Movie
A Little Princess
Fantasy film with a runtime of 100 minutes, released in 1995. Presented in English.
At a Glance
Synopsis
A privileged, free-spirited young girl tries to adapt to life in a strict boarding school in this charming, critically acclaimed children's fantasy. Adapting a novel by Frances Hodgson Burnett, also the author of The Secret Garden, the film shifts the story's setting to World War I. 10 year-old Sara Crewe (Liesel Matthews) has been left in a respected New York City boarding school while her British father heads overseas to fight. Filled with wild stories and a playful attitude, the unconventional Sara becomes popular amongst her classmates but quickly comes into conflict with the harsh headmistress, Miss Minchin (Eleanor Bron), who attempts to quash the child's individuality. The young girl's situation takes a serious turn for the worse when she unexpectedly receives word of her father's death, and, suddenly impoverished, is forced into life as a servant. Treated as a lesser class of person by her former companions, Sara instead befriends her fellow servants and turns to the power of imagination in order to maintain hope for the future. In addition to changing the story's setting, screenwriters Richard LaGravenese and Elizabeth Chandler add a layer of Indian mythology to the tale, allowing director Alfonso Cuaron the chance to punctuate the riches-to-rags fable with a series of lush, imaginative fantasy sequences. Though A Little Princess had difficulty attracting audiences during its initial run, its visual splendor and touching storytelling were praised by many critics, several of whom proclaimed the film one of the best family-oriented productions of its time.
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Cast
- Eleanor Bron
- Liam Cunningham
- Liesel Matthews
- Rusty Schwimmer
- Arthur Malet
- Vanessa Lee Chester
- Errol Sitahal
- Heather DeLoach
- Taylor Fry
- Darcie Bradford
- Rachael Bella
- Alexandra Rea-Baum
- Camilla Belle
- Lauren Blumenfeld
- Kelsey Mulrooney
- Kaitlan Cullum
- Judith Drake
- Alison Moir
- Time Winters
- Lomax Study
- Kaitlin Cullum
- Vincent Schiavelli
- Pushpa Rawal
- Rahi Azizi
- Ken Palmer
- Helen Greenberg
- Norman Merrill
- Peggy Miley
- Robert P. Cohen
- William Blomquist
- David Fresco
- Judith D. Drake
- Chris Ellis
- Robert W. Welch
- John Dexter
- Amy Ephron
- Robert N. Norin
- Alan E. Lorimer
- Emmanuel Lubezki
- Jill Greenberg Sands
- Frances Hodgson Burnett
- Judianna Makovsky
- Charlie Croughwell
- Charles Minsky
- Bo Welch
- Dalisa Cohen
- Tom Duffield
- Alan C. Blomquist
- Steven Weisberg
- Cheryl Carasik
- Richard LaGravenese
- Julie Hewett