The Prequel Review

I can't help myself. I have to critique more fully Anne of Green Gables: A New Beginning
with more than just a post of disappointment on facebook.

First, I must set the stage. In part 3 of the Anne of Green Gables series, The Continuing Story of Anne the movie could stand alone as a good enough movie. For the Anne fans, who have read the books and love the story of Anne the way the author Lucy Maude Montgomery writes it, the movie really was a travesty. Still I watch it from time to time because I love seeing Anne and Gilbert even if the storyline is completely NOTHING like the book. In the books, Anne & Gilbert's kids were involved in World War 1 not them -apart from being concerned parents. If Kevin Sullivan the producer wanted to do a movie on World War 1 and Anne sticking to the book Rilla of Ingleside would have thrilled us Anne fans beyond measure. Alas, he just makes up stories and calls the characters Anne and Gilbert. It is a disgrace really.

Then, there comes the Prequel. The actress who played Anne was adorable and she did nice job. However, the storyline was ridiculous and insulting. I would swear that Lucy -the creator of the Anne character- is spinning in her grave.

The movie is supposed to be what happened to Anne before she came to Green Gables. The movie upends everything we know about Anne. Most importantly, Anne was not orphaned at 3 months when her parents died of the fever. Her father accidentally drove her mother into a ditch and she died and he was blamed. Anne was a 7-9 years old at the time. Then. all this junk went on and she was bounced around ended up living with this rich lady Mrs. Thomas until she died. It was all so ridiculous and not worth writing about.

The thing I find insulting though is that secret letter's belonging to Marilla were found hidden under a floorboard in Green Gables. Among the letters was a letter from Walter Shirley, Anne's father where he writes that he has fallen on better times and would like to know about Anne and maybe see her. Marilla never told Anne about the letter. Really?! Marilla would do that!? Deny Anne access to her father! Not even a deathbed confession. Marilla would never do that to Anne. She would never be that dishonest. She would not be dishonest. Marilla was a pillar of honesty and truth and strove to do the right thing. It is what she taught Anne. So for "them" to write this drivel into the movie and smear the character of Marilla just so Kevin Sullivan can put out another Anne movie that is not really about Anne at all but really "unAnnes" the whole storyline it just infuriates me.

The movie wasn't even a good enough stand alone movie. The acting was weak, the storyline weak, things were brought up and then not developed. Anne repeated lines from the original movie that just seemed so weird to be used again in a different setting. If you are going to write a whole new story about Anne's life come up with original dialogue too. It was such a disappointing movie on so many levels. Compounding the disappointment that as good as the books are "they" still won't just make the books into movies (shows). It is what real Anne fan's want to see -the books come to life on the screen.  

So if you want to torture yourself watch the movie, but I can almost guarantee you -the Anne fan- will be disappointed.