Anne of Green Gables Movie Review

There were two prior movies of Lucy Maud Montgomery's (1874–1942) classic novel, but Kevin Sullivan's version starring Megan Follows is far and away the best. In 1911, William Desmond Taylor (1877–1922) directed Mary Miles Minter (1902–84) in a Paramount film scripted by Frances Marion (1886–1973). Minter was beautiful, but not much of an actress, and her association with Taylor seems to have led directly to his murder in 1922 and to her speedy retirement in 1923. Moreover, beloved Prince Edward Island received short shrift both from Taylor and from George Nicholls Jr. who made the 1934 talking picture starring Dawn O'Day (1918–93), re-named Anne Shirley for the title character. Shirley was a delightful Anne, but for readers who wanted to see every single incident they had read about in the 1908 book, a 79-minute film couldn't provide the detail craved by Anneatics. And so it took 77 years for Kevin Sullivan and Joe Weisenfeld to come up with the perfect adaptation, and the perfect Anne, Marilla (Colleen Dewhurst), and Matthew (Richard Farnsworth). 1985 audiences treasured this 197-minute labor of love, turning it into an instant classic. I don't care how jaded you think you are, this irresistible red-haired motor mouth from another time (that would be Anne) will melt your cold, cold heart. Exquisitely filmed on Prince Edward Island by Rene Ohashi. Followed by an equally fine 1987 sequel (Anne of Avonlea) and a long-running series in the ‘90s, Avonlea (an Emmy winner as outstanding children's program).

1985 197m/C CA Megan Follows, Colleen Dewhurst, Richard Farnsworth, Patricia Hamilton, Schuyler Grant, Jonathan Crombie, Marilyn Lightstone, Charmion King, Rosemary Radcliffe, Jackie Burroughs, Robert Collins, Joachim Hansen, Cedric Smith, Paul Brown, Miranda de Pencier, Jennifer Inch, Wendy Lyon, Christiane Krueger, Trish Nettleton, Morgan Chapman; D: Kevin Sullivan; W: Kevin Sullivan, Joe Weisenfeld; C: Rene Ohashi; M: Hagood Hardy. VHS, LV, Closed Caption