User blog:SusannahWithAnH/My Review of L.M. Montgomery's Anne of Green Gables

(Psst: This is kind of a LONG review! Maybe go get something to eat or drink while you read.)

Yesterday, I went to the cinema with my mum and sister and watched L.M. Montgomery's Anne of Green Gables, starring Ella Ballentine as Anne. Today, I'm sitting down with a mug of tea and attempting to write a coherent review of the movie. Here goes.

My Cinema Experience
Fun fact: we wanted to go to an earlier (cheaper) session, but it was all booked out, so we had to go to the afternoon session instead. The cinema was nearly full, and consisted of a good range of ages (it was a public holiday), from older couples to parents with children and teenagers (usually girls). The audience was very responsive and laughed at all the funny parts in the movie. It was lovely vibe, and I got the impression that everyone enjoyed the movie a lot.

The Movie Itself (spoilers)
When I first heard that Breakthrough Entertainment's production of Anne of Green Gables was going to be a 90-minute film instead of a TV series, I was disappointed, but curious about how much story they would try to fit in.

True to the early press releases, there were a few (brief) depictions of Anne's unhappy life before Green Gables. We get the sense that she's been starved for affection and made to work hard all her life. While telling her history to Marilla, Anne mentions the Thomas family, the Hammond family and Miss Carlyle from the orphanage (who appears in Before Green Gables).

At the beginning of the movie, I thought Martin Sheen as Matthew was too talkative, but I quickly grew to like him. The scene with Abner the pig at the start of the movie was funny and offered a start contrast with the dim scene of Anne on the train with Lily Jones and Mrs Spencer. Sara Botsford was an excellent Marilla.

Diana was passable (though I found the scene where she and Anne are talking about fairies a little out of character for her) and Josie's five minutes of fame were quite satisfactory. I was a bit disappointed that we barely saw Ruby at all, and Jane Andrews apparently wasn't included. Unfortunately, I didn't like this Gilbert much, even though I tried to. He didn't look at all like what Gilbert should, and the scenes he was in seemed less natural than the others. I thought Ella Ballentine did an excellent job as Anne. Her chatter was endearing and funny rather than annoying, and she looked the part. Her red hair (I know it's not natural) was just beautiful.

Since the film was only ninety minutes long, it was quite condensed. Still, I think it managed to capture the essence of the original book. It still contained many of the scenes, such as (these are not in order) Anne losing her temper at Mrs Lynde, the brooch incident, Anne and Diana becoming friends, Anne accidentally setting Diana drunk on currant wine, Anne hitting Gilbert with her slate after he calls her 'Carrots' and Anne saving Minnie May's life. There is no Lady of Shalott, Queen's Academy or death of Matthew, but no doubt the movie would have felt crowded.

It was interesting to see nods to the original novel or other adaptations. The story Anne tells Minnie May, for instance, is from the novel, and is 'The Jealous Rival', which Anne wrote for school. Also, Anne introduces herself by name to Matthew at the station, like she does in the 1934 and 1985 movies. In the book, she doesn't reveal her name until Marilla asks her.

There was one moment when Anne woke up and I expected her to run to the window and throw it open, like she always did in the 1979 anime! My sister was unreasonably disappointed because she said the layout of Green Gables was too spread out, and wanted it to have a little window with a window-seat and a roof, like in the anime. I thought this was funny, but it just goes to show how we all have different expectations.

It was sweet, and a nice continuity nod, the way Anne asked Matthew what made the roads red at the start of the movie, and he found out the answer and told her when they were waiting for the train at the end. On that note, the movie starting and ending with a train journey made for good bookends, and it was touching to see how Anne's relationship with Matthew and Marilla changed over the course of the movie.

Differences from the Book (spoiler central)
Matthew is late picking up Anne because he was trying to capture one of his pigs, and fell in a pile of manure.

The Avenue (the White Way of Delight) has become a path by Green Gables, rather than on the road from the Bright River station to Avonlea.

Josie Pye dares Anne to go to the middle of the frozen lake and check if the "upside down man" in the lake really is a man instead of a pair of boots set upside down on the ice. In the book, she dares Anne to walk the ridgepole of the Barry roof at Diana's party. (Side note: my sister pointed out that Anne 'did an Amy', referring to Amy in Little Women, who falls into a frozen pond while ice skating!)

While the book takes place over five years, the movie takes place over one.

Matthew doesn't go to the general store for Anne's dress, but instead goes straight to Mrs Lynde. Anne's puffed sleeve dress is blue (like in the 1985 miniseries) instead of brown, like in the book.

Diana has brown hair rather than black.

Gilbert Blythe has straight light brown hair rather than curly dark hair. Anne still stays mad at him, but there's a moment when he passes her a Christmas bow to hang up, and although she dismisses him, she smiles when he's not looking. It's an obvious nod to them reconciling in the book, but I didn't know what to think.

The Lady of Shalott, the Story Club, Jane Andrews, Miss Stacy, Matthew's death, 'The Jealous Rival', the Allans, the Haunted Wood, Josephine Barry, Anne sitting next to Gilbert as punishment and Anne dyeing her hair green are all omitted.

Matthew has heart problems, but does not die at the end.

I'm not sure if I heard this correctly, as Anne said it very quickly, but I think her parents died when she was five years old, rather than three months, as in the books.

The overarching plot of the movie is Anne's fear that she will be sent away from Green Gables. Marilla enlists the help of some kind of Presbyterian orphan/family society (I forgot what it was called, though it was named) and asks them to find a home for Anne. After a year, they find a good place with a family of four children (all about Anne's age) in Nova Scotia (I think), and enclose a train ticket for Anne's journey. Marilla sends Matthew off with Anne to the train station, but finds herself missing Anne's presence. Mrs Lynde goes to Green Gables and tells Marilla to go and fetch Anne before it's too late. They arrive at the station just as the train arrives, and Marilla tells Anne how much she means to them, and says Anne has become family to them, and can stay at Green Gables.

Final Thoughts
I'm really glad I got a chance to see it, and overall, I would rate this film a solid seven out of ten. It's not mind-blowing, but it is a very nice film, and a lovely introduction to Anne. However, because I have read the book, I felt the ending of the movie seemed unfinished. If it had been a miniseries or a full series, I am sure it would have been even better, but because it was only one and a half hours long, the creators had to do their best with the limited time they had.