Customer Reviews

Eloise at the Plaza [VHS]

5 star:		(43)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

It dawned a rainy day here in Pennsylvania. My five year old woke up with the flu, feeling positively miserable. I reached into my secret stash of Christmas gifts and pulled out the Eloise movie (recently purchased).

Let me tell you, this sweet, funny movie made my daughter giggle, even through her body aches and upset tummy.

This movie is a brilliant, absolutely fabulous. The casting was wonderful. Julie Andrews as a totally different kind of Nanny is funny and warm. Sophia V, the girl who plays Eloise, is hilarious and extremely talented. The Plaza in the 50s comes to life through the colorful, elegant sets.

Get this movie. It is adorable and fun.

This movie was even cuter than I expected, and quite well done. Julie Andrews looks -exactly- like the Nanny pictured in Kay Thompson and Hillary Knight's books. The movie perfectly captures Eloise's endless enthusiasm, as she shows the world what it means to be 6-years-old and living largely unsupervised in one of New York's fanciest hotels. I'm glad this thoroughly likable movie is finally coming out on VHS/DVD, since I missed taping it when it aired on ABC. I had no idea it would be so charming!

When I was little, I loved the Eloise books. When I saw that a movie was being made, I was really excited. I made sure to tape it and have watched it many times, but the quality is, of course, not as good as the DVD will be- so I am going to buy the DVD! The casting in this movie is really good- Sofia and Julie Andrews are wonderful.

Six-year-old Eloise (Sofia Vassilieva), is a crazy, fun-loving, curious little girl living in New York's fabulous Plaza Hotel, who manages to find mystery, mayhem, and adventure, no matter where she goes, while her wonderful Nanny (Julie Andrews) chases her all over the place. And, in ELOISE AT THE PLAZA, Eloise sure does get into a lot of mischief. She's trying to wrangle herself an invitation to New York's biggest society event of the season, the Debutante ball, searching for a Prince who is supposedly staying at the Plaza, and playing matchmaker for Nanny, who just happens to have a secret crush on a certain Lord living at the hotel.

With appearances by Jeffrey Tambor, playing a fantastically neurotic Mr. Salamone, Hilary Knight, the original artist who illustrated all of the ELOISE books, and a dog and turtle, playing Skipperdee and Weenie, who couldn't be more precious, ELOISE AT THE PLAZA is sure to please even the most cold-hearted person. A must-have for all. You won't be disappointed.

Erika Sorocco

OK, I honestly don't know what that guy is on, but how can he say Eloise is a terrible role-model? In a society filled with people such as Britney or Christina most parents would be thrilled to know that their 14 year old daughter admires someone half her age who says and does what everyone (regardless of age)is thinking, or wants to do! No matter who you are and what age you are, you have something to learn from Eloise, whether that means stay in style with her Adrianne Vitadini pink and white striped sheets (which I have by the way, but I've had them for 8 years), or to take a risk, stand up to someone, and to be yourself no matter what the circumstances! Eloise, in my opinion is a fabulous role model, for young kids, teens wanting to stay young, or adults wanting to let out that Eloise that I know for a fact is in us all!!

Was that kinda preachy??? lol
and just for the record--i am 14!

I have loved Eloise since I saw a TV special long ago in the days of live TV. Eloise is not a 'brat'; she is a free spirit who loves adventure and is not afraid to try things. She is an experimenter. Eloise is what children would like to be, if only they dared. Sofia brings the absolute essence of Eloise to the screen (I can't imagine anyone doing the role better), and her 'supporting' cast of stars are excellent. I agree that they should make all the Eloise movies while Sofia is still little. I would buy them all for myself (and, of course, my grandchildren, especially the granddaughters). My granddaughters will certainly get this one in their Christmas stockings.

As a longtime Eloise fan who also knows a lot of the background behind the books and their author, Kay Thompson, I am astounded that the DVD extras -- or liner notes -- failed to mention several obvious tributes to Thompson that were in the telemovie. First, the "signature Eloise pink" color that appears throughout the costume and set design could also be seen as a sly reference to Thompson, whose big musical number in the Hepburn/Astaire classic film "Funny Face" was, oddly enough, "Think Pink!" Also, at the close of the movie, when you see Eloise through a doorway embracing a shadowy figure that is obviously her mother, you also see a clue to Eloise's real mother, Kay Thompson, in the oversized white hat that the shadowy figure is wearing, one of Thompson's signature accessories.
Perhaps this can be rectified in the DVD release of "Eloise At Christmastime." It would be a shame to deny Kay Thompson at least some of her richly deserved recognition. Artist Hilary Knight gets more than enough "props," ironic when you consider that it was Knight who was largely responsible for stalling the reissuance of the classic Eloise books, as he "didn't want to only be remembered as the guy who drew Eloise." I can think of a lot worse things to be remembered for.
Please...more background on the genius Kay Thompson!

This is a great movie for children and adults alike. Eloise has a little something to offer for children (free-spiritedness and creativity) and adults (a message about listening and opening your heart while speaking your mind) - and a fun way of delivering it! I have always adored Kay Thompson's Eloise character - with her messy hair and silly antics and wild energy! Seeing her come to life through Sofia Vassilieva was a pure joy! Julie Andrews is fantastic as "Nanny"! To be honest, I can't think of a single flaw in this fun little film. It is my 5-year-old daughter's new favorite - and I'm happy to watch it with her over and over again. Eloise is not a perfectly well-behaved princess - but what little girl really IS? I don't think a discussion of role models is even appropriate in the realm of entertainment - if you're looking for role models, read to your children and BE their role model. Eloise is fun and full of life and spirit - and if we all absorb even a fraction of her energy and creativity we'll be better off for it. I hope my daughter is as free-spirited and expressive at age 6 as the fun-loving Eloise - that would prove to me that I am allowing her to be a child in every way possible! What could be better than that?

I absolutely love this movie and I watch it almost everyday! Sofia Vassilieva did an amazing job portraying the fun-loving, hyper, and happy Eloise. Ever since I was little I was always compared to Eloise being all skippy and silly, but no where could the casting agents have found a better Eloise. Julie Andrews's character of Nanny is the complete opposite of the other nanny characters that she played in the past and also did a great job showing her "true-Nanny" on screen.
I would definitely recommend this movie for all ages as it will put a huge smile on your face!

This movie is incredibly well done. Excellent casting and a charming story lead to a very engrossing tale of a mischievous six year old girl with a heart of gold who causes a lot of trouble in a way that real children love to watch, but at bottom, is a sweet kid who is just trying to fill her days living at the Plaza with fun. The movie is styled in a way that is asynchronous. The dresses are very fifties-ish, yet the cars are from the nineties. The music is very American Songbook, yet the props and cultural references are all over the map. The result is a timeless story that is appealing to adults and children alike. Any girl from age three up to 103 will like this story. Boys aged four or five through probably ten or eleven will love Eloise. Parents will love it because if their children get into one of those video ruts in which all they want to watch is Eloise, it is an enjoyable ninety minutes to which to listen. There is no violence, no inappropriate content of any kind, and no "scary bit", yet the movie still has a lot of texture and intrigue. In addition, Eloise, although not well-behaved, is, in certain ways, a decent role model for girls, expressing herself articulately, and solving her own problems (in the context of her own simultaneously privileged yet neglected little microcosm). I've seen this movie probably two dozen times now with my four year old daughter and her friends (which regularly include a six year old girl and a nine year old boy), and I (and they) never tire of it. I recommend it highly.