The plot of this film bears little resemblance to the storylines of any of the "Anne" source books because of legal disputes that were at the time ongoing between Kevin Sullivan and the heirs of Anne author Lucy Maud Montgomery. Ultimately, Canadian courts agreed with the heirs that Sullivan had withheld from the heirs contractually promised profits from the first two films in the series (Anna dai capelli rossi (1985) and Anna dai capelli rossi (1987)), and the courts also found groundless Sullivan's $55-million suit against the heirs.
This is the first film in the series not to be based on anything actually written by Lucy Maud Montgomery. Though it could be said to be very loosely based on the 8th Anne novel "Rilla of Ingleside" about Anne and Gilbert's youngest child, Rilla, and her time during WWI.
Two versions exist of this film. The first version is as originally aired on TV in 2000 and is available on the 2005 full-screen 'Collector's Edition' DVD.
The second version uses re-created visual effects and matte shots and is available as the 2011 wide-screen 'Restoration Edition' DVD.
'Anne of Green Gables: The Continuing Story' had many visual effects and matte shots that were originally created in standard definition. Each of these sequences had to be recreated using original green screen elements and embellishing them with completely new matte work.
When Anne and Gil return to Prince Edward Island, they tell Dianna and Fred that they are going to move to Glen St. Mary. In the books this is where they move to after they get married and where they live for the books Anne's House of Dreams, Anne of Ingleside, Rainbow Valley and Rilla of Ingleside.
Received a lot of criticism from fans of the earlier movies as this film was not based on any of L.M. Montgomery's books and instead was an original story.