Anne of Green Gables: A New Beginning

FYI: I ran this through AI because it needed to be > 600 chars. It conveys my thoughts well though.

My wife and I have always been avid admirers of the Anne of Green Gables series, along with its sequel, Avonlea. Our journey through these series via Gazebo has been nothing short of delightful, filled with the warmth and nostalgia that these stories are known for. In our quest to experience the entirety of this beloved universe, we decided it was time to watch the final video, hoping to complete what had been a heartwarming journey.

The anticipation was high as we settled in, expecting another enchanting visit to the world of Anne. However, our excitement quickly turned to dismay. Within the first hour, it became painfully clear that this installment strayed far from the elements that had initially drawn us in. The storyline had taken a surprisingly dark turn, and the plot felt disjointed, lacking the coherence and charm of its predecessors. Feeling increasingly uncomfortable, I turned to my wife and expressed my inability to continue, saying, "I can't watch this anymore. It's too dark. The story doesn't make any sense." To my relief, she shared my sentiments, admitting she too wanted to stop watching.

This experience led us to ponder how such a project received the necessary funding and support to come to fruition. It's bewildering that a series known for its light-hearted and engaging narrative could conclude with an installment that seemed so disconnected from its roots.

For fans of Anne of Green Gables and Avonlea, I would urge caution before venturing into this final video. If you hold dear the memories and joy these series have brought you, it might be wise to bypass this conclusion. It's a tough pill to swallow, but sometimes, leaving things unfinished is better than tarnishing the beautiful memories we've built. In our case, we chose to preserve our affection for Anne's world by foregoing this last chapter, and in hindsight, we're glad we did.

I enjoyed the scenes from Anne's childhood more than the 1945 scenes. I didn't like going back and forth.

Hannah Endicott-Douglas did a fine job for the most part, making young Anne such a delight, though at times she could be overly enthusiastic and I occasionally found myself agreeing with Violetta about how annoying she was. But that didn't last. Such an intelligent child, and so often positive despite what she had been through.

Rachel Blanchard, who I know mostly from her perky "Clueless" character, started out so stoic and proper, but turned warm and loving later on.

Shirley Maclaine did her usual good job--not necessarily likable at first, but over time it appears Anne has a good influence on most of those she comes in contact with.

Kyra Harper was a standout as the woman living at an abandoned mill who helped Anne from time to time. She was one of the few who really showed concern, when Anne was seeing mostly hostility from those taking care of her.

Bernhard Behrens also did a good job as a man who in today's society would be seen as eccentric. Back then, he was someone who needed to be kept locked away from society. and yet Anne saw value in him.

As for the 1945 scenes, I suppose they were pleasant enough. Nothing to write home about. Barbara Hershey has a nice smile and pretty hair, but she never quite made me like her. I'm not clear on who the man in her life was, but he added a lot. The efforts to make a play about her life a success didn't interest me too much.

Anne's search for details of her past was hard to watch, but at least some of her efforts had good results. The movie ended happily for me, even if not everything could be resolved.

This is a good family film, though some of the adversity Anne has to experience may not be appropriate for the youngest children. Anyone who can handle Dickens is probably ready to see this.

My primary complaints about this movie were based on the fact that, although Anne loved Green Gables, we never got to see why. We saw only her life after World War II and her difficult childhood. Later I found out this was a sequel. I have no experience with Anne of Green Gables, so I don't fully understand the hostility over this movie.

But if you're new to the character, this may be a good introduction.

As if Contonuing Story was not enough, here comes this. It's just awful what they made with the books. Bad script, bad directing, bad story in general. Bad story badly told just about sums it up. It doesn't even deserve a vote.

And I just can't forgive for making references to continuing story and Dominic and not to the books, which are far far better than this and at the same time killing Gilbert. And a nostalgic Anne? Where's her spirit? Much as I respect Shirley MacLaine, the actress wasn't convincing at all. None of the cast were. And it just goes off show- it doesn't matter if you bring in good actresses- if the plot is undigestible. This movie butchered the characters. Butchered. The first two movies were very much in tone with the books, very much like Anne should be.

But this final installment is just a disgrace to the entire series of my beloved books. No thank you. It annoyed me beyond all possible measure. And I do not consder myself a purist when it comes to movie-book adaptations. Except this one time.

But I suppose if you're not too big on the books, you may like it, especially if you like parent- child focused stories. But it's just as bad as Secret garden two, where another lookalike steps in and a story is supposed to give the viewer a sense of circular repetition and closure. Which is really bad with Anne. I was really discouraged to see this disaster.

Total nonsense. please, let someone make Anne movies based more on the books. Please, do the books justice!

Don't waste your time. Others had warned me not to bother, and I did not heed the warnings. This production is inconsistent with the Montgomery Books. Barbara Hershey is likely a miscast on top of a weak script. The production feels rushed with extremely awkward editing that has made the TV Movie hard to follow. Truly not worth watching, and will slightly ruin what you remember from the original WonderWorks Production. This version of Anne is depressing. They had a great character in Anne and turned her into that Lady in Black from The Natural. Not surprisingly, portrayed by the same actress. I didn't believe all the one star reviews, but I see clearly what everyone else has seen.

I had heard this was being made and have just seen it for the first time. Kevin Sullivan should be mortified, but I doubt that he has the good taste to know it. The writing is dreadful, the rape of the original story and characters appalling, the abuse of an iconic Canadian story tragic. And on top of that, the quality of the film-making is and insult to the term 'amateur'. It's painful.

I have heard tales of the legendary hubris of Mr. Sullivan but this falls below even the lowest expectation. The directing is so bad he manages to make well known accomplished American actors unwatchable. The sentimental posturing of Barbara Hershey is laughable and Shirley MacLaine looks like she's checking for exits. I guess everyone needs to top up the retirement fund, even legends. Fair enough. But what do a couple of ageing American stars know about Canada or the history of a maritime island most Americans never heard of? What do they have to do with the heart or memory of this story? Their rhythm is wrong. Hollywood plunked itself down in PEI farmland to tell them who they were. Ridiculous. Offensive.

Kevin Sullivan, whatever glutinous ambitious distortions and abuses you have flung across the memory of this story, you could hardly have done worse than this piece of insulting exploitive drivel. I find it difficult to imagine anyone in Canada will ever watch anything you are attached to again. Shame on any Canadian agency for funding you. I commend the past cast members for eschewing this abortion of a script and certainly you as a 'director'.

Hard enough to get Canadian stories told...but this is criminal.