Playing Beatie Bow

It's been 33 years since I saw this movie as a teenager and I still love it. I remember many things about the plot even after all of this time. I would call it a romance/adventure/fantasy.

I viewed this movie in the same vein as Labyrinth (Rip our Goblin King), The Dark Crystal, Willow or The Princess Bride.

Abigail is young and innocent and falls in love easily, but she's also a chosen one sent back in time for a particular purpose. She's from the future so she has some advantages over Beatie's family and others from that time. The acting is quite decent and there aren't that many movies out there for time travel, let alone making an era film that really makes you feel as if it's the 1800's.

For an example about how accurate details of the plot are, Beatie exclaims over how manicured and clean Abigail's fingernails are and that only the high born ladies had such things. Beatie's nails were short and dirty in comparison.

The movie might not stand up to current movies, but it has its own charm. You'll be rooting for Abigail and her love interest by the end.

Some parts do have more mature themes, such as Abigail being taken to a brothel to please men, so maybe some younger kids might not be a good idea.

It's a really beautiful plot and a shame that it did very badly at the cinema. I only ever saw it on video. They really don't make movies like this anymore, which is a huge pity.

Yes, there is a happy ending!

Go watch it!

I like the bit at the end with the Coca Cola ad where they roll on a giant blow up coke can.

This is an entertaining fantasy, especially for children but with enough to interest teenagers and adults. The story is from Ruth Park's popular book and veteran director Donald Crombie re-creates old Sydney town, as Abigail has adventures in colonial Sydney while she tries to get home to the present day.

Imogen Annesley does a good job as Abigal, and Mouche Phillips is also good as the young girl from the mystical Bow family who gained special Elf powers some generations previously in the Orkney Isles.

It's an exciting romp with all the usual time-travel fascination.

Playing Beattie Bow was probably one of the only movies I enjoyed which I had to study in primary school!

But it's a naturally brilliant movie anyway, not only dealing with a girl's attitude to growing up and surviving life, but it also has excellent screen caps of what life was like in the 19th Century Australia.

Note: I can't believe that Beattie Bow is played by "Viv" from Home And Away!!!

I read the book in year 6 or 7 (1989/90) and we went on an excursion to Sydney to see some of the filming locations around The Rocks. We also watched the movie, and I do NOT remember it being like this! It's a hilarious, shocking, wild ride. Surely our school didn't let us watch some of these scenes at that age? I'm now going to have to reread the book to see how faithful the movie is to it - not very... surely?! The "modern" setting was a nice nostalgia trip. It was entertaining, at least; I'll give it that!