Anne of Green Gables

What can I say, refreshing, captivating, heartwarming, funny, poignant, Anne of Green Gables is all of this and more. I'm talking about the 1985 and 1987 television movies produced and directed by Kevin Sullivan. They are based on a 1908 novel by Canadian author Lucy Maude Montgomery.

I was caught completely off guard by Anne of Green Gables. I was expecting it to be a movie for children but it easily embraces an audience from all generations. This is clearly a movie for everyone. From the excellent photography to the witty dialogue and the well-cast characters, it captures my attention and keeps me engaged.

It is something I can watch with my guard down, each episode is like a sip from a cool clear spring on a hot summer day. The story takes me away from the harsh realities of everyday life and places me in a time, place and circumstances where I have never been but somehow find familiar. After watching the Anne of Green Gables a few times on PBS television, I had to buy the DVD series so I could share it with my grandkids and others.

The grandkids love it as I do and we have watched it together more than once.

Above photo from Bing.

I'll only give a brief description of the story because I don't want to spoil it for others. The basic story line is about an orphan girl with an indefatigable personality and imagination who struggles and prevails against the odds. It's a plausible fairytale that could be the plot of classic literature (as indeed it is) or a B-grade movie. However, with excellent writing, casting, acting, directing and photography it emerges as a powerful, uplifting and memorable story that draws the viewer into each episode.

The magic of the Anne of Green Gables television mini-series begins with the wonderful stories by Canadian author Lucy Maude Montgomery.

The Anne of Green Gables series absolutely must be watched in sequence the first time you see it. Part of the strength of the story is found in the way it unfolds and the characters are developed. Each episode builds on the previous one so watch it in sequence when you watch it for the first time. Each episode is so well done that they are entertaining to watch and stand on their own once you have watched the entire sequence in order.

When I watched Anne of Green Gables on PBS, it was shown in several one hour episodes. Today the Anne of Green Gables movie can be purchased in a variety of forms on DVD. In my opinion the Best portions of Anne of Green Gables are those that depict Anne from childhood into early adulthood. The DVDs that portray this part of her life are "Anne of Green Gables," produced in 1985 and "Anne of Green Gables: The Sequel," produced in 1987. In 2000 another mini-series called "Anne of Green Gables: The Continuing Story" was produced and it carried the story a little further. It was loosely based on Montgomery's novel but, in my opinion it had lost some of the magic of the episodes produced in the 1980s. In 2008 a television mini-series titled, "Anne of Green Gables: A New Beginning" was launched. I have not seen this series but it features Anne although it's not based on Montgomery's writings.

Lucy Maude Montgomery's Anne of Green Gables has inspired a number of spin-off TV series, stage plays and even animated movies. In this article I intend to point readers primarily to the Kevin Sullivan productions in 1985 and 1987, Anne of Green Gables and Anne of Green Gables: The Sequel. For me, these are the episodes that carry the magic. I heartily recommend these to everyone. The DVD's have been restored and are great entertainment.

1. It has a wonderful story line
2. The characters are well-cast and developed
3. Great acting
4. Beautifully photography
5. Witty dialogue
6. Great scenery
7. Safe for all ages
8. It's uplifting
9. It reinforces positive moral values
10. It's great entertainment for all ages

This award winning series will delight you and your family. It's one of the few videos that I watch over and over and love to share with others.

In the interest of keeping my integrity with readers, I should advise you of the following incident that may reflect on my judgment when it comes to entertainment. I love the Kevin Sullivan Anne of Green Gables mini-series and I maintain that it's not just a children's story, it's for all generations and genders. HOWEVER, several years ago when I was a uniformed police officer with BART (Bay Area Rapid Transit Police Department), I was walking with a fellow officer on the streets of San Francisco when we began to talk about our favorite moves. Nobody was shooting at us at the time so we had opportunity for a casual conversation. He cited several of his favorite action movies and I cited "Rudy" "Hoosiers" and "Anne of Green Gables." The other officer gave me a funny look and said, "You like chick flicks!" I was taken aback by this challenge, I like the "Star Wars" movies, "Indiana Jones" and "Superman" movies but the ones that touch me at a deeper level are apparently those that some may call "chick flicks." I don't think Anne of Green Gables is a chick flick but if by some standard it is, I like chick flicks and I'm not surrendering my man-card.

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