Anne of Green Gables

I thought the first episode was lovely, and drew me into the scene. It depicted a charming setting on a rural farm in Prince Edward Island. I would not want to be overly critical for these young actors who put a great effort into their acting. The young girl who played Anne did a marvelous Job.

I am not sure why we have to compare each version and be so critical. I also saw the 1985 version and also enjoyed it but I was a teen then so it was awhile ago but I think Ella Ballentine and Martin Sheen did a great job. The friendship between her and Diana was so very sweet. I do agree it was a little rushed but was a very sweet story.

I was hesitant to watch this because I read reviews that said it was pretty bad. Well, it wasn't terrible. It had a lot of elements that were true to the book. Of course, some parts were changed a little, which is always an unfortunate part of book to movie adaptations.

The actress playing Anne does a good job and I think she looks closer to Anne's description from the book than Megan Follows did, although Anne was supposed to be tall and both actresses seemed rather short.

The actress playing Diana is all wrong. In the book, Diana is slightly plump and beautiful, with black hair. This Diana is much taller than Anne, very thin, and has a medium-brown hair.

Most of the important moments are there and the outdoor scenes are lovely. I will probably be watching the next installment soon.

This movie is so syrupy. After having seen other renditions, including the new series on Netflix, "Anne, With an E," this one is put to shame. First of all, as a teacher, I used these books many times. They are extremely well written and have a real edge to them. Marilla's slow acceptance of Anne is totally lost here. She is a harsh, practical woman and Anne really gets on her nerves. I'm a big fan of Martin Sheen going back forty some years. But his portrayal of Matthew is a total miscast. His cutesy, confident character is the opposite of the Matthew I know. First of all, Matthew is generally frightened of his sister and doesn't dare to confront her. The problem is that she gives up right away and lets Matthew have much more freedom than the real story portrays. Anne's previous experiences are so harsh and are hardly exposed in this new telling. When Marilla starts to accept the sad little girl, it is when she sees the pain of loneliness brutality she has experienced. This makes her turnaround an act of triumph. Ann is also less interesting. She so quickly catches on with the other children, we lose the harshness and unfairness of them. There is only one girl who is really unlikable and she quickly becomes at least tolerant of Anne. Mostly, I just found this so quick and formulaic and lacking in depth with easy plot transitions.

As someone whom grew up reading the entire series of Anne books, and having watched the TV Series, I was ready to be disappointed, but was not. Yes they changed things a little, but nothing intrinsic, I loved the moment Anne broke the the board over Gilbert's head. Yes it was an over reaction, and sadly as this only told a short part of the original first book, we never saw much of the make believe or dares she and Diana and the rest got up to. But the feel of the tale was there. If there was an adaption of the Little house books done in this way, I would be happy.

I'm not going to tell anything as far as the story line because it would retract from the experience one gets from watching this movie. Just know to sit back and be ready to share in crying, laugh, worry and love with all the characters in this movie. Everything in this story spells family. Ella Ballentine did a superb performance bringing her character to life. She as well can lead an audience in any direction and not disappoint in any way or form. A human firecracker in the making and an array of feelings that will bring you back to childhood with a convincing connection, that's for sure. Sarah Botsford did an awesome job with her character. Her ways of motherhood and friend locks you into her character and takes you for a ride that will for sure not only get you thinking but I actually was hoping for acceptance from her character as if she was my own mother. Martin Sheen's character blended in so naturally that you forget while watching that it's a movie. He brought a as he put it a kindred spirit to the audience. If there were ever a dad figure you would want to grow up with, it would be with Matthew Cuthbert. You will not be disappointed with this movie. Great Sunday movie to watch with your family or friends. Be ready to shed some tears, that is, if you have a heart. I know I teared up and not ashamed to admit it.