Product Details

• Actors: Frances McDormand, Nigel Hawthorne, Hatty Jones, Ben Daniels, Arturo Venegas
• Directors: Daisy von Scherler Mayer
• Writers: Jennifer Flackett, Judy Rothman Rofé, Ludwig Bemelmans, Malia Scotch Marmo, Mark Levin
• Producers: Allyn Stewart, Michael Maliani
• Format: Anamorphic, Full Screen, Color, Dolby
• Language: English (Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo), English (Dolby Digital 5.1)
• Subtitles: English
• Region: Region 1 (U.S. and Canada only. Read more about DVD formats.)
  
• Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1
• Number of discs: 1
• Rating: PG (Parental Guidance Suggested)
• Studio: Sony Pictures
• DVD Release Date: December 15, 1998
• Run Time: 89 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars See all reviews (49 customer reviews)
• ASIN: 0767819659
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #6,900 in Movies & TV (See Bestsellers in Movies & TV)

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• For more information about "Madeline" visit the Internet Movie Database (IMDb)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com
The schoolgirl adventures of Madeline, a flame-haired orphan, are lovingly adapted from Ludwig Bemelmans's classic children's books. His sly and witty writing is transferred to this first-rate film, one that should not be thought of merely as childhood entertainment. Spunky Madeline is most adept at finding trouble. She is also a quick-witted and likable child who can solve almost any problem. Her latest scheme is to keep her school, which is also her home, from being sold by its owner, the recently widowed Lord Covington (Nigel Hawthorne). Unlike most youthful movie fare, this adventure boasts high production values that wisely include colorful Parisian locations. Hatty Jones is all spunky self-sufficiency and sweet innocence in the title role, and Frances McDormand is quite humorous as the stern school-mistress, Miss Clavel. --Rochelle O'Gorman

Product Description
IN AN OLD HOUSE IN PARIS THAT WAS COVERED IN VINES, TWELVE LITTLE GIRLS LIVED IN TWO STRAIGHT LINES. THE SMALLEST ONE IN RAIN OR SHINE WAS THE FEARLESS MADELINE, AND SHE IS THE HEROINE OF THIS FAMILY COMEDY.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A charming, entertaining masterpiece, December 30, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Madeline (VHS Tape)

Parents, you will love this movie. My four year old (and I) have seen it about 20 times already, and we limit TV to 30-60 minutes a day.

There are only 2 scary parts: Pepito wears a red devil mask and says "boo" to the girls who have sneaked into the kitchen; Pepito and Madeline are kidnapped by Pepito's tutor. I know the latter sounds terrible, but for some reason, it was not terrifying to my daughter. (We almost always watch with her.) This beats Disney the frightening animated movies in many ways. (Mary Poppins is a terrific exception.) There was one "damn" that I counted.

This was beautifully written, directed and acted.

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Sweet and Charming Children's Movie, March 29, 2002

By	Matthew Horner (USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

Madeline is a slight but utterly charming film taken from the children's books by Ludwig Bemelmas. It does not possess the dramatic content of The Secret Garden or A Little Princess, but it's free of the cynicism of the modern five-year old, as in The Rugrats Movie. It has an innocence which is downright old-fashioned. I liked it, and I am cynical and somewhat over the age of five.

Aren't the best stories about little girls often about orphans? That's what bright, adorable eight-year old Madeline is, as are her eleven schoolmates in a small private school in Paris. Usually the students dress alike, but they have several outfits. There are some wonderfully colorful scenes of the young ladies exploring the City of Lights. All have distinct personalities, which causes them to disagree on many subjects. This makes for some charming bits of dialog.

In charge of this group is the wise and tolerant nun, Miss Clavell, and the cold, lonely Lord Covington, whom the girls refer to by such names as Lord Coo Coo Face. These two characters are played by an American treasure, Francis McDormand, and a British one, Nigel Hawthorne. McDormand won an Oscar for Best Actress in Fargo, while Hawthorne was nominated for Best Actor in The Madness of King George. This picture is more of a holiday than an acting job for these major talents, but it's always nice to see them.

Madeline is spirited and exuberant. She gets into one mess after another. She winds up in the hospital, falls into the River Seine, nearly destroys the Spanish Embassy, smuggles a dog into the school and finds herself accidentally kidnapped by circus clowns. As directed by Daisy Von Scherler Mayer and portrayed by the delightful Hatty Jones, Madeline is never seen as a bad girl. She's simply a very bright and curious one.

The plot may be old hat and predictable, but the film is handled in such a light and lyrical style that I doubt many children will care. It's so professionally done that most adults caught having to sit through it should find it a pleasant hour and a half. Filmed on location in Paris, it is indeed lovely to look at.

Madeline got overlooked at the boxoffice in a very crowded 1998. Besides the already mentioned Rugrats, we were treated to three other animated film events - Antz, A Bug's Life and The Prince of Egypt. Hopefully, the less ambitious Madeline will find the audience it deserves on DVD.

Rated PG for a reason called "momentary language". If anyone knows what this phrase means, please let me know.

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars For all young at heart aged 2 to 122 years of age, November 8, 2004

By	Gary Selikow (Great Kush) - See all my reviews (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)

This review is from: Madeline [VHS] (VHS Tape)

A really exquisite movie that will make you laugh, cry, and keep putting it on again for more
The movie is about a girls school in Paris and the adventures of 12 adorable little girls, with the cutest and most interesting of all being the plucky flame haired little tyke, with a heart of gold Madeline (Hatty Jones).
With adventures taken from the timeless books, including little Madeleine's appendicitis, and her rescue from the water by the golden retriever Genevieve, the centerpiece of the story is the battle of the girls and their loving guardian Miss Clavel (Frances McDormand) to keep their school and their dog, against the cruel plans of Lord Covington (Nigel Hawthorne) and also foiling a thuggish tutor cum kidnapper Leopold (Ben Daniels)

This is really beautiful, not only for kids, but for all young at heart aged 2 to 122 years of age.

There are just so many wonderful memorable heart-stealing scenes, funny cute and poignant.