Anne of Green Gables: The Continuing Story

When I learned that there was to be a third installment of the Anne of Green Gables series, I was thrilled. I was even more excited when I learned that Megan Follows and Johnathon Crombie were to return to their roles as Anne and Gilbert. However, the mess that I found myself watching was a total slap in the face for all who love the books and the first two movies. The glaring continuity errors (where did 5 years come from...Gil was already a year in med school in Anne 2), plus the fact that by the time WWI hit, Anne and Gil had tints of grey and 8 children (this was RILLA'S WAR!!!) made it hard to accept it from the start. Not to mention that they completely fluffed over the wedding like we haven't been waiting all these years to see it!

I cannot believe Kevin Sullivan was behind this monstrosity. He directed the first two with such care to the storylines. I would have understood if Marilla was dead, but the rest should have been done with the same respect given to the first two. If that could not have been done, the movie should not have been done at all.

I am really disappointed in this movie. What was Mr. Sullivan thinking? I can understand changing the script to make a better movie like in Anne 2, but this was ridiculous. Especially the fact that it was supposed to be only 5 years later. Come on! The audience is not dumb, Mr. Sullivan. He could have kept his WWI story line but still integrate Avonlea people and timeline into it. Geeze! It would have been really simple! Anne and Gilbert should have been married already, had some kids and lived in Ingleside. The movie could have began with Gilbert buying Green Gables (since Rachel lives with Hetty at this point). And then the timeline would have matched! It is so simple that it erks me to no end and I have only seen this movie twice. The second time it was really hard not to throw something at the TV! All he had to do was include events that occurred in Road to Avonlea and a lot of the fans would be happy. And he could have still included his WW1 obsession by showing Davy Keith joining and how Gilbert wanted to be a doctor on the front. Rachel should have played a bigger role than she did. Fred and Diane could have had their problems too, but it should have been Fred Jr. going off to war, not Fred Sr. In the books,Anne's kids went off to war and Walter died. This could have been some of the plot as well. Also, I am annoyed that the orphan house Felicity works at was used as Diane's house as if fans would not recognize it from Avonlea. Not all the characters of Avonlea needed to be involved, but the story lines should have meshed better. Plus, what happened to the town of Avonlea itself? It would not have changed that much in 5 years!! Even Carmody was weird looking. I just wish Megan Follows had said no to this script until changes were made. I think the fault lies more in her lap than in Mr. Sullivan's since the actor usually knows what is better for the character than the writers do. Sigh. Only watch this movie once for the great scenes between Gilbert and Anne where you can just FEEL their chemistry. Otherwise, try to forget it exists!!

Although this could almost have been a decent war drama by itself, this film should by no means bear the name 'Anne of Green Gables'. For this film, Kevin Sullivan was fortunate enough to have 4 more books from which to write his script- but he chose to ignore all of them. For him, this was a 'what if' movie - not a 'what was written' movie, which - as a die hard 'Anne' fan - put me in the depths of despair. I won't even go into the under-developed characters or predictable plot. After capturing so many girls' hearts years ago with two beautiful films, Kevin Sullivan has betrayed us by substituting scenery for explosions and character for carnage. Amongst all the victims in this film, it was for the death of Anne's spirit for which I grieved the most.

If you treasure your Anne girl, DO NOT see this movie.

For twelve years "Anne Fans" such as myself have been eagerly awaiting the third installment of the this much-loved series. Like many fans, I grew impatient and simply read the books. . .yes, all eight of them, just to find out what happened after they left us all hanging at "the bridge".

"Anne of Green Gables" was nearly perfectly faithful to the book, just as "Anne of Avonlea" ALMOST was, but where did they pull "The Continuing Story" out of? I think we all know where. . . but I think most of us still want to know why!

Lucy Maud Montgomery's original material would have been such a beautiful conclusion to the Anne/Gilbert love story. They married after he finished med school, they lived in pretty little cottage until he set up a practice in a place called Ingleside, where they raised seven children (not including Anne's first child who died in infancy). Montgomery even went on to write a book about Rilla, Anne's youngest daughter.

Speaking of her daughter, factually Rilla's boyfriend served in World War I! What an unnecessary leap in time!

Perhaps Kevin Sullivan can still fix the mess he made. I think it is possible to still go on with the story as it was intended to be told. . .I just don't see why they didn't do so to begin with.

There has been no closure in the "Anne of Green Gables" series. Anne and Gilbert's future life and family still remain a mystery to we who assumed that "The Continuing Story" would bring finality to the story that should have been a peaceful, satisfying classic just as it's predecessors were.

A big disappointment. The departure from L.M. Montgomery's novels and the creation of an entirely new storyline has sapped all of Anne's vivacity, impishness, and honesty right out of her. The production drags, the actors seeming less like the characters I've known and loved than, well, tired actors. The war story is a good idea, but with every implausible twist and turn it becomes clearer that it just doesn't work to superimpose a simplistic, slapdash storyline on classic, beloved characters like Anne, Gilbert, and Diana. I'm surprised that Kevin Sullivan, who created such beautiful adaptations of the novels in 1985 and 1987, allowed this melodramatic drivel to be produced with his name on it.