The Railway Children

Rating:
Summary: A Railway Classic
Review: This 2000 Drama classic was shown on our local PBS station under the Masterpiece Theatre title. After viewing this movie, once again Masterpiece Theatre has done itself proud giving us a thoroughly enjoyable and quaint look into the past. The actors and actresses were well chosen and performed well in telling us the story of three young children and their mother taken from rich to poor for a temporary, but unexpected time during the absense of their father/husband. I enjoyed this film very much. The story was simple and easy going, no huge, tramatic drama, but rather with less complex problems of earlier years in history. I find this type of film much more enjoyable today, in a much harder, cold world where we live surrounded by far to much devastation and tragedy. We all could use more films portraying elegance, manners and gentility. A very relaxing film and great stress reliever. END

Rating:
Summary: The Railway Children as Good as Ever
Review: This is a splendid remake of E. Nesbit's classic children's novel, The Railway Children -- it is as good as the earlier (1970) version, and also, in its way, as delightful and moving as the book itself. Jenny Agutter, who was wonderful as Bobbie in the earlier version, is equally splendid as mother in this; while Jemima Rooper makes a perfect Bobbie, struggling on the threshhold of womanhood. The production is in general careful and imaginative. I have one criticism only -- why, oh why, do those responsible for Masterpiece Theater imagine that we are incapable of appreciating such an offering as this without "commentary" before and after it? There would be something patronizing about such an assumption, even if the commentary said anything worth saying: as it is, we are inflicted with several minutes of Russell Baker mouthing pompous, irrelevant twaddle. Five stars for the movie, and MINUS five for whomever cooked up that nonsense!

Rating:
Summary: Strong effort in remaking a classic
Review: This is a valiant effort to remake the 1970 film based on Edith Nesbit's novel. In comparing the two, the new version features more "emoting"; things which went unsaid but were implied in 1970 are now told to us rather than shown. This is to the detriment of the newer version.
In spite of this, it is still a beautifully presented tale appropriate for the entire family; I think the production team was quite brave to even attempt a remake.

Rating:
Summary: A beautiful and elegant movie.
Review: This is an excellent remake of the original video. The children and adult actors are wonderful. Since the book has always been one of my favorites, having a well-done movie is a bonus. This is definitely a keeper.

Rating:
Summary: Please Make Sure You See The 1970 Movie First
Review: This PBS version of "The Railway Children" is nowhere near as
charming as the original 1970 movie. If you saw this TV version and liked it, you owe it to yourself to see the young Jenny Agutter in the earlier film. In my opinion, the PBS remake lacks the warmth and civility of the original.

Rating:
Summary: Railway Children
Review: Wonderful service oriented tender story without any of Hollywood's sex, violence or language. Delightful movie for all ages.