The Governess

Starring:Minnie Driver, Tom Wilkinson, Harriet Walter, Florence Hoath, Bruce Myers, Jonathan Rhys Meyers, Arlene Cockburn, Emma Bird, Adam Levy (II), Countess Koulinskyi, Diana Brooks, Raymond Brody, Cyril Shaps, Kendal Cramer, Ralph Riach, Joe Bromley, Stephen Robbins, Ofra Haza, Maurice Martin
Director: Sandra Goldbacher
Studio: Sony Pictures
Product Type: DVD

Amazon.com

Made two years after Citizen Kane, this 1943 version of Charlotte Brontë's Jane Eyre sure looks like star Orson Welles muscled his way behind the camera much of the time. (In fact, costar Joan Fontaine--who plays the title character--has maintained that Welles methodically did just that every day on the set.) Not that the film's official director was a hack: Robert Stevenson, who later had a busy career at Disney making numerous live-action hits for the studio, such as Mary Poppins, gets the credit. But there's no mistaking Welles's masterful hand in the film's bold and creative look, and there's no getting away from his enigmatic charisma as Rochester, the widower who takes in Jane as a governess to his daughter. An engrossing, gorgeous film, there's even a small role for Elizabeth Taylor at the beginning as Jane's unlucky, doomed friend at a cruel boarding school. --Tom Keogh

Description

Jane Eyre secures a job as governess to the child (Margaret O'Brien) of the troubled Edward Rochester, sire of Thornfield, a mysterious English manor. When she hears strange cries and noises from a distant wing, her inquiries are rebuffed. As time goes on, Jane and her master fall in love and decide to marry. But their halted when a visitor suddenly reveals the shocking secret that Rochester has kept for years.

Customer Reviews:

La la la loved this movie.......2007-07-04

I am a big orson welles fan and i absolutely love this movie. i could watch it all day everyday and i pretty much have.

Gothic Romance at It's Best.......2007-06-13

I love this version of Jane Eyre. Orsen Wells with his deep, husky voice is great as Rochester. The mousy Jane. They are wonderful together. This is a must have classic to add to your collection.

Now that's a lady!.......2007-06-13

Where have the Joan Fontaine's of the world gone? That gentle and queit character; unassumming, demure, beautiful but nonetheless powerful. I honestly can't recall any other movie that made me feel myself the love that was growing between two other people.

Romance for the Soul.......2007-06-12

Jane Eyre is timeless and I now own every version made. The Orson Welles is so classical and how could anyone resist the chemistry between Orson Welles and Joan Fontaine!!

Best Jane Eyre film version.......2007-06-08

Really enjoyed the movie, love the book. It's Orson Welles so what can you say?Great film.

Average customer rating:

1983 Jane Eyre
Almost true to the author
Good but a bit long....
bronte film
English novel reader

Jane Eyre (BBC, 1983)
Starring: Timothy Dalton , and Zelah Clarke
Director: Julian Amyes
Manufacturer: BBC Warner
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B000784WMW
Release Date: 2005-04-19

Amazon.com

Jane Eyre--the mother of all gothic romances--gets abundant passion in this 11-episode BBC miniseries. Young Sian Pattenden is wonderfully willful and impetuous; viewers will immediately identify with the child Jane as she fights against ill-treatment at the home of her aunt and at boarding school. It's a shame to see her grow up into Zelah Clarke--until Clarke asserts her own quiet yet fierce spirit. The plot really starts rolling when Jane takes a position as governess at Thornfield, a handsome estate owned by the imperious and tortured Mr. Rochester (Timothy Dalton, a few years before he became James Bond). From there, this 1983 adaptation rips through the perilous highs and devastating lows of Charlotte Bronte's powerful novel, in which the courtship of these two prickly personalities gets twists and turns galore. Though the visual style is a bit pedestrian, the well-crafted script and skillful performances grow more gripping with every episode. The necessary feverishness springs from simple yet effective means, like macabre laughter floating down the halls of Thornfield. The scenes between Clarke and Dalton crackle with chemistry; Bronte fans will not be disappointed. --Bret Fetzer

Customer Reviews:

1983 Jane Eyre.......2007-07-05

If you had to do a book report on Jane Eyre but didn't want to read it, this is the movie to see. Very acurate comparison with the book, but a little lacking in imagination as far as art direction goes. The acting is fair. Die-hard Jane Eyre fans would love this movie. My biggest complaint with it is the fact that, as it is a television series, there is a break every 20 minutes where the credits are given and the chapter displayed which makes it even longer. If you are looking for good cinematography, script and acting, my favorite is the 2006 Masterpiece Theatre version. It doesn't follow the book as closely, but it is a beuatifully done film.

Almost true to the author.......2007-06-27

I expected any film made about Charlotte Bronte's, "Jane Eyre" to corrupt the story missing the flavor of Ms. Bronte's openness. The novel being a wonderfully written page-turner, I was wonderfully surprised to find the BBC version of Jane Eyre to be true to the novel. One glaring possible exception, Timothy Dalton was too good looking to play Mr. Rochester, but I forgive him.

Good but a bit long...........2007-06-13

I know that is exactly what some of the earlier reviewers particularly liked about this Timothy Dalton/Sian Pattenden version but I felt like there were just too many words at times in this adaptation of Jane Eyre. (I even fell asleep at one point.) Even though I am certain that it is more true to the book than the Ruth Wilson/Toby Stephens adaptation, I personally preferred the Toby Stephens one.

bronte film.......2007-05-25

I enjoyed this film, however he format is distracting. The frequent breaks and credits of the masgterpiece theater production break the flow of the film.

English novel reader.......2007-05-25

This particular adaptation of the novel remains my all-time favorite. The screenplay stays very true to the book, the acting is very good, and the portrayal of mid-19th century English society, living conditions, class differences, etc. is very well done.

Average customer rating:

Loved it
Not as good as it looks
Enchanting
Weird, chilly, bad messages
Certainly worth buying

Nanny McPhee (Widescreen Edition)
Starring: Emma Thompson , Colin Firth , Kelly Macdonald , Thomas Sangster , and Eliza Bennett
Director: Kirk Jones (III)
Manufacturer: Universal Studios
ProductGroup: DVD
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ASIN: B000F1IQNM
Release Date: 2006-05-09

Amazon.com

With hairy warts, a stern-looking unibrow and one extremely protruding buck-tooth, Nanny McPhee is a wonderfully comedic substitute for Mary Poppins in this entertaining family fantasy. By loosely adapting Christianna Brand's Nurse Matilda children's books of the 1960s, Oscar®-winning screenwriter Emma Thompson (Sense and Sensibility) has also given herself the plum role of Nanny McPhee, who can tame even the most unruly children with a tap of her magic walking stick. Her latest challenge is the bratty brood of a recent widower Mr. Brown (Colin Firth), who's under pressure to find a new wife or lose his much-needed allowance from wealthy Aunt Adelaide (a tailor-made role for Angela Lansbury). His love for scullery maid Evangeline (Kelly Macdonald) remains unspoken as he wincingly woos the eagerly merry widow Mrs. Quickly (Celia Imrie), but Brown's raucous rugrats have a plan to make things right, especially after they've come under the benevolent influence of Nanny McPhee, whose peculiar brand of discipline works wonders for everyone involved. Both quintessentially British and universally appealing, this wildly colorful comedy (thanks to a bold palette of costume and production design) was capably directed by Kirk Jones, whose appreciation for comic actors was equally apparent in his critically acclaimed 1998 comedy Waking Ned Devine. With just a hint of darkness to offset the whimsy, Nanny McPhee offers a splendid match of director, cast and material, guaranteed to please Wallace & Gromit fans and anyone else with a taste for British zaniness. --Jeff Shannon

Customer Reviews:

Loved it.......2007-06-21

This was a fun movie to watch.

Not as good as it looks .......2007-06-15

At 99 minutes, Nanny Mcphee is a light and ultimately forgettable children's film. It had great potential, including a cast of the British luminaries Colin Firth and Emma Thompson, and a good deal of charm and heart, but ultimately failed to deliver on two of its most important attributes: plot and the Nanny. Nanny Mcphee, as a modernized, Willy-Wonka version of Mary Poppins, fails miserably, the worst part being that she's actually frightening. Mary Poppins, as played by Julie Andrews, was strict and firm and occasionally a little frightening, but NEVER cruel. Emma Thompson's nanny is not averse to bringing one of the children to near-death to make sure that they get the point. By the time the little boy has been lifted away from the boiling oil, the children have got the point: Nanny McPhee is boss, and so has the audience; we don't like her. As a "comedic" replacement for Mary Poppins, Nanny McPhee is unfunny, ugly, and burdened with a ridiculous buck tooth and a decidedly odd manner. She is mysterious rather than magical, inhuman rather than "practically perfect", and the plot has the vague feeling of something stretched over too little material. There is a good deal of charm, mostly provided by the children carrying out a series of predictable but highly amusing pranks to drive their prospective step-mother away and by a really beautiful love story that develops in the last 5-10 minutes of the film, and great cinematography, but this only partially cancels out the genuinely creepy parts and the frothy lack of plot. In the end, this is a decent family film, but hardly a classic.

Enchanting.......2007-05-20

`Nanny McPhee' is charming to the last. The story starts with the Brown household in chaos. Mr. Brown, a widower (in an earnest bumbling performance from Collin Firth) is a breadwinner who hardly carves out any time for his children. Smart, but not wise, the children look upon every hired nanny as a nuisance; one they find endless ways to turn in her apron in an extraordinarily short amount of time. At wits end, he consults the nanny agency for the last time, but, finally, no one will work for him. That is until independent nanny, Nanny McGhee (a marvelous Emma Thompson), pops up (literally) at his door. Spellbound, she brings some new order to roost, pronouncing her wishes to the children and using her magical walking stick to enforce consequences on their self-willed ways. In the meantime, strict Aunt Adelaide (featuring illustrious Angela Lansberry--from blonde bombshell to super sleuth to [here] indomitable matriarch) will cut off his allowance if he doesn't marry by the end of the month. It seems also having Auntie's way, he will have to give up one of his children to her. Rashly, he chooses Mrs. Quickly (played with comic wickedness by Celia Imrie), even though his preference for Evangeline, (Beautiful Kelly McDonald) a servant. With five lessons to learn, Nanny McPhee warns, "If you don't want me, but you need me, I'll stay, but when you want me, but no longer need me, I will have to go."

Such enchanted development and straightforward mischief make `Nanny McPhee' a shelf-worthy family movie. Visually, they color every scene beautifully to accentuate a fun family film. (Based on 'Nurse Matilda,' a children's book serial by Christianna Brand. Screenplay by Emma Thompson.) Shakespearean actor, Derek Jacobi, joins an endearing cast in this lovable children's romp.

Weird, chilly, bad messages.......2007-04-30

When you know the plot of the movie before you see it, they'd better do good things with the characters. But here, they don't.

Strange-looking Nanny McPhee has to teach the kids to be good and get the hero married before the nasty Aunt Adelaide cuts off the family allowance, and--what was that? Before the allowance is cut off?

I'm amazed that this movie has done so well. In America, land of the self-made person, you'd think a goal of getting someone else to pay for your way of life would be, at the least, unappealing. Even in Victorian times, you didn't HAVE to produce 7 children you couldn't feed. And then, maybe if Brown (Colin Firth's character) had fewer children, or a smaller house, or did away with one or two of the household staff, his salary at the morgue would have been sufficient. (He works at the morgue. Ha. Ha.)

Since the powerful and good Nanny is so strange-looking, I thought this might be a movie about inner beauty, but no. As the children learn Nanny's 5 lessons, she gets less ugly, until at the end she is lovely Emma Thompson. This reflects their inner change, or maybe it just means that ugly is bad, after all.

There are some great things about this film, such as the surreal sets which tell us not to take anything seriously, or the normally lovely and classy Celia Imrie as a vulgar strumpet. (Just as there's no person as horrid as a good one gone bad, there's somehow no better "bad girl" than a naturally classy one.)

The ultimate change in Mary Poppins--despite her magical powers-- occurred when Mr. Banks himself realized he had to prioritize his family. Colin Firth never has any kind of personality change, and any change that happens comes from someone else doing a rescue: Nanny McPhee, Aunt Adelaide, or the oldest son. If I can't root for the main character, why would I want to watch?

Not a lot of laughs, confusing and conflicting messages, not anything I want to see again.

Certainly worth buying.......2007-04-14

I think this should be a favorite for any age! Especially if you like the "Lemonity Snicket" kind of weird feel to a show. (Its a good weird though!)

Average customer rating:

Loved it
Not as good as it looks
Enchanting
Weird, chilly, bad messages
Certainly worth buying

Nanny McPhee (Full Screen Edition)
Starring: Emma Thompson , Colin Firth , Kelly Macdonald , Thomas Sangster , and Eliza Bennett
Director: Kirk Jones (III)
Manufacturer: Universal Studios
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B000F1IQNC
Release Date: 2006-05-09

Amazon.com

Customer Reviews:

Loved it.......2007-06-21

This was a fun movie to watch.

Not as good as it looks .......2007-06-15

Enchanting.......2007-05-20

Weird, chilly, bad messages.......2007-04-30

Certainly worth buying.......2007-04-14

I think this should be a favorite for any age! Especially if you like the "Lemonity Snicket" kind of weird feel to a show. (Its a good weird though!)

Average customer rating:

The King and I Admirers Will Be Bored
not your father's King and I
Anna and the King
Entertaining and Captivating
Great Movie!

Anna and the King
Starring: Chow Yun-Fat , Jodie Foster , Bai Ling , Tom Felton , and Randall Duk Kim
Director: Andy Tennant
Manufacturer: 20th Century Fox
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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Contact

ASIN: B00003CWLF
Release Date: 2000-10-31

Amazon.com

What's a director to do? Andy Tennant's previous film was the highly enjoyable Cinderella romance Ever After, which vanished from theaters and became a video hit. Then Tennant made this gorgeous, nonmusical version of Anna and the King, and once again felt the sting of box-office failure. Both films deserved better, and this Anna is certain to eventually find the appreciative audience that eluded it in theaters. In many ways, this delightful costume romance transcends the latter-day quaintness of The King and I to offer a more lavish and rewarding version of the story of Anna Leonowens, based on her diaries and first told in Margaret Landon's 1944 novel.

In an otherwise admirable performance (although many felt her miscast), Jodie Foster struggles with her Victorian accent as Anna, the grieving widow who arrives in Siam in 1860 with her young son. Having accepted a post as tutor for the many children of the polygamous King Mongkut (Chow Yun-Fat), Anna finds herself drawn to the progressive monarch, whose passions swirl in a turbulent political climate. If the chemistry isn't entirely there, this culture clash still has plenty of regal charm, and Luciana Arrighi's production design is appropriately magnificent. Humor and politics are given equal measure, and Chow Yun-Fat is arguably the most endearing king to date--powerful yet tender, forceful but anguished by the heavier burdens of leadership. Bai Ling's intense performance as the tragic lover Tuptim adds emotional depth to one of the most underrated films of 1999. --Jeff Shannon

Product Description

Academy Award winner Jodie Foster and international action star Chow Yun-Fat star in this epic true story of a woman who challenged the heart of a king and inspired the destiny of a nation.

English schoolteacher Anna Leonowens has traveled to Siam to educate the fifty-eight children of King Mongkut. If she has preconceived notions about the East, the King has similar notions about the West. But amid the danger of growing political unrest, their respect for each other slowly turns into something more.

System Requirements:
Starring: Jodie Foster, Chow Yun-Fat, and Bai Ling.
Directed By: Andy Tennant.
Running Time: 147 Min., Color.
This film is presented in "Widescreen" format.
Copyright 2001 Twentieth Century Fox.

Format: DVD MOVIE

Customer Reviews:

The King and I Admirers Will Be Bored.......2007-04-11

This film was a real let down. Jodie Foster was wasted in a familiar tale that wasn't told the way we remember it. Deborah Kerr and Yul Brynner keep their titles of Anna and the King.

not your father's King and I.......2007-04-01

This was a pleasure-packed film from the opening scenery to the text at the end chronicling the changes brought about in Siam owing to the influence of Anna. The country and the people(at least those of the royal household) are absolutely beautiful. The king is one to whom it would be very easy to feel loyalty to.
After seeing the movie, I feel compelled to read the history of Siam, and thus, Thailand.

Anna and the King.......2007-03-27

Very interesting remake of the King and I, though we older set missed the singing, it was put together and updated well. Jodie always gives a great performance!

Entertaining and Captivating.......2007-03-22

This is a great movie to have in your library. It is basically a film along the lines of The King and I. Jodie Foster is the perfect match for her role. She grabs you and draws you in, making a personal connection with the characters. Chow Yun-Fat is, also, a very good fit for his role as emperor.
The film makes you take a good look at how personal realtionships within your own family are about the most important thing you have. It also draws attention to the importance of respecting others. I'm not going to use the word 'tolerance'...but for the closed-minded, tyranical types, this film will ease that person into realizing the many good qualities in other people.
Oh, and don't forget the falling-in-love portions of this movie. Crossing boundries for those forbidden pleasures alway make for a good time.
This is a great film for those who like to ride the emotional rollercoaster. You'll laugh, get ticked-off, cry, get the warm-fuzzies...you get the point.
So, grab your sweatheart, get a blanket, pop some popcorn, turn the lights down and enjoy this timeless work of art!

Great Movie!.......2007-03-03

Anna and the King is a wonderful True movie! Jodie Foster is a very good actress in this movie. This movie made me laugh, cry and happy!

Average customer rating:

A curiosity
Brando Makes This Work

The Nightcomers
Starring: Marlon Brando , Stephanie Beacham , Thora Hird , Harry Andrews , and Verna Harvey
Director: Michael Winner
Manufacturer: Lionsgate
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B000OU03BW
Release Date: 2007-06-19

Description

Captivating and disturbing, this intense psychodrama with its haunting, twisted notion of sexuality puts a new spin on the characters from Henry James' celebrated ghost story, "The Turn of the Screw." MARLON BRANDO stars as QUINT, a gardener who powerfully impacts the lives of young orphans Miles and Flora, who are left in the care of their governess (STEPHANIE BEACHAM) and housekeeper (THORA HIRD). Obsessed with the charismatic Quint, the children are mesmerized by his warped views of love and life and soon pattern their own lives after his crude, secret courtship with their governess. When the housekeeper finds out about the lovers' relationship, she decides to fire them, leaving the bereft children to take matters into their own chilling hands.

Customer Reviews:

A curiosity.......2007-06-29

The famous prequel to "The Innocents" is finally available on DVD, but sadly it could never come close to the subtle perfection of that classic. Still, it's still an interesting film. Starring Marlon Brando and Stephanie Beacham, it imagines a possible scenario that may have been played out between Quint and Miss Jessell (who are already dead at the start of the action in the original novel, "The Turn Of The Screw"), and the two children who interact with them. A new governess is left with the psychological mess they left behind in the minds of these children, and that is the role played by Deborah Kerr in the 1960 classic, but it forms just the tail end of the film we have here.
First of all, Marlon Brando does a good job as the gardener/handyman. He portrays just the right amount of latent brutality and sex appeal to convince you that a prim governess could fall under his spell. I'm no Brando expert, and it may be that he is just playing himself, but it works...my only quibble is his rather thickly laid-on Irish accent which sounds a bit too forced to totally convince. Stephanie Beacham also fares well as the governess, although her character is sketched in far less detail. The two children are played rather woodenly, but to be fair they (and the rest of the cast) are hampered by a pretty hideous script which thinks it is approximating the style of talking in England in Victorian times, with lots of "pray tell me" and "you scoundrel" type of dialogue, and nobody ever uses contractions, which sounds extremely affected. Another main problem with the movie is that it is... well, just a bit low on events. Winner goes a bit overboard on the symbolism with shots of dolls without eyes, small animals dead or dying, or childhood toys found covered in maggots (gasp!). It's almost like he's copied his ideas from "The Innocents", (recalling a great scene when a cockroach crawls out of the mouth of a cherub statue), but he doesn't really need to do this as there is no mystery about how and why the children are acting in the way that they do, whereas in "The Innocents" we are trying to ascertain what is true and what is imagined. Here, it's all quite obvious.

Obviously filmed on location in Britain in the early 1970's (I know it's a period setting, but that golden age of British horror movies - the time of the famous Hammer Horror style - is unmistakeable!), the film is certainly beautiful to look at. The action is set in lush forests and gardens, as well as the impressively period looking country mansion. Highlights are of course based around much corset ripping and a certain amount of sado-masochistic goings on between the two adults, all of which is spied upon by the two charges, ultimately corrupting them with a twisted view of the relationship between love and death, as much as an interest in kinky thrills. Interestingly, the two children seem an awful lot older in this film than they actually turned out to be in "The Innocents", but I suppose having them as pre-teens would have made too much of the material un-filmable.

There's no supernatural element at all (as the cast are all still alive in this movie!), so it's just a dark romp through sordid and sexy goings on at a country estate, culminating in two deaths, and two very messed-up children. And of course, because of "The Innocents", everybody knows that there can only be one ending, so there's no surprises there. It tries to be shocking (children copying the perversions of adults-gasp!) but it really plays that aspect pretty safe. But again, it does look lovely - there's no substitute for filming in location on a gorgeous British country estate. And the sight of Stephanie Beacham when the dead body of Miss Jessell is discovered is one of the more bizarre images in period horror cinema - you won't forget that shot!

Sadly, due to the coarseness in handling the overall idea, it is mostly a rather uninvolving story, but director Michael Winner goes into it all with gusto, so it's an interesting one none the less.

Brando Makes This Work.......2007-06-24

Chilling, tense, compelling take on The Turn of the Screw. Brando plays a ruffian gardener/caretaker who has some of his very own ideas about life, love, and nature. He has totally under his spell the two newly-orphaned children living in the house, as well as their buxom nanny. The story is fascinating from the first scene and never lets up. Danger is ever-present, yet when it strikes you are shocked and surprised. Some of the sex scenes between Brando and a lovely young Stepahnie Beacham push the envelope, to the point where you would almost call this softcore, because of the exposed personal parts and the S&M nature of some of these scenes. Some also might be disturbed by the two adolescent children playing at some of these scenarios, they having spied on the couple at night. But none of that is gratuituous, it is all part of the story, and if that doesn't bother you you will love the film.

Average customer rating:

great kids movie!
Awesome!
A CLASSIC I WATCH EVERY CHRISTMAS SEASON
Something to share with young girls today!
Shirley Temple's Version of Heidi

Heidi
Starring: Shirley Temple , Jean Hersholt , Arthur Treacher , Helen Westley , and Thomas Beck
Director: Allan Dwan
Manufacturer: 20th Century Fox
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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Shirley Temple Collection, Vol. 3 - America's Sweetheart Collection -(Dimples / The Little Colonel / The Littlest Rebel)
The Little Colonel

ASIN: B000FKPDWK
Release Date: 2005-08-30

Amazon.com essential video

One thing Shirley Temple did extremely well (besides sing, dance, and act) was turn the cranky cuddly. She'd done it effectively, two years prior, in 1935's The Little Colonel with grandfather Lionel Barrymore. Now in Heidi she turns her reclusive grumpy grandfather, Adolf (Jean Hersholt), into the loving sort she knows he really is. Heidi is an orphan, dumped into the Swiss Alps by self-centered Aunt Dete (Mady Christians) onto a grandfather she's never known, but they soon learn to love each other. Heidi's mercenary aunt returns and sells (!) Heidi to a cruel woman, appropriately named Fraulein Rottenmeier (Mary Nash). Adolf sets out on a quest to find his granddaughter. Meanwhile, Heidi charms Klara Sesemann (Marcia Mae Jones), the wealthy handicapped girl in Fraulein Rottenmeier's care. Look for a delightful Arthur Treacher as the Sesemann butler. There's a cute fantasy production number, "In Our Little Wooden Shoes," featuring Temple in various period costumes. Throughout Heidi, Temple is, as always, wonderfully joyful. This is perhaps the best-known rendering of the popular children's story by Johanna Spyri (it's been filmed some 10 times). --N.F. Mendoza

Description

Shirley Temple in a role that seems custom-made for her, portrays the spirited young heroine of the popular children's novel, giving her a rich emotional depth and infinite charm. When her aunt tires of caring for her, orphan Heidi is taken into the Swiss mountains to live with her gruff grandfather (Jean Hersholt), a hermit who comes to adore her. But the aunt returns to steal Heidi away, selling her to a family whose invalid daughter (Marcia Mae Jones) needs a companion. Bullied by an evil governess (Mary Nash), Heidi still charms the entire household and never stops trying to return to her beloved grandfather.

Customer Reviews:

great kids movie!.......2007-06-15

After being totally dissapointed by the Emma Bolger version of Heidi, I purchased this one. It was beautiful. Sweet, innocent, funny, even a little sad. All the characters did an excellant job. Children don't need high paced drama to be impressed. They giggled and wiggled over parts such as Heidi milking the goat, the monkeying around, and the sleigh chase near the end. And don't forget Andrew trying to milk "Bearly" either! I am a mother with six children. We all loved this movie. I would recomend it to anyone who wants a bit of innocent entertainment.

Awesome!.......2007-04-06

WE ALL LOVE SHIRLEY TEMPLE! Espicially Heidi. I treasure this movie so much. Now for the actors, Shirley Temple was great for Heidi. Totally great. What a cute girl. Jean Hersholt was wonderful when he turned out to be a christiane. He is a great actor. Arthur Treacher is hilarious for Andrews. He is absoulutely wonderful. Helen Westley was very pretty for Blind Anna. I also like her soft voice. Pastor Schultz and Fraulein Elsa played by Thomas Beck and Paulieen Moore were a perfect match. Mary Nash acted Fraulein Rottenmier. She's scary. I thought she was going to kill Heidi that night she took her out in the streets alone. Then I thought she was going to go back and kill Klara too! Sidney Blackman was funny for Herr Sessamann. I liked him. He was great to Heidi and Klara, his daughter. Now for Mady Christaine who played Aunt Dete. She was mean. She seemed to have won the battle with Fraulein Rottenmier. Marcia Mae Jones was so cute for Klara. Porr sweet Klara is in danger! Fraulein Rottenmier didn't want her to get well. Delmar Watson was a great Peter. He was a wonderful goat general. I love this movie alot!

A CLASSIC I WATCH EVERY CHRISTMAS SEASON.......2007-03-26

This is the definitive version of this movie, I have read some reviews below and would like to clear some things up. First off, this is the full feature and nothing was cut, second the print transfer is very good. Maybe there is a better print ,but I have not seen it. There are only a hand full of her films that I will always remember and this is one of them. Curly Top,Bright Eyes and The Little Colonel were the others. The DVD has both Black and White and Colorized version. I am not a fan of colorizing anything,but since they kept the original intact, I did enjoy watching both. This is a family classic that should be added to your Christmas movie collection.

Something to share with young girls today!.......2007-01-17

I loved this movie when I was a little girl, I purchased it to share with my friend's 5-year old triplet girls, as I think they will really gain more from it then some of the things available to them these days.

Shirley Temple's Version of Heidi.......2007-01-10

Shirley Temple's movie career was near its peak when she played the role of Heidi. Heidi has been interpreted in many different ways over the years. Some interpretations are excellent. Other interpretations are poor. This interpretation is relatively weak when compared with the original book, but Shirley Temple is cute and fans of Shirley Temple will forgive the deviations from the book.

Heidi's aunt takes Heidi to her grandfather after her aunt raised her for six years. Heidi's grandfather is a bitter old man who is angry at the world for the loss of his son. However, charming Heidi soon turns him into a loving grandfather who rejoins the world. All seems well until Heidi's aunt returns and convinces Heidi to join her on a trip.

The trip turns out to be a kidnapping. Heidi's aunt takes Heidi to be a companion to Klara Seseman, who is in a wheel chair after suffering an accident. Klara quickly becomes fond of Heidi, to the chagrin of Fraulein Rottenmeier, who is unhappy with Heidi because she thinks Heidi might make it so that Klara no longer needs Rottenmeier. Heidi and Klara get along well, though Heidi remains focused on returning home to her grandfather and the mountains.

After Fraulein Rottenmeier shows her true colors to Klara's father, he discharges her. Fraulein Rottenmeier plans to kidnap Heidi and sell her to the gypsies. Fortunately, Heidi's grandfather has arrived in town and is looking for Heidi. Will Heidi's grandfather find her in time? Will Heidi return to the mountains? What will happen to Klara without Heidi? You will have to watch the movie and see.

Shirley was about nine years old when this movie was made, but she appeared to be younger. Shirley is the main attraction of the movie, and because she is so cute I found it easy to forgive the significant deviations from the book. Most movies based on books take liberties with the story, but this movie takes more liberties than is typical and those distractions can be annoying. The best example I can think of is the chase scene near the end of the movie.

This movie is about average when compared to other Shirley Temple movies. Fans of Shirley Temple will enjoy this film. Fans of the book "Heidi" may dislike this movie because it deviates from the story so much. This version is colorized and the DVD quality could be improved, which could also make some viewers unhappy. Even though this movie has its flaws, I found it interesting to watch and I will watch it again.

Enjoy!

Average customer rating:

my favorite version
The best
Best Jane but very MEAN Rochester!
Passionate performances
Not at all the best version

Jane Eyre (A&E, 1997)
Starring: Deborah Findlay , Laura Harling , Joanna Scanlan , Ben Sowden , and Barbara Keogh
Director: Robert Young (III)
Manufacturer: A&E Home Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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Similar Items:

Persuasion (1995)
Jane Eyre (BBC, 1983)
Jane Eyre (1996)
Emma (A&E, 1997)
Jane Eyre (Masterpiece Theatre, 2006)

ASIN: 0767020294
Release Date: 1999-10-26

Amazon.com

The fascinating British actress Samantha Morton stars as the titular heroine in this provocative version of Jane Eyre, based on Charlotte Bronte's oft-filmed, 1847 novel. The familiar contours of Bronte's story are all here: Jane, the unhappy orphan, grows up to become governess at Thornfield, a gloomy estate owned by the imperious and worldly, but curiously desperate, Mr. Rochester (Ciarán Hinds). While the latter's grasping attentions stir the inexperienced young woman, the gothic goings-on at Thornfield suggest layers of unwholesome secrecy in Rochester's life. Most productions of Jane Eyre carefully reflect Bronte's absorbing balance between romance, horror, and Jane's psychological passage to adulthood. But this 1997 television movie is interesting for its near-reckless emphasis on Jane and Rochester's mutual obsession and galloping jealousies. The dramatic strategy throws off the story's overall tone, but such problems are worth it to see Morton and Hinds explore Jane Eyre's darkest possibilities. --Tom Keogh

Product Description

Charlotte Bront s moving story of the improbable love between a young governess and her mysterious and tragic employer is one of the towering classics of English literature. A&E brints this beloved tale to life in a brilliant production starring Samantha Morton (A&E s EMMA) and Ciaran Hinds (Persuasion, A&E s IVANHOE).After a wretched childhood as an orphan, Jane Eyre arrives at Thornfield Hall to take over her duties as the governess. She soon falls in love with the brooding owner of Thornfield, Mr. Rochester. Jane gradually wins his heart, but they must first overcome the dark secrets of his past before they can truly find happiness.Directed by Robert Young (Fierce Creatures) and filmed entirely on location in England, CHARLOTTE BRONT S JANE EYRE is an exquisite adaptation of one of the most beloved stories of all time--now in the crystal clear digital clarity of DVD.

Format: DVD MOVIE

Customer Reviews:

my favorite version.......2007-05-25

BBC has filmed a couple of versions (a 248 minute job in 1973, and a 311-minute version ten years later) of "Jane Eyre" before. Due to their greater length, both of those are much more closely stitched to the text. If you're a stickler for fidelity, you'll probably want to direct your attention thither.

But for me, the Robert Young version from 1997 is easily my favorite. At 108 minutes, it's sadly abridged, but the more vigorous pace and, more vitally, the sparkling performance on the part of the lead actress, Samantha Morton, more than make up for this defect.

The ending is guaranteed to plaster a smile on your face for the rest of the day.

The best.......2007-05-07

Ciaran Hinds and Samantha Morton are the perfect Jane and Edward - I am not sure the people that wrote the script read the book too closely but they were perfect - the way Jane talked when they were under the trees and she was leaving was exactly what I would have wanted to say in that day and time - the other jane's including the book do not really address the real issue as is done in this movie.

Best Jane but very MEAN Rochester!.......2007-04-25

This is the FAST FOOD version of Jane Eyre!!! Still it is quite entertaining. Music was very good, much better than the BBC 1983 version. This Jane is the BEST Jane I have seen so far. She is an incredible actress who portrays all of Jane's emotions. I am disturbed by so much change in the wordings though. Also I found myself disliking this Mr. Rochester because he SCREAMS all the times. ICK! He definitely looks over 20 years older than Jane. The best Rochester is the PBS version. This movies is still worth a look for its entertaining value!

Passionate performances.......2007-02-12

This is probably the best film version I've seen of Jane Eyre. One of my friends, who is no fan of the book or the other film versions, commented that she "got" the characters for the first time when she caught a rerun on A&E and I'd have to agree. The essence of Jane and Rochester is all here: Passion. It's restrained in "plain and little" Jane, who inside is all rebelliousness, and smoldering in Rochester, who here is just as gruff and domineering and bad-tempered as he ought to be. Watching this film I can believe that this version of Rochester and Jane are passionately in love with one another. I don't believe that in the other versions I've seen, including the most recent PBS version. Cutting out portions of the book to get at the meat of the story was a wise decision that made for a much better film.

Not at all the best version.......2007-02-08

It is beyond me how anyone can say this is the best version of Bronte's novel. Beyond the highly truncated screenplay which makes little attempt to be faithful to the novel, both Morton and Hinds are horribly miscast. I love both these actors and was initially excited to see them in these roles -- until I sat down to watch it. Hinds made a wonderful Capt. Wentworth (and many other roles) but as Rochester all he does is shout and bellow his way thru the story. His Rochester is entirely one-note, a very shallow performance on his part -- there's no dimension, no spark, no inner life. He seems to have viewed the role as just a cliched cartoonish gothic hero - he doesn't approach the character with any seriousness. Morton is equally shallow in the role - neither actor seems to have taken their characters seriously. There are good production values and Morton and Hinds are good enuf that some good moments come thru. This certainly is superior to the William Hurt/Zeffereli version, but then that's not too difficult. Even the recent flawed Toby Stephens version is superior to this one as well. Best versions: 1983 Dalton/Clarke, 1973 Jayston/Cusack, 1970s Scott/York, 1940 Welles/Fontaine

Average customer rating:

Heidi
An outstanding movie which makes you cry and laugh!
A Lovely and Hearwarming movie suitable for the whole family!
Such a Wonderful! Hearwarming! and outstanding movie!
Madhushani Premaratne from Sri Lanka

Heidi
Starring: Jason Robards , Jane Seymour , Patricia Neal , Siân Phillips , and Lexi Randall
Director: Michael Ray Rhodes
Manufacturer: Walt Disney Home Entertainment
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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All Disney Titles | Disney Home Entertainment | Stores | DVD | Video

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Courage Mountain: Heidi's New Adventure
Heidi
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ASIN: B0007LXPAY
Release Date: 2005-05-03

Amazon.com

Originally made as a two-part TV miniseries, this umpteenth adaptation of Johann Spyri's novel is exceptionally easy on the eyes. Jason Robards plays the grumpy grandfather who tends for the orphaned Swiss girl. Jane Seymour chews up the scenery as the governess to a spoiled, rich city girl whom Heidi is forced to visit. The adults think the invalid Klara (Lexi Randall) needs companionship, but wise old grandpa knows she needs good mountain air and independence. Noley Thornton is sweet enough in the title role and Robards's performance provides depth. This Disney production brings little to the story, but is worth watching for its stunning Alpine vistas. --Rochelle O'Gorman

Description

Heidi, the dispossessed orphan who wants only to love and be loved, ends up charming her embittered grandfather and falling in love with the beautiful mountain he calls home. Heidi is soon uprooted and sent to Frankfurt where she befriends a young girl confined to a wheelchair. But the big city drains Heidi's spirit, and she must struggle with her memory of life in the Alps. In time, she follows her heart and finds a miracle. Starring Jason Robards and Jane Seymour, HEIDI is a triumph of love, friendship, and forgiveness that will capture everyone's heart.

Customer Reviews:

Heidi.......2007-05-21

We have read the book to our children, and have all listened to it on audio cassette, and love the original story. We also understand that stories have to be changed somewhat to fit time formats, etc. However, the extent to which this movie has been adapted is beyond reason. The somewhat horrifying first scene is a complete Hollywood fabrication, which does nothing but detract from the overall story. Heidi's Grandfather is no longer the grumpy-on-the-outside, but loving-on-the-inside man of the book. Here he is just a mean old man, with no redeeming qualities at all. Heidi's initial life on the mountains, and her subsequent removal to the city are fairly close to the original story - again, except where the Grandfather is involved. However things really start to fall apart about half way through the second act. Pretty much all of the heart-warming third act of the book, where Heidi returns to the mountains she loves, has been lost to idiotic plot twists and ridiculous melodrama. Time after time, as this movie play