Customer Reviews

Pollyanna

5 star:		(22)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Georgina Terry plays Pollyanna with a sweet faced, ever-happy style that suits the plot. It's pretty faithful to the original plot of the missionary's daughter, orphaned and coming to live with a strict aunt. As Pollyanna plays her "Glad Game" and teaches it to the problem characters, the villagers' lives are transformed. Everyone from the reclusive misanthrope to the chronically ill to the town doctor find new ways of looking at life from interacting with the little girl.
The very name Pollyanna is now synonymous for unreasoning optimism due to this book. I loved this story when I read it as a child and am glad they treated it well in this remake.
The costumes and setting fit very well (although the original book was not English) and have the usual high quality of a Masterpiece Theater production.
I had to knock off a star because sometimes the actors spoke too fast or breathlessly so some of the dialogue is lost.

I recently watched the Masterpiece Theater version of Pollyanna. I have seen the Disney/Haley Mills version which is cute, but will give you a toothache. I wasn't sure what to expect because the story itself is very sweet, so it's not like it's going to vary from that too much. The Masterpiece Theater version is very good! The little girl who plays Pollyanna is exceptional. The costuming is wonderful, and the script is great (there are several laugh out loud moments). This version of Pollyanna is a fun production that you can enjoy without making you want to lapse into a coma from the sugary sweetness of it all.

This English Adaption is a brilliant contrast to Pollyanna starring Hayley Mills. It has a good British cast with Amanda Burton as Aunt Polly who is obsessed with health, Georgina Terry plays Pollyanna who finds something good in everyone. Georgina plays her well. At the end it is good that we see Pollyanna after her treatment to her back which unfortunately we do not see WIth POllyanna starring Hayley Mills.
Each film has its own uniqueness and contrast between GReat Britain and America .

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.

This film is a must-see and a wonderful treat for the whole family. My kids asked me to check it out from the library and after we watched it together as a whole family, I bought a copy from Amazon to add to our collection of family films. It's rare that a remake would outshine the original, but this one is in a class by itself and leaves the 1960 version in the dust. The casting and writing were superb; this film remains true to the book, which I appreciate. (I cannot tell you how annoying it is when filmmakers second-guess the classics and compromise the story in order to make it more "appealing.")

Amanda Burton did right by author Eleanor H. Porter in her interpretation of Aunt Polly. It would be so easy for an actress to make this a mere two-dimensional character, but Burton thoroughly masters this role. Georgina Terry is a wonderful Pollyanna. She is a relatively new to the film industry and she does have a few bad acting habits onscreen here and there that I noticed, but she was such a lovable Pollyanna that the shortcomings really don't matter.

As a mom I can wholly recommend this film to add to your family's home library. If you want your children to enjoy a film that embraces Christianity, upholds the sanctity of marriage, and tickles your eyes with sweet glimpses of English country living, then this DVD would probably be the best 18 bucks you've spent in a long time.

Pollyanna is a perfect movie to watch on a rainy day, with a cup of tea and a cozy blanket.

The story centres around Pollyanna who becomes an orphan and moves to her aunt. She's a very happy girl who wants to help others to be happy as well. When becoming an orphan she moves in with her aunt in a little english town. Pollyannas aunt is only on of the people in the town who has experienced some bad things in life and therefor is somewhat bitter. It doesn't take long before everyone is affected by her big heart and start open up their own. They soon have the opportunity to repay Pollyanna for her goodness when she has a terrible accident...

I would recommend this movie to everyone who wants to enjoy a warm and funny story. It's a perfect film to see with the whole family - Pollyanna will brighten your heart as well!

A giving, young girl brings warmth and cheer to older people, who had lost all joy. And so she visits you.

I had seen the Disney version first, and liked it at 4-stars. This is a completely different movie, though the same story. The Disney is more entertainment. This film is a warm, uplifting, friend coming to visit you. More depth. Moving. Beautiful English country homes, within a beautiful countryside. Some subtle humor. A pleasant film of encouragement.

Well-made period films are: "Pride & Prejudice 1940, 1996, 2006", "Wives & Daughters", "North & South", Disneys' "Summer Magic", and "Naughty Marietta 1935 with Jeanette MacDonald and Nelson Eddy". Fairly made is "Under the Greenwood Tree". Excellent period series is "Road to Avonlea seasons 1-6", and "Christy the Complete Series".

I watched this version of Pollyanna years after I had seen the Disney version, and was pleasantly surprised at how close it came to the book. Georgina Terry is exceptional, and leaves one wishing there were more to see. She absolutely owns the role, and you can't help but love her and all her gladness.

Is it just me, or does anybody else think she would make a wonderful Anne of Green Gables?

This new British adaptation of Eleanor H. Porter's children's classic is very good indeed. This is the second time British television has relocated the story to an English village, and the change neither harms nor helps. What does help, however, is the wonderful, energetic, and not-too-sweet performance of Georgina Terry in the title role. Amanda Burton gives us a truly believable Aunt Polly, and the rest of the cast, including an appropriately stern Kenneth Cranham, are beyond reproach. My only complaint is that the film feels slightly rushed. Although ample time is spent on Pollyanna's relationship with two of the town grumps, it would have helped to see her "gladness" affecting more of the village. In this adaptation the viewer is as shocked as Aunt Polly when half the town arrives to pay tribute at her sickbed. But this is an affecting and charming adaptation of an old-fashioned children's story- the kind they don't write anymore. Relish it!

The story is one of those classics with an adorable girl having to live with her disgruntled aunt after her mother's death and the little girl trying to change her aunt. The act of the little Pollyana (Georgina Terry) and others are skillful and in general everything goes well. However there are discontinuities in the filming. some events happen suddenly and sometimes you notice a sudden change that is beyond comprehension. For instance you cannot imagine an orphan and abandoned boy become noble in one day. I think the director wanted the movie to fit the time constraint, so he had to rush some of the scenes. Also the abrupt and unexpected end of the movie (where the story is still flowing) is a little confusing. I think those ending moments (happy or sad) should linger for a while so that the audience can absorb the depth opf the feeling and enjoy. Close to the end most of the scenes become chop-chop rush-rush.

So there are equally good and bad things that I think exists in this movie so I think a three-star is fair for this DVD.