...as an interpretation of Frances Hodgeson Burnette's original book it could hardly be worse. My apologies to fans of this movie, but I just cannot stand the film. It absolutely ruins everything I love about Sara Crewe and her story.
1. All the original and creative ideas that she comes up with on her own in the book, are here spoon-fed to her by her father.
2. The enchanting Hans Christian Anderson style fairy tales she tells are turned instead into dark, heavy, epic Hindu myths.
3. A major change to the plot/ending changes the whole story, glossing over Sara's (originally) very real loss, and obscuring the point that sometimes bad things DO happen to good people-- and that one can triumph over adverse circumstances without their turning out to have been just mistakes after all.
4. Worst of all, the whole definition of what it means to be a princess is altered: from an ideal of always behaving towards others from a center of strength, with kindness, courtesy, generosity and respect, even when they are treating you badly, it becomes a vague sort of entitled 'specialness' because "ALL girls are princesses", didn't you know? Even when they are behaving like disruptive brats.
If you like the movie, that's fine; but my advice would be to do yourself a favor and read the book instead.
1. All the original and creative ideas that she comes up with on her own in the book, are here spoon-fed to her by her father.
2. The enchanting Hans Christian Anderson style fairy tales she tells are turned instead into dark, heavy, epic Hindu myths.
3. A major change to the plot/ending changes the whole story, glossing over Sara's (originally) very real loss, and obscuring the point that sometimes bad things DO happen to good people-- and that one can triumph over adverse circumstances without their turning out to have been just mistakes after all.
4. Worst of all, the whole definition of what it means to be a princess is altered: from an ideal of always behaving towards others from a center of strength, with kindness, courtesy, generosity and respect, even when they are treating you badly, it becomes a vague sort of entitled 'specialness' because "ALL girls are princesses", didn't you know? Even when they are behaving like disruptive brats.
If you like the movie, that's fine; but my advice would be to do yourself a favor and read the book instead.