MovieChat Forums > A Little Princess (1995) Discussion > LOVE the book; HATE the film!

LOVE the book; HATE the film!

posted 14 years ago by entertainmentalice
51 replies | jump to latest

If anyone has read the book and REMEMBERS it, they will hate this dreadful "adaptation." The film is utterly ghastly. Sara Crewe is nowhere to be seen in this film! Seriously - this girl is unrecognizable.

The main reason I dislike the film so much is that Sara isn't at ALL the QUALITY person she is in the book. In the book, she is above EVERYONE in her dignity and behavior. She is kind, calm, and sees being a princess as behaving with dignity no matter WHAT happens to you. She talks about the suffering in the Bastille and values behaving honorably.

In the film, she and Becky engage in stupid pranks to get back at people. Yes, it's visually beautiful - but the story is ugly. Just plain ugly.

In the book, she DOES stand up to Miss Minchin and is honest and true - and is so calm and self-possessed that it really angers Miss Minchin. She's MARVELOUS! She is a great role model for girls. In the film, she's more of an average, spiteful child. She's a dreadful role model in the film. And that bit about every girl being a princess? NO! That's the whole point. Any girl can BEHAVE like a princess - but it takes work and sacrifice. It takes uncommon honesty, honor, and dignity. This point is not made in the film.

Sure, her father dies. Fathers DO die. Mothers do, too. In fact, I have two children whose parents died and their story has a very happy ending. They are fine, well-adjusted adults. But when their parents died, it was terrible for them.

The book has magnificent beauty of spirit, magical joy, and is an utter delight. I shall never subject myself to that wretched film again - and both of my daughters, who love the book, swear their children will NEVER see the film until they grow up and see it for themselves!

I do hope you'll give it another chance. It is absolutely beautiful. The movie is terrible. Truly.

[–] 14 years ago

[deleted]

[–] 14 years ago

[deleted]

[–] bethie-3 14 years ago

I agree with you. I read the book and watched the movie a month later. The fact the ending is changed with the father annoyed me. (Why change a classic?) They didn't include the bread shop which was a nice touch in the book.

[–] dbh850 14 years ago

I know exactly what you mean. I have read this book to my daughters - and plan to read it to my granddaughter. The book is wonderful - this film is the worst adaptation I've ever seen. I'm shocked at how they changed the nature and personality of Sara. That's inexcusable.

The book is about Sara - it's called "A Little Princess" - that's her. It's about her class, character, and self-sacrifice. In the book she studies late into the night to keep up her academics. She is determined to do what is right, regardless of how she is treated.

This movie was terrible. I wondered if the screenwriter read the book at all - or just saw other film versions. I certainly didn't see Sara Crewe in this film at all.

You know what they say... no one with missing teeth wears an Armani suit.

[–] 14 years ago

[deleted]

[–] stayprettystockholm 12 years ago

No, she told Lavinia she would NOT if she didnt change her attitude (which was the absolute truth- nothing unprincessy about it except it would be more princessy to say it respectfully; as it was she was angry, understandably).

I get your point but bullying doesnt justify pretending to put a curse on her.. that's vengeful and honestly a bit creepy.

"I do pretend I am a princess, so that I can try and behave like one."

[–] jade_darkside 14 years ago

It's really sad that you believe that standing up to bullies and abusers and giving them some of their own medicine makes people petty, spiteful and bad role models.

[–] entertainmentalice 14 years ago

Good heavens! That's not the point at all. Read the post carefully, please. The point is that the film is VASTLY different from the book. If they are to make a film from the book, they need to be faithful to the story.

Also, it isn't a lack of standing up - it is about living with dignity and refusing to lower yourself to their level. In the book, Sara is forthright and honest, and she DOES plainly tell people what she thinks. It makes Miss Minchin VERY uncomfortable - Sara sees right through her and Miss Minchin knows it.

It is a marvelous book - about personal integrity, dignity, and honor. In the film, they engage in stupid pranks to get back at people. In the book, Sara is FAR above all that - and she puts people in their place with her honest observations.

Read it! It's terrific!

[–] stabiljka 12 years ago

I haven't read the book, but all the treats you mentioned I recognised in the movie. Maybe the strongest impression on me was the feeling that sara actually is the princess. All noble things are there. Mercy, strenght, dignity, being honest and respect and help the weak. She also reached Miss Minchin in one scene. There are no stupid pranks, only one thing which Brighidsgirl explained well. The act that she sometimes laughs loud and dances the "magic" dance only make the movie more realistic.
I think that if they made movie from what you expected, it would probably lose that realistic effect.
I found her character in this movie amazing.

[–] norman-dostal 10 years ago

come on, now you're being retarded, Movies and books are very different mediums-they simply cannot be the same. You obviously don't know anything about filmmaking! Sara is a brilliantly drawn and acted character in the film. She is heroic, selfless and hopeful-real nobility in her depiction.

[–] 10 years ago

[deleted]

[–] norman-dostal 10 years ago

Thanks. I am always concerned about my perceived credibility by a stranger! However, you're incorrect. My statement is a truism. They're different mediums.

[–] 10 years ago

[deleted]

[–] norman-dostal 10 years ago

your tag is in French which means youre a douchebag. Lets debate that!

[–] 10 years ago

[deleted]

[–] finn-icky 14 years ago

Before I say anything, I have to admit to never seeing this version. Having gleaned information about it from various sources though, I feel this film is more of a tribute to the version from 1939 with Shirley Temple (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0031580/)than something based on Frances Hodgson Burnett's book. The are some marked differences as far as I can tell, but basically they seem to have the same storyline.

I watched Shirley Temple's version a few times as a kid (I think we had it on tape) and though I usually loved her films I didn't like this one because I liked the book so much.

I did always feel sorry for Becky-in-the-book who stayed a servant (can't recall what happened to her in the 1939 version), but those were different times I suppose...

[–] dbh850 14 years ago

You're right - they certainly were different times. I didn't like Becky staying a servant in the book. But as you said - the times. Great way to put it - this was more about the 1939 film version.

I do agree with the original poster here. The stupid little pranks Sara and Becky played on others should not have been in this film. It missed the entire point of what kind of person Sara was - and especially in context of the era.

You know what they say... no one with missing teeth wears an Armani suit.

[–] 14 years ago

[deleted]

[–] 14 years ago

[deleted]

[–] mr_bennett 14 years ago

I watched the film, then read the book, then watched the film again. I love both, but they cannot be the same. For example, in the book Sara walks into the Indian gentlemans house and learns that she has been looked for, for so long. And that is basically the end. Can you imagine how unclimactic that would look in a film.

Yet in the film we have the rooftop escape, which is a great third act and a good ending to the movie.

A last note, since everyone is saying Sara is a princess and above everything etc... She forgives Lavinia in the movie, but nowhere in the book does she do this.

[–] 14 years ago

[deleted]

[–] Laters_Baby 14 years ago

I agree (well, I agree with most of it, I don't think I hate the movie quite as much, as long as I watch it without thinking of the book!).

The book is marvelous, and I would love to watch a faithful movie version one day. With all the characters, including the numerous family. With the father dying and the friend sick with despair. With the exact same ending, including Becky remaining a servant because that was what made sense in those days. You never get the feeling that Becky is unhappy with it, she's thrilled to be Sara's maid.

The director, Alfonso Cuaron, is also responsible for the worst HP movie (The Prisoner of Azkaban, which is actually my favorite book) so he's pretty much black listed as far as I'm concerned! lol

[–] stayprettystockholm 12 years ago

POA is actually the best of the sequels, which mostly were awful.

"I do pretend I am a princess, so that I can try and behave like one."

[–] norman-dostal 10 years ago

wow-you really are a moron, The Prisoner of Azkaban movie adaptation is considered THE BEST HP movie! What is wrong with you?

[–] Laters_Baby 10 years ago

What is wrong with me? What is wrong with you? A moron would be someone who, for example, liked a movie just because everybody else loves it! I can think for myself... unlike a certain cyberbully wannabe that goes around insulting total strangers!

[–] norman-dostal 10 years ago

Well, you said something dumb. POA is the worst of the movies? Methinks youre just hating it because everyone loved it. That's silly, hipster stuff. I'll take back the "Moron", but you did say something moronic...

[–] MarblesLove 10 years ago

Don't act like a child just cause she (he?) didn't like a movie many other people happen to like. Honestly, I agree with her/him. POA was my least favorite HP movie. Who gives a crap what the critics say? If I like a movie, I'm gonna like it whether the critics did or not. If I dislike a movie, I'm gonna dislike it whether the critics did or not.

This is my signature.

[–] norman-dostal 10 years ago

Relax there, tough guy. So, besides the critics, the third film is also the fan favorite-except yours and the other person's...so EVERYONE liking something means the rest of the world is wrong and you're right? No, it means you don't know what you're talking about or your taste is really bad...own your *beep* tastes, dude-don't argue with me about it! Or maybe give a reason why it's bad...

[–] whitespirit26 10 years ago

Norman, stop throwing insults around, it makes you look incredibly petty.

[–] norman-dostal 10 years ago

No, it doesn't