Steineded
How sad is this?
Crwthod
A lot more amusing than I thought it would be.
Abbigail Bush
what a terribly boring film. I'm sorry but this is absolutely not deserving of best picture and will be forgotten quickly. Entertaining and engaging cinema? No. Nothing performances with flat faces and mistaking silence for subtlety.
thefox477
This movie was charming. The acting was stellar and the script even better. I wish these people were my friends, especially the father. It is a very progressive film as far as traditions vs. progress goes, and that theme is an important one that is maintained throughout the movie. I have little complaints about this little gem except that the ending seemed a little rushed and it was not believable to me that the main actress would choose to not acknowledge the fact that she had just inherited a fortune. It was also not believable to me that the thief who was en route to escaping justice when he has a last minute change of heart and decides to go back and turn himself in. I suppose I am just nitpicking, and I assume that the author of the book of which this movie is based had her reasons for having things played out like that. If you're a lover of the period piece, appreciate good acting and writing, then this film is for you.
GrayAreaDVM
I saw this first in 1997 on the Kraft something-something (CBS). The very first part looked so refreshing that I threw in a tape and have absolutely been gone on it ever since. I had read about the newly discovered manuscript and book publication at an earlier time. I bought several copies of the book and gave them out as gifts to friends and relatives. Everyone who has watched it with me has loved it. My brother, in from Knoxville once, and after watching the usual popular movies at that time, was, up to that point fairly unimpressed. I decided to put it in. He watched and even though he had not even commented on any of the others, he looked at me after the end credits then lights on, and said, "That was a good one." You have to know my understated Economics Professor-of-a brother to know how funny that comment was and how it pleased me. The filmed presentation and its screenplay are more flowing, integrated and related to a self-contained start-to-finish story than is the actual book. The scene where Edith is with her ailing uncle, her innocence, her lack of guile or ability to deceive, contrive or lie, is unbelievably attractive in character and essence. Edith is so transparently good and kind and always helping others without taking credit this story is about the rewards of that goodness and that sweetness. There are hints from the beginning that are noticed after the fact, about where the relationships lie and why certain people do what they do and act the way they do. How could the entire story be so simple and yet enchanting enough to cause me to think of it all the time. When Edith first meets Percy by the horse, spilling her apples and yet touching his scratched face with her handkerchief I loved the way the directors let us know the magic was on. When Percy comes in the house for the first time and meets her Edith cannot hide her bright-eyed, innocent crush and that she has met him already. Her facial expressions are uniquely well done as she hides behind the curtain. You can see that she is jealous already, even though she knows he is not there for her nor could there be a crossing of social barriers, yet he was hers, she thought. How many movies are there where one kiss, just one kiss is so dramatic? With all the thrills, spills and chills in modern movies, needed to even keep an audience awake, is this not a gem for those of us who are just plain in love with love?
Kwantic
I've seen this movie about 5 or more times, and it never ceases to touch me. I'm a huge fan a Louisa May Alcott (Little Women is one of my all time favorite books). So it greatly surprised me that I enjoyed the movie better then the book. The movie was well done, sticking to the book, but also changing a few details. They changed enough details to improve the over all story, but not enough to create a whole new story. For fans of the book, there's no reason that you won't enjoy this film. This movie presents a simple, sweet, and at times moving story. Edith is a 'servant' in the Hamilton's house. A Young Women of character, something that's so rare these days. The actors do a great job portraying there roles. Scenery for this movie is breath taking. Definitely worth every penny you spend to buy it.
sarajevo-2
The heroine, way too good to be true, is an orphan taken in by a rich but liberal man, well played by Tom Conti, as a 'companion' for his daughter. A relative, way too evil to be true, comes to visit, and they vie for the family favor and the attentions of the eligible bachelors. Slow moving and trite, a complete fairy tale, but decently acted, with a plot worthy of a teenager, even though the teenager was Lousisa May Alcott.
