Anne of Green Gables (1985 film)

Anne of Green Gables is a 1985 film. It was originally made for television airing and was directed by Kevin Sullivan.

Plot
Mrs. Rachel Lynde is sitting down at her knitting when a most unusual sight greets her from outside. She goes out to the veranda to see Matthew Cuthbert, the shyest man in Avonlea, driving his buggy in one of his best suits down the road. Mr. Thomas Lynde says that Matthew might be "going courtin'" and Mrs. Lynde tells him not to be ridiculous. Mrs. Lynde, being who she is in a nutshell, then decides to visit Marilla Cuthbert at Green Gables to find out exactly what is happening. Mrs. Lynde finds out that the Cuthberts are adopting a boy about eleven from a Nova Scotia orphan asylum to help around Green Gables farm. Mrs. Lynde reveals to Marilla her pessimistic doubts about any orphan boy turning out to be a decent person. Marilla explains herself she had some qualms about it, but since Matthew so rarely set his mind so much to anything, she felt it her duty to give in when he did.

Meanwhile, at the Bright River train station, waiting for Matthew is not the eleven-year-old boy the Cuthberts had sent word for, but a skinny, freckled, grey-eyed, redheaded orphan girl. She is the main heroine, Anne Shirley, and she is twelve when she first appears in the movie, while in the book she is eleven. Anne had lost both of her parents, Walter and Bertha Shirley, many years ago, and had to live among negligent families who really wanted little or nothing to do with her, and Mrs. Hammond was only too happy to send Anne back to the orphan asylum after Mr. Hammond's death. Anne sees Matthew approach and he drives Anne back to Green Gables. Along the way, Anne finds many things to talk about, from the lifelong sorrow of having red hair to the white beauty of The Avenue, which Anne gives her own name, the White Way of Delight, and renames Barry's Pond the Lake of Shining Waters. She says it is truly the most wonderful feeling in the world to think that she'll finally belong to somebody. "This is the first real dream that's ever come true for me."

When both Matthew and Anne arrive at Green Gables, Marilla sees the orphan girl in her terrible wincey dress and asks Matthew who she is and where the boy is. Matthew explains that there wasn't any boy, there was only her and he couldn't just leave her there no matter where the mistake had come in. It begins to dawn on Anne that the Cuthberts don't want her because she isn't a boy. Anne begins to cry about this and being in the 'depths of despair' because no one ever wanted her. Marilla tells Anne not to cry about it.

The next day, Marilla goes to see Mrs. Alexander Spencer to see what could be done about the mistake, and Matilda Blewett offers to take Anne off of Marilla's hands, but as Marilla later remarked, "I wouldn't give a dog I liked to that Blewett woman." So, Marilla makes up her mind to adopt Anne permanently.

About a fortnight later, Mrs. Lynde makes a visit to Green Gables to see the orphan, very sorry that there was such a mistake as she heard about. When Anne is introduced by Marilla to Mrs. Lynde, Mrs. Lynde makes certain outspoken remarks about Anne being terribly skinny and homely, and that her hair is as red as carrots. Nobody ever says any such things about Anne's hair if they know any better. Anne loses her temper and says terrible things about Mrs. Lynde, leaving both Marilla and Mrs. Lynde horrified at Anne's behaviour, while Anne runs outside in bitter tears. She is punished by Marilla by being confined to her room until she apologizes to Mrs. Lynde, which Anne stubbornly refuses to do initially. But thanks to Matthew, Anne does eventually make amends with Mrs. Lynde, who believes Anne may turn out all right after all.

Anne believes that Marilla's amethyst brooch was romantically elegant and goes into her room one day while Marilla is out to have a look at it. When Marilla comes back, she can't find the brooch anywhere and asks Anne where it is. Anne makes a 'confession', that she had taken it to wear temporarily and lost it, and Marilla nearly sends Anne to live with Mrs. Blewett until Matthew finds the brooch dangling from her outdoor shawl. Marilla tells Anne that it wasn't right for her to tell a lie, but that she drove her to it. Marilla and Anne forgive each other and go to the Sunday-School picnic where Anne meets the Rev. Allan and Mrs. Allan, Mr. and Mrs. Barry and makes her first real bosom friend, Diana Barry.

Anne's first day at school in Avonlea begins without any incident, until Gilbert Blythe, who just came back from New Brunswick, makes the unfortunate mistake of getting Anne's attention by whispering, "hey carrots...carrots!" Anne does more than look at Gilbert. She stands right up, screams, "HOW DARE YOU!" and brings her slate down on Gilbert's head, breaking it in half. As a punishment, Mr. Phillips makes Anne stand up at the blackboard while he writes that Anne Shirley has a very nasty temper and that she needs to learn to control her temper. However, the worst offence to Anne is that Mr. Phillips spelled her name without an "e". Gilbert tries to apologize several times to Anne without any success. Anne is stubbornly determined not to acknowledge Gilbert's existence from that day on.

Anne, desperate to get rid of her red hair, buys some hair dye from a German peddler who assures Anne that it will turn Anne's hair a beautiful raven black. To Anne's dismay, and Marilla's astonishment, the dye turns Anne's red hair a very ugly green. Unfortunately, Marilla has to cut Anne's hair very short, because it is a fast dye.

One day, Anne invites Diana to Green Gables for tea, and Anne goes to the pantry and brings out a bottle of what she thinks is the raspberry cordial Marilla described to her earlier. Anne offers it to Diana, telling her to take as much as she wants. After three tumblerfulls, Diana complains that she is very sick and Anne sends her home. The worst is still to come, however. Diana stumbles down in front of Mrs. Barry and Mrs. Lynde and is sick in the rosebushes. It turns out that Anne gave Diana currant wine, and set Diana drunk. Though only an accident, Mrs. Barry forbids Diana from associating with Anne again. They both say the most pathetic, sorrowful goodbyes. Anne decids to go back to school so she will at least see her bosom friend, though she is not allowed to speak to her. Mr. Phillips leaves Avonlea, and in his place is a lady teacher named Miss Muriel Stacey. Anne had finds another kindred spirit once she meets her new teacher.

Winter comes to Avonlea, and Marilla and Mrs. Lynde have gone away to Ottawa to meet the Prime Minister and Anne is left at Green Gables with Matthew. One evening, Diana runs to Green Gables in a terrible state because Minnie May, her younger sister, is very sick with croup and the doctor is gone on another appointment. Anne grabs the bottle of ipecac, and, knowing what to do, saves Minnie May's life. Mrs. Barry then knows that what happened to Diana really was an accident and Anne is allowed to be best friends with Diana again. Anne is invited to go to the winter ball with the Barry family and stay overnight at the Barrys' house. At first, Marilla says no, but then gives in, because Matthew sticks to his opinion that Anne ought to be allowed to go. Matthew also buys Anne her first really pretty dress with puffed sleeves to wear to the ball.

Back at the Barrys' house, Anne and Diana decide to have a race to see who will get into bed first. This wouldn't be a bad thing, but Diana's Aunt Josephine Barry is sleeping in that bed, and the two girls wake her up with a pounce. Miss Barry is very cross with Diana the next day and refuses to pay for her music lessons. Anne makes the confession to Miss Barry that it was her idea to have the race to see who would get into the bed first. Surprisingly, Anne finds another kindred spirit, and Diana is also forgiven and able to have music lessons again. Anne and Diana are even invited on one occasion to stay at Miss Barry's mansion.

At some point during the summer, Anne, Diana, Ruby Gillis and Jane Andrews are pretending to be in Camelot and that Anne is the unfortunate Lily Maid after reading Tennyson's poem, The Lady of Shalott. Anne, or the Lily Maid, is bidden a final farewell as the other three girls push Anne out on the lake in Mr. Barry's dory. It begins to leak water from the inside and then sink, and Anne is just fortunate to be able to grab onto one of the bridgepoles, and hold on for dear life until help comes, though not the help Anne is expecting. Gilbert Blythe saves Anne and rows her back to shore, but Anne is still stubborn and unforgiving. She won't say much more than a coldly formal "thank you, young Mr. Blythe", and a goodbye.

The Queen's Class is organized for any Avonlea students intending to study at Queen's Academy to become teachers. Anne, Ruby, Jane, Gilbert, Charlie Sloane, Moody Spurgeon MacPherson, and even Josie Pye are going to take the entrance exams, but not Diana, whose mother wants her to learn to be a traditional housewife like she did.

Anne passes the examinations and Miss Stacey, Marilla, and Matthew are very proud of her. Anne also eventually wins the Avery Scholarship at Queen's, while Gilbert wins the gold medal. Everything changes when Matthew dies and Marilla stands to lose Green Gables. Anne decides to sacrifice going off to Redmond College to stay with Marilla and help if it would mean keeping Green Gables. Gilbert decides to teach at Carmody (White Sands in the novel) instead of Avonlea School, leaving that one for Anne. At last, Anne forgives Gilbert for what happened a long time ago, and the movie ends with them becoming friends.

Main cast

 * Megan Follows as Anne Shirley
 * Colleen Dewhurst as Marilla Cuthbert
 * Richard Farnsworth as Mathew Cuthbert
 * Schuyler Grant as Diana Barry
 * Jonathan Crombie as Gilbert Blythe

Other cast

 * Patricia Hamilton as Rachel Lynde
 * Miranda de Pencier as Josie Pye
 * Trish Nettleton as Jane Andrews
 * Jennifer Inch as Ruby Gillis
 * Zack Ward as Moody Spurgeon MacPherson
 * Robert Collins as Mr. Barry
 * Rosemary Radcliffe as Elizabeth Barry
 * Morgan Chapman as Minnie May Barry
 * Marilyn Lightstone as Muriel Stacy
 * Christiane Kruger as Mrs. Allan
 * Cedric Smith as Reverend Allan
 * Paul Brown as Teddy Phillips
 * Wendy Lyon as Prissy Andrews
 * Samantha Langevin as Mrs. Blewett
 * Vivian Reis as Sarah Spencer


 * David Hughes as Thomas Lynde
 * Charmion King as Josephine Barry
 * Jackie Burroughs as Amelia Evans
 * Joachim Hansen as John Sadler
 * Jayne Eastwood as Mrs. Hammond
 * Ray Ireland as Mr. Hammond
 * Dawn Greenhalgh as Mrs. Cadbury
 * Jack Mather as Station Master
 * Mag Ruffman as Alice Lawson
 * Sean McCann as Dr O'Reilly
 * Roxolana Roslak as Madame Selitsky
 * Sandra Scott as Mrs. Harrington
 * David Roberts as Tom
 * Nancy Beatty as Essie

Co-starring

 * Robert Haley as Professor
 * Anna Ferguson as Punch Woman
 * Rex Southgate as Section Head
 * Julianna Saxton as Pink Woman
 * Molly Thom as Lace Woman


 * Jennifer Irwin as Student
 * Sandra Scott as Mrs. Harrington
 * Peter Sturgess as Porter
 * Martha Maloney as Fairview Nurse
 * Stuart Hamilton as Mme. Selitsky's Accompanist

Casting

 * Mag Ruffman, who plays Aunt Olivia in Road to Avonlea, also plays Alice Lawson in Anne of Green Gables (1985) and Anne of Green Gables: The Sequel.
 * Jackie Burroughs portrayed Amelia Evans in Anne of Green Gables. She also appeared in Road to Avonlea as main character, Hetty King.
 * Cedric Smith, who played Reverend Allan in Anne of Green Gables, also portrayed Alec King, one of lead characters in Road to Avonlea.
 * Paul Brown portrayed Teddy Phillips, teacher at Avonlea School, in Anne of Green Gables. In Road to Avonlea, he played Patent Clerk.
 * Jennifer Inch, who played Ruby Gillis in two Anne films, also appeared in Road to Avonlea as Maid at the Stanley Estate and Sara's mother.
 * Dawn Greenhalgh, the mother of Megan Follows, portrayed Ms. Cadbury in Anne of Green Gables. In Road to Avonlea, she played Matron.
 * Robert Collins portrayed George Barry in Anne of Green Gables and Anne of Green Gables: The Sequel. In Road to Avonlea he appeared in role of Blair Stanley.
 * Charmion King, who portrayed Josephine Barry in Anne of Green Gables and Anne of Green Gables: The Sequel, also played Mrs. Allan in 1952 TV series  Anne of Green Gables.

Differences from the book

 * In the book, Anne's lady teacher's name is spelt "Muriel Stacy", whereas in the film, it's spelt "Muriel Stacey" (with an extra "e").
 * In the book, Moody Spurgeon MacPherson's surname is MacPherson. In the film, his middle name becomes his surname.
 * In the book the lady clerk's name at Lawson's was Lucilla Harris. In the film, it is Alice Lawson.

Mistakes

 * When Anne takes the gift from Rachel and leaves, a couple of moments later you can see the red-wrapped package is still sitting on the table next to Rachel.
 * When Marilla shows Anne to her room, Anne's hat brushes Marilla's face. As Marilla turns you can plainly see that she is having a hard time trying not to burst out laughing.
 * When Mr. Phillips has Anne write lines on the board, in the first shot, the "s" in Shirley is written in cursive, and in the second shot, it is printed.
 * In the scene when Diana is invited to tea and then Anne follows her home after Diana has become drunk, Anne's tights change colours from black to white several times.

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