Pollyanna

This is most definitely the better version of this beautiful, classical story. Georgina Terry is the perfect Pollyanna, more natural and genuine and charmingly uplifting. The 1960 version was too saccharin and 1973 tv series too false and over the top, especially Pollyanna who ranted too quickly. This is a beautiful, timeless version that is so sensitive and comforting, and a joy to watch over again. Wonderful acting and cast and beautiful English rendition of the story

This is a different, but very nice, version of Pollyanna. To begin with, the story has been transferred from Vermont, New England, to somewhere in old England! Pollyanna arrives, in a river boat, at a traditional English village! The story continues much as in the book, though. Pollyanna is met by Nancy, meets grim Aunt Polly, is taken to her attic room, gets out through a window and down the tree, misses her supper but is glad to have bread and milk with Nancy instead - the first of Aunt Polly's "punishments" that Pollyanna treats as pleasures; she gets out at night to sleep on the roof till discovered; she meets Mrs, Snow and Mr. Pendleton and Jimmy Bean and Dr. Chilton, and all these things are told delightfully. There are some differences from the book - one big one being that Aunt Polly is persuaded by Tim the handyman/coachman to buy a motor car! However we do see Pollyanna teaching the Glad Game, and all continues much as in the book. Unlike a couple of other film and TV versions I have seen, we see the true cause here of Pollyanna's injury - run down by a motor car (Not Aunt Polly's!). We see how Aunt Polly's heart is softened - how Dr. Chilton is able to persuade Aunt Polly that there is a possible treatment to heal Pollyanna - and the story ends with Aunt Polly's wedding, with Pollyanna there with her. This is a lovely version of a lovely story. The actors and actresses play their parts well (Pollyanna is played by Georgina Terry, and Aunt Polly by Amanda Burton), and the whole film has been well described as "dramatic and heartwarming", and "enchanting". I can definitely recommend this DVD.

I agree that it's the better of the two versions. The old one was like candy, you couldn't take more than a bite without feeling sick from the cloying sweetness. Heyley Mills was making such awful grimaces all the time, trying to be cute, the aunt was a stunning beauty, and had started smiling from the start, without making a credible transition into her transformed self. That film is very dated, not to mention the many liberties it took with the story of the book: for instance, Nancy, the maid, who immediately takes pity on the orphan and becomes her best friend, in the Disney movie is initially hostile to her, and only warms to Pollyanna when Pollyanna does not betray her flirt with the unacceptable young man. This film is sober and extremely well made, sensibly directed, superbly acted, with an attention to period detail. My daughter, 11, agrees with me, she saw both in succession and found it far superior.

Excellent product and service

It is a change to find a DVD which is actually poisitve.

Very inspiring story and beautifully acted. I do not believe that this is just 'too good to be true' in real life. It shows what, with a bit of hope things should be like. Some time time ago I watched a TV soap and it showed life with a very negative and depressing outlook. Polyanna is just the opposite. It believes for the best and never gives up. The relationships are unusual compared with what we expect in our society today. There are many wonderful quotations some of which do not lack humour. You need to listen carefully or watch it several times over to get the very best from it. There seems to be little said or done which does not have huge significance to the plot of this story. Amanda Burton's acting is magnificent. I think this film should not be missed!

Loved this - book adaptations are never pefect but some are better than others and some a lot truer to the actual story - this is one of them. When u have read the book many times and love every aspect of it, you want a film adaption that will complement the story not detract by being so glaringly obviously different! With just one refernce to London was unsure if they had changed the setting to England, the original story is set in USA and has references to Boston etc. Fortuntately it was ambigious enough about detail not to spoil it. Would still recommend reading the book but Amanda Burton and the young actress playing Pollyanna both give good performances. An enjoyable way to spend an afternoon.

A classic American schmaltzy tale revamped for a UK period drama - and it works. Strong performances without the sugar coating. Well done!

I did not like this version at all - hopeless acting - the best version is the original with Hayley Mills!

Die DVD wurde in unserem Englischkurs gezeitgt und hat uns alle begeistert. Die Untertitel sind sehr hilfreich, und so kann ich nur empfehlen, diesen Film den Kursteilnehmern näher zu bringen. Liebe Grüße, lachsschnitte

An excellent family movie with lots of laughs and some inspiring scenes. Loved it.

This 2003 Masterpiece Theatre version of "Pollyanna" is the ultimate feel-good movie and because it is a bit less sappy than the 1960 Disney version you can enjoy repeated viewings anytime you need some cheering up. The new version is also more faithful to Eleanor Porter's original 1913 story and more focused on characterization than on elaborate set design and visual dynamics (there is no town fair and the comic relief has a more mature quality). And the setting is moved to Edwardian England with liberal use of wide angle lenses to capture the lush countryside. The real improvement, however, is in the casting of the title character. Georgina Terry, with her red hair and freckles, projects such effortless charm that even the most cynical should be won over. Hayley Mills' performance was more forced and she was really too old for the role. Terry's Pollyanna is much more convincing, both in her continuing attachment to her father and in her struggles to play his glad game in the face of so much adversity. "I suppose it's as easy to be happy about things as to not be". This struggle was at the core of Porter's story and the 2003 version makes a real effort to construct a multi-dimensional Pollyanna who would have met with Porter's and her readers' approval. Otherwise, the physical casting of the two movies are amazingly similar. Amanda Burton and Pam Ferris in particular conjure up vivid memories of their predecessors Jane Wyman and Agnes Moorehead. Burton portrays Aunt Polly more sympathetically, much more in line with Porter's original characterization. Instead of a ruthless and conniving queen bee, she is more hurt than mean. The tip off comes early as she amusingly allows herself to be persuaded by Tim (Tom Ellis) to purchase a motor car. Tim provides most of the film's comic relief as his prowess with automobiles is contrasted with his shy and awkward romantic overtures toward Nancy (both motor car and romance are creations of the adaptation and not part of the Porter's original story). And Aunt Polly's obsession with flies is nicely played for laughs. There is a trade-off between the versions relative to the characters. Moorehead's Mrs. Snow was more memorable and entertaining; Ferris is not given enough material. Conversely, Kenneth Cranham (Mr. Pendleton) has more to work with than did Adolphe Menjou (Mr. Pendergast) and is not handicapped by having to share scenes with Kevin Corcoran. As in the book, the less irritating Jimmy Bean (Ben Thornton) of the 2003 version has a smaller role and there is more emphasis on Pollyanna's individual relationship with Mr. Pendleton (who was once in love with Pollyanna's mother). The only real weakness of the Masterpiece Theatre version was the need to adapt the story to a compressed 90-minute running time. This was to some extent a mixed blessing because while there are transitional gaps, the time constraints forced them to get creative ant this led to some nice sequences. A montage of a bewildered Aunt Polly receiving a parade of townspeople extolling Pollyanna's virtues is especially good, and it nicely sets her up for a mild scolding by Nancy about not allowing Pollyanna to speak openly about her father. They also responded positively to the running time issue by jumping right into the story at the beginning (just running the titles over the scene) and by wrapping things up with an understated ending that let the audience just interpret what they were seeing. The "Pollyanna" story has a timeless appeal for children who get off on her ability to influence adults but this film version is also a wonderful family film. This convincing story of how an 11-year-old girl's indomitable spirit positively impacts everyone around her offers enough nuances to keep adults entertained and may even elicit a few tears from otherwise cynical observers. Then again, what do I know? I'm only a child.

Eine überaus sehenswerte Adaption der literarischen Vorlage. Wer das Buch kennt hat auch mit mäßigen Englischkenntnissen (wie ich) seine Freude an dem Film. Hilfreich ist es auch die engl. Untertitel zu aktivieren.