L.M. Montgomery's Anne of Green Gables

Gr 4 Up—The first book in L.M. Montgomery's "Anne of Green Gables" series has once again been brought to the small screen, this time starring The West Wing's Martin Sheen. Siblings Matthew and Marilla Cuthbert are looking to adopt a boy to help them on their Prince Edward Island farm. They're shocked when instead a mix-up brings them Anne Shirley, an orphan who is eccentric, whimsical, and definitely not a boy. Now Anne will have to charm her way into a permanent place in the Cuthberts' hearts and home. An adaptation like this cannot succeed without strong casting for its titular character, and actress Ella Ballentine continually misses the mark. Anne is prone to imaginative speeches and can be quick to angry remarks, and the delivery of both falls flat more often than not. Attempts at artsy camerawork are peppered throughout and are completely out of sync with the movie's established tone. At 90 minutes, the story loses much of the source material's plot, tracking only a few months compared to the years that the book spans. That loss is truly felt as many beloved scenes are abandoned in a failed effort to create a tighter narrative. The result is disjointed at worst and just plain dull at best.