Megan Follows plays Anne Shirley and Richard Farnsworth plays Matthew Cuthbert in "Anne of Green Gables."
Anne of Green Gables (Canadian 1985)
Stream on Gazebo TV
The metaphors are abundant that pay tribute to an indomitable spirit: a flower blooming in the desert, a tree growing in Brooklyn, or a caged bird singing a prayer upward to heaven.
Anne Shirley – and, please don’t forget the “E” on Anne – was an orphan unloved in more than one home. She was sweet and tried to please, but was scorned and abandoned in return.
As a last resort, the orphanage sends the redheaded skinny girl to an elderly couple, Matthew and Marilla, brother and sister, who requested a strong boy to help with farm work. Anne’s used to rejection, but is still surprised when she’s greeted with: “Where’s the boy?”
And so, Marilla prepares to send Anne back from whence she came.
“You don’t want me!” Anne cries. “You don’t want me because I’m not a boy! I might have expected it. Nobody ever did want me. Oh, what shall I do? I’m going to burst into tears! I’ll do absolutely anything you want if you’ll just keep me!”
But shy Matthew Cuthbert dares to oppose his stern sister’s heartless plan.
“She might not be good for us, but we might be good for her,” he says, quietly.
And so, begins the saga of “Anne of Green Gables,” LM Montgomery’s 1908 much-loved novel. Montgomery, raised on Prince Edward Island in the Maritime provinces, nearly died in the Spanish flu pandemic of 1918, but recovered to write 21 novels which have sold more than 50 million copies.
Montgomery’s diary tells of her dreams of becoming a writer. And when her first poem was rejected, she still held out hope.
"Tears of disappointment would come in spite of myself, as I crept away to hide the poor crumpled manuscript in the depths of my trunk,” she wrote. “But deep down, deep down under all the discouragement and rebuff, I knew I would 'arrive' someday.”
It’s easy to see the spirit of Anne Shirley in the life – and voice - of Lucy Maud Montgomery.
Many film and TV adaptations of the Anne saga exist, and many are lovely. But my favorite is the Canadian public broadcast production, that was released as a two-part mini-series in 1985. Its total length is 199 minutes, with the word “intermission” appearing after 90 minutes. It costs $8, but it’s a treasure.
The script includes many lines of dialogue lifted straight from the novel, so there’s a faithful spirit.
And the cast is impeccable with Megan Follows playing Anne from the inside out. Colleen Dewhurst and Richard Farnsworth are perfect as the elderly brother-sister couple who are sent a spindly redhead by mistake, but who embrace her as their daughter.
“God knew we needed her,” says Marilla.
I long ago fell in love with the book. Anne reminds me of many headstrong fearless ladies I’ve taught, many of them hiding wounds and worries. But if nurtured and loved, those caged birds will fly away to find happiness and change the world.
Anne thinks she’s ugly. She hates her red hair. In her patented overly dramatic prose, she calls her carrot top her “lifelong sorrow.” She likes her nose, however.
When people tell her she’s smart, she shrugs.
“I’d rather be pretty than smart.”
Anne is known for talking endlessly and quickly.
“She prattles on without stopping for breath,” says Marilla, shaking her head at Anne’s “feather-brained ways.”
The book’s timeless theme is the optimism buried deep in Anne’s bruised soul.
“Tomorrow is always fresh, with no mistakes in it,” she says, choosing to forget the most recent day of pain and rejection.
One of my favorite scenes is when Matthew buys Anne a “puffy blue dress” to wear to a dance. I was reminded of the “twirly skirts” our daughter loved to wear, often spinning about the house in joy.
This almost four-hour journey includes romance, classroom pranks, friendship, laughter, rejection, friendship, loneliness and death. Her adopted dad dies in Anne’s arms.
This volume of the Anne saga ends with the brightest girl in school acing the Queen’s exams and becoming a teacher. But when her dad dies, she decides to stay in town with her mom. I’ve seen a daughter do that. There’s no greater gift.
Gather the family and soak up “Anne of Green Gables.” The rental’s good for four days, so you can spread it out over a few evenings. But I’m betting you’ll have trouble pausing – the kids may well wail if you try to stop Anne’s prattling in mid-sentence.
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August 13, 2020 at 10:00PM
https://helenair.com/news/local/irrepressible-anne-shirley-and-please-don-t-forget-the-e/article_f7dda7ad-1100-55c0-9487-8eda9967091b.html
Irrepressible Anne Shirley – and please don’t forget the “E” - Helena Independent Record
https://news.google.com/search?q=forget&hl=en-US&gl=US&ceid=US:en
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