Product Details

• Actors: Emma Bolger, Max von Sydow, Geraldine Chaplin, Diana Rigg, Pauline McLynn
• Directors: Paul Marcus
• Writers: Brian Finch, Johanna Spyri
• Producers: Branislav Brana Srdic, Christopher Figg, David Ball, H. Michael Heuser, James Atherton
• Format: Closed-captioned, Color, DVD, Subtitled, NTSC
• Language: English (Dolby Digital 5.1)
• Subtitles: Spanish, French
• Region: Region 1 (U.S. and Canada only. Read more about DVD formats.)
  
• Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
• Number of discs: 1
• Rating: NR (Not Rated)
• Studio: Warner Home Video
• DVD Release Date: August 8, 2006
• Run Time: 104 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (16 customer reviews)
• ASIN: B000FFL2H0
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #27,158 in Movies & TV (See Bestsellers in Movies & TV)
• For more information about "Heidi" visit the Internet Movie Database (IMDb)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

The beloved tale of Heidi, the Swiss miss whose indomitable spirit touches all those around her, despite having been dealt a harsh hand in life, gets a spunky boost in this 2005 film adaptation. A stellar cast includes Max von Sydow as Grandfather, a roiling-with-inner-rage Geraldine Chaplin as Rottenmeier, and a benevolent Diana Rigg as Grandmamma. At the center of their world--like it or not--is Heidi, played with irrepressible optimism by the adorable Emma Bolger. As the orphaned Heidi is flung from home to home, city to city, valley to mountain, by those who profess not to want her, she accepts her fate and still manages to cast sunshine on her bleak situation. This version features breathtaking scenery--Grandfather's mountain aerie looks more like a Canadian Rockies summer spread than a place of self-imposed solitary confinement. At times the pan-European cast gives the film a feel of being the United Nations on location; Chaplin and Rigg's upper-crust British accents clash with von Sydow's clipped Swedish delivery, and Bolger's accent adorably reflects her Dublin roots. (Only the goats truly look Swiss.) But the story of Heidi has a huge heart, and this film is family entertainment in the best sense of the word. --A.T. Hurley

Product Description

Set in the Swiss Alps 100 years ago, Heidi is the story of a young orphan girl who is sent to stay with her grandfather in the High Alps. A tale of the indomitable spirit of children amid the hardships of an adult world, Heidi has been a favourite childhood fiction for generations around the world.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

43 of 43 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars At last !, September 8, 2006

By	bookloversfriend (United States) - See all my reviews (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)

The story in this movie is faithful to the book in almost all respects. More important, the movie is faithful to the spirit of the book. The characters are appealing, and Max von Sydow manages to play the grandfather's gruff moments without alienating the audience. Also, the screenwriter obviously learned a thing or two from the previous movie versions and incorporated some of the effective touches from those movies.

The Shirley Temple version is very good at the beginning, then the screenwriter throws the book away, and the chase scenes and the cloak-and-dagger intrigue are not only ineffective but embarrassing.

The 1952 version shortens the story but adds a nice touch of having her Aunt lie to Heidi about being able to return to the mountains.

The 1968 version almost throws the book away and the child is too old for the role, but the scenery and the music are very good.

The 1993 version reproduces most of the story of the book but throws the book away at the end. Also, the characters are totally different, even antithetical, to what they are in the book. I tried watching it a second time just to be sure and I couldn't make it through the movie.

So, this is THE version of the book.

The minor departures are the grandfather's angry reaction when Heidi returns. (Fortunately, this is only momentary.) And the walking. The movie has Clara take her first steps as a result of a situation of danger. Thereafter, however, they do put in the patient physical therapy which the grandfather practices to enable Clara to walk by the end of the summer.

A nice touch is the addition of the doctor's role in Dorfli. None of the other movie versions saw fit to put it in. This movie not only puts it in but shows why it is important. The child who plays Heidi is appealing and close enough in age.

15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars I LOVED this version! Finally the real Heidi!, October 24, 2006

By	Aileen Hallenbeck "Fiction painter" (Atlanta GA USA) - See all my reviews

I loved this version of Johanna Spyri's classic novel. Emma Bolger is so cute and sweet and just how I had always pictured Heidi. This story follows the book better than any I have ever seen. Sometimes it is quite sad - we cried during some scenes. But Max Von Sydow and Emma Bolger show the wonderful relationship between Grandparent and Grandchild. The acting and directing are Superb! I rarely give 5 stars but I certainly will this time.

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Loved this version of Heidi, November 9, 2006

By	DFH (Somerville, MA) - See all my reviews

I was always a fan of the Shirley Temple version of Heidi because it was sentimental and it touched my heart-strings! I enjoyed this version so much because of the photography, the actors, and as an adult now I felt the story touched broadly on "life" themes of hurt, forgiveness, love and joy of simple living and of life in general....not to mention the happy ending which I'm always a sucker for. Thorougly enjoyable and one I know I'll watch and share over and over again.