. I think anyone would enjoy this film and recommend it to anyone.
~~~Where can I buy it?~~~
This film costs about £10 and can be bought from a variety of shops and from any good store. It is also available on many online stores including Amazon.
~~~Other details and DVD extras~~~
Director: Catherine Morshead Production year: 2000 Family film Universal certificate Running time = 1 hour 38 minutes DVD region: Region 2 1 disc Language: English Additional DVD extra: Interview with Jenny Agutter (mother) Barcode: 5037115024039
Advantages: Great acting from the young cast Disadvantages: Some people may not like the little changes in this ITV version
This adaptation of the classic novel was on ITV in 2000. Jenny Agutter stars for the 3rd time! Of course, she is famous for her wonderful role as Bobbie in the film but she also took the part in a BBC version. Here, she plays Mother. Daddy is played by Michael Kitchen. Bobbie is played by Jemima Rooper (she also played George in the ITV 1996 version of The Famous Five), Phyllis is played by Clare Thomas and Peter is played by Jack Blumenau. Gregor ... ...I'm sure everyone knows the story by E Nesbit. It's the story of a quite rich family who rely on their father for money and are thrown on hard times when he is wrongly sent to prison. The 3 children get involved in all sorts of events. They avert a train disaster, save an injured boy and reunite an exiled Russian with his wife, amongst other things. But, Simon Nye (Men Behaving Badly) does a great job at adding some new touches to this. For instance, ...
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Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful
...different remakes of this classic, the most popular of all has to be the '70's version of 'The Railway Children'.
Starring Jenny Agutter, Sally Thomsett and Gary Warren as the children, this great story also includes Bernard Cribbins, Dinah Sherriden, William Mervin and Iain Cuthbertson (to name but a few).
The original book was written by Edith Nesbit and the film is renowned to be an extremely close representation of the book (how refreshing ... ...and Peter (Gary Warren) are the three major characters in the film and centers around the children growing up in Edwardian England.
With their father being arrested and accused of being a spy, it is no longer possible for the Waterbury family to live comfortably in their London home. With the announcement that the family no longer has relevant funding, they are forced to move to the country.
Bobbie, Phyllis and Peter soon begin to explore their ...
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Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful
Advantages: It is a great watch Disadvantages: None
...it stars jenny aggutter as the mother and she has three children called Roberta (bobbie) Phylis (Phil) and Peter. The father is taken away because he was accused of giving away government details to someone else and the childrens aunt emma comes to stay (who they do not like) and then they have to play poor for a while so they sell the things that they are not going to need and move to a place in the country called the three chimneys.
After they ... ...they get to know the time of one train and wave at the train to send their love to father and an old gentleman waves back. The children make friends with the station porter Mr Perks and their mother starts to write stories to make money and every time she sells a story they can have buns for tea.
The old gentleman the children befriend is actually to do with the railway and the old gentleman helps find a russians the children help stop a train crashing.
...
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Ciao members have rated this review on average somewhat helpful
Advantages: You don't need to have read the book Disadvantages: It's on television nearly every christmas.
The first time I saw this, I was expecting it to be nothing like the book and therefore was not looking forward to watching it. A classic 80's film about a middle class family. A mother and her two daughters and one son having to rough it for a while and learn some valuable life lessons, whilst their father/husband is in prison. The basic plot is about how they all pull together in the time of crisis, and the new friends they make in a little village ... ...it. I know Me and my daughter did, it kept us both quiet for the whole two hours and made us laugh and cry. A good all round film with various morals in it:- Always tell the truth. Good always prevails wins over evil, I’m sure you get the picture. ...
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Ciao members have rated this review on average somewhat helpful
Advantages: An overall classic that is never too boring to watch again and again Disadvantages: Maybe not for everybody, really for people who enjoy a family film with excitement and adventure.
...you dont need to leave the sofa. I watched this film with my two boys, 5 and 9 yrs, and they also very much enjoyed it. We as a family have watch this film several times and my eldest son also took it to school for wet play and he and his friends sat and watched it whilst having their lunch. I have read the book and thought it was very much alike and feel that it couldnt have been produced any better. ...
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Ciao members have rated this review on average somewhat helpful
Jenny Agutter (who played Bobbie in a 1970 film version) stars as Mother alongside Sir Richard Attenborough in this Masterpiece Theater presentation of Edith Nesbit's popular novel. Set in Yorkshire at the dawn of the 20th century, THE RAILWAY CHILDREN is the story of three children whose father has been wrongfully imprisoned for espionage, though they know nothing of this; their mother refuses to tell them why the police took away their father. So, the children spend their free time exploring the mystery of their father's disappearance and gazing at the nearby railroad in the hope that it will somehow bring them an answer. After they help prevent an accident on the railroad, the children are befriended by a mysterious old gentleman (Attenborough) who may be able to provide some answers.
Technical information
Special Features: Interview - 1. Jenny Agutter, Picture Gallery
Aspect Ratio: 4:3
Dubbing Sound: Dolby Digital Stereo English
Sound: Dolby Digital Stereo
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Listed on Ciao since : 26/06/2003
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