[.ca] A Little Princess (Widescreen/Full Screen) (ISBN 6304698623)

Amazon.com Essential Video:
After the critical success of 1993's The Secret Garden, Warner Bros. returned to the novels of Frances Hodgson Burnett to create this 1995 adaptation of A Little Princess, which instantly ranked with The Secret Garden as one of the finest children's films of the 1990s. Neither film was a huge box-office success, but their quality speaks for itself, and A Little Princess has all the ingredients of a timeless classic. A marvel of production design, the film features lavish sets built almost entirely on a studio backlot in Burbank, California. The story opens in New York just before the outbreak of World War I, when young Sara (Liesel Matthews) is enrolled in private boarding school while her father goes off to war. Under the domineering scrutiny of the school's wicked headmistress, Miss Minchen (Eleanor Bron), Sara quickly becomes popular with her schoolmates, but fate intervenes and she soon faces a stern reversal of fortune, resorting to wild flights of fancy to cope with an unexpectedly harsh reality. Rather than label her fanciful tales as escapist fantasy, A Little Princess actively encourages a child's power of imagination--a power that can be used to learn, grow, and adapt to a world that is often cruel and difficult. It's also one of the most visually beautiful films of the '90s and creates a fully detailed world within the boarding school--a place where imagination is vital to survival. A first-class production in every respect, this is one family film that should (if it's not too stuffy to say it) be considered required viewing for parents and kids alike. --Jeff Shannon

From Amazon.co.uk:
After the critical success of 1993's The Secret Garden, Warner Bros returned to the novels of Frances Hodgson Burnett to create this 1995 adaptation of A Little Princess, which instantly ranked with The Secret Garden as one of the finest children's films of the 1990s. Neither film was a huge box-office success, but their quality speaks for itself, and A Little Princess has all the ingredients of a timeless classic. A marvel of production design, the film features lavish sets built almost entirely on a studio backlot in Burbank, California. The story opens in New York just before the outbreak of World War I, when young Sara (Liesel Matthews) is enrolled in private boarding school while her father goes off to war. Under the domineering scrutiny of the school's wicked headmistress, Miss Minchen (Eleanor Bron), Sara quickly becomes popular with her schoolmates, but fate intervenes and she soon faces a stern reversal of fortune, resorting to wild flights of fancy to cope with an unexpectedly harsh reality. Rather than label her fanciful tales as escapist fantasy, A Little Princess actively encourages a child's power of imagination--a power that can be used to learn, grow, and adapt to a world that is often cruel and difficult. It's also one of the most visually beautiful films of the 90s and creates a fully detailed world within the boarding school--a place where imagination is vital to survival. A first-class production in every respect, this is one family film that should (if it's not too stuffy to say it) be considered required viewing for parents and kids alike. --Jeff Shannon

Wondeful Story--Better Than The Book!:
A Little Princess is a fast-paced movie about a young girl who's father must go off to war. Sarah (the Little Princess) must cope with the fact that she must leave her home in India and go the strict boarding school for girls in New York, where her deceased mother once attended. Sarah turns out to be a trouble maker and ends up almost being sent to jail. However, she gets out of it and I promise I won't give away the ending. We have owned this movie form almost 10 years and I don't think we'll ever get tired of it.

Amazing Beautiful Astounding:
Let's just say it right now: This is one of the best children's movies ever made. It didn't do well at the box office, but that has nothing to do with its quality, which is spectacular. Sara is a rich girl who lives in India with her father. Her mother was dead. As her father is called to Europe for World War One, Sara is sent to a prestigious boarding school in New York City. She quickly becomes a favorite among the students, who love her mystical tales. One person, the headmistress Miss Minchin, is not as pleased with Sara's imaginative stories. When news comes that her father died in war, Miss Minchin takes everything of Sara's and makes her a servant in the school. She befriends Becky, the other servant, and it's her imagination that keeps her going. This movie has many beautiful moments. When Sara recieves the news of her father's death, the look on her face is devestating. When she is in trouble for having the other girls in her attic room, she confronts Miss Minchin, and hits a nerve when she asks about Miss Minchin's father. After Sara is locked away, Miss Minchin wipes away a tear, and we see that her father never loved her. It's nice that a villain has more than one layer for a change. When Sara dances in the snow, I think that's one of the most beautiful moments in the movie. And finally, when her father gets his memory back and they hug in the rain. That amazing scene pretty much tells you what the movie is about. It's about imagination, love, and never stopping believing that magical things can happen. This is a movie every family should have. In a word: Perfect.

My Favorite Movie of All Time!!:
After all the times I have viewed this movie, it still makes me laugh and cry! Parts of this movie have some of the best and most beautiful filming techniques I have ever seen and the colors and richness of the sets are magnificent. The weaving together of the Indian, shall I say, myth/tale and English boardinghouse storyline is wonderful. When I think of our battered world, I wish it was really so, that all girls are princesses (and all boys, princes). Worth seeing over and over again!!! Liesel Matthews is great!

Beautiful, though some liberties were taken with the story:
When Alfonso Cuarón was picked to direct the new Harry Potter, many people were surprised because his last movie was definately for grown-ups only. They seem to have forgotten that he is responsible for this beautiful retelling of a classic children's book. This movie is based more on the classic Shirley Temple version than it is on the book, which means that it takes some creative liberties. Gone are the diamond mines (the best part!) and back comes the father. I did not really like these changes. The movie is also transfered from London to New York, so it's a little unclear what they were doing in India. Despite those qualms, though, this is a brilliantly filmed fable. The girls are wonderful: dorky Ermegard, prissy Lavinia, spoiled Lottie, and Sarah pulls off the admirable feat of not being completely insipid (if you think that this is an insult, then you haven't read the book). It is good for all ages. My friend, for reasons still unclear to me, dragged me to see this in the theater when we were about 15... if a cynical teenager thought that a movie about little girls at a Victorian boarding school was really good, then you know it's gotta be great!

A Good movie but...:
I enjoyed the movie but not the liberties taken with the original book. I found the main actresses did an excellent job bringing their characters to life but the story itself deviated significantly from the book. Most of the changes, I feel, were done in an attempt to appeal to the American audience whom some seem to feel cannot relate to a story that does not have a connection with them. Why an English officer would travel all the way from India to New York to place his daughter in school is unclear. Also, the film tends towards a "Hollywood Happy Ending" where the book had a more "unhappy" happy ending. And what purpose the "police chase" had still leaves me wondering. I would recommend watching the film, but remember that you are watching a Hollywood version, not a faithful adaptation of the book.