A Little Princess

Well no. My Dad didn't call me a princess, and that's because I'm a guy. But after seeing this movie, I was really beginning to wish I was. "A Little Princess" is quite simply amazing. It is the most magical family movie there is. I just can't recommend it high enough. I saw this at the movie theater, 7 times and it is quite easily my favorite film of all time.

Set in 1914, "A Little Princess" tells the story of a girl called Sara who goes to a strict boarding school while her father from England goes to fight the War. The school is run by a mean spirited head teacher called Miss Minchin. From the start, Miss Minchin is jealous of Sara who considers herself to be a princess. After all, her Papa has told her that she will always be his little princess. Despite the harshness of Miss Minchin, Sara continues to fill those around her with magic as she tells stories to them of a beautiful princess and her prince.

The emotion begins early in this movie, firstly being when Sara and her Papa say goodbye as he goes into war. Midway through the movie Sara hears that her Papa has been killed in battle. I have to say, when I watched this I was gone. Ok I wasn't gone yet, but I was holding the tears in. Actress Liesel Matthews who plays Sara is so genuine, and director Alfonso Cuaron definitely brings out the best in her. It is at the end which is complimented by the music of Patrick Doyle, that I really did feel a few tears going by my face. It happened just after Sara realized she may truly have lost her father forever.

The DVD itself just has a trailer and it would be great if it had more extras, but the moie is just so wonderful that you have to buy this DVD. In addition, the subtle Dolby Digital 5.1 is just right for a movie such as this.

"A Little Princess" made my heart feel so much, and I really felt like a girl, getting upset over a family movie like this. I guess I was getting in touch with my inner princess. Maybe I am a princess after all.


Every girl dreams of being a princess!   April 17, 2001
Rebecca Johnson (Washington State)
19 out of 21 found this review helpful

If you remember seeing Shirley Temple in the 1939 "The Little Princess," this is the same basic plot with a wonderful new twist. The story is based on the beloved classic by the same author of The Secret Garden.

The movie opens with some stunningly beautiful scenes from India and all too suddenly Sara Crewe must leave with her father who is being called away for military duties. Sara has to go live in a New York boarding school. Through her experiences she learns to survive in the world and takes each day as it comes. Her vivid imagination is a pure delight and when she tells her magical stories, they are played out in a fairy tale like way onscreen. This contrasts with her real life at the school.

Sara's fun-loving spirit does get her into trouble from time to time. Overall, she is just used to living with her father and being free to do mostly what she likes. In her new school she has to follow many rules. She draws strength from her father's words to help her believe in herself. He tells her that she will always be his little princess.

A wonderful movie which shows that if we make the best of our circumstances, we will be blessed in the end. Five stars for storytelling magic!

~The Rebecca Review


Nice movie, too bad about the ending   September 7, 2001
Patti Whaley (London, UK)
19 out of 23 found this review helpful

This was one of my favourite books when I was a little girl. The movie is well done, but I was disappointed at the "Hollywood ending" that replaced the original ending of the book; it's unnecessary and it doesn't ring true. In the book, although Sara is adopted by the wealthy man next door, who turns out to be her father's business partner and who restores her fortune, her father doesn't return. She becomes comfortable and secure again, and her efforts to be good and brave during hard times have made her a better person, but things will never be as they were before. To pretty this up with a dramatic last-minute reappearance, as was done in this film, is an injustice both to the book and to the audience; the best children's books don't avoid the question of irretrievable loss, but face it squarely and so help young readers to learn that although great losses will occur, we can survive them. Sara's father doesn't return; Beth March dies; Sykes kills Nancy; these leave us saddened but not destroyed. Too bad that this film ditched this sombre but true ending for an over-dramatised, all-but-incredible, sugar-plum ending; it's a good film, but it could have been a great one.


"Every girl everywhere is a princess"   November 2, 2000
Savant (Toronto, ON CANADA)
14 out of 17 found this review helpful

This 1995 movie is based on the classic novel by Frances Burnett, which explores the life of a young girl in the WWI era. In the beginning of the movie, we see Sara as she lives out life in exoctic India. Then her devoted father must leave to join the war. Since her mother is no longer living, he enrols her in an expensive boarding school in New York City. As soon as she arrives one can tell she is not a match for the strict boarding school regimen. The movie continues from there, with Sara's friendlyness & kindness helping her to overcome the difficult times that lie ahead. The actress that portrays Sara, Liesel Matthews, does a remarkable job of storytelling and brings a certain 'magic' to the movie. There have actually been 3 other versions done on film, including one in 1939 starring Shirley Temple. As much as I enjoyed that one, I think this version is the best of the lot.


Nice movie, but...   March 31, 2005
Viewer (USA)
13 out of 20 found this review helpful

This is a lovely movie, with great costumes, lush sets, nice music and a sweet story, but it isn't A Little Princess, by Frances Hodgson Burnett. If you read the book you would be amazed at how far they strayed. 1. The story is supposed to take place in England, not New York. 2. The story is supposed to take place in Victorian times, not during WW1! 3. The father really dies, he doesn't come back, and he dies from a fever, not on a battlefield. 4. There is absolutely no locket in the entire book, yet it is one of the biggest storylines in the movie. 5. The whole idea of the movie is to examine the riches to rags theme, how people treat you, how you behave like a princess no matter what condition you are in, and treat others the same way, and is a sound portrayal of the lowerclass life in Victorian England; cook, skivies, maids of all work, etc. And the many homeless children on the street. We don't even get to see Carrisford and his legal advisors searching for Sarah, all over the world, only to find out she is living in the attic one house over. In other words, you are your neighbour's keeper. If you want to see an accurate portrayal of this treasured novel, please watch the 1986 BBC production starring Amelia Shankely. This movie, cute as it is, shouldn't even bear the title. Oh, and completely forget her walking a plank to get to the neighbour's house. That doesn't happen in the book, either. Nor does the reading and stories at night, nor the attempt to get a necklace back, nor the sister escaping with the milkman, nor the spell on Lavinia's hair. And Lavinia doesn't get Sarah's room, either. That goes to a new student. Sheesh.