Last weekend, to rest up and save money before the epic upcoming weekend I will be spending in Chicago at Lollapalooza, I spent a good portion of my time sitting in my bed watching the Anne of Green Gables miniseries on DVDs. Ah, Anne. My love began circa 1989 when the CBC miniseries was aired on PBS Ch. 8 (yes, I still remember the local channel number). As a four-year-old, I'd curl up on my big sister's bed when she was out (she was 17, so that was often), in her room that was painted pink and full of high school memorabilia, and watch Anne of Green Gables on her little portable black and white T.V. with an antenna and a channel dial.
At least, that is how I remember it. It's very possible that I'm crossing memories and didn't actually first watch the Anne of Green Gables movies while in my sister's room, rather at school or daycare, but that is how I like to think of it.
Regardless of how the introductions actually happened, Anne of Green Gables and I have been friends for a long time. [I've wanted to go to Prince Edward Island for as long as I can remember.] But after my initial childhood viewing of these movies, we didn't meet again until late high school when I saw the VHS tapes at the library and decided to take a walk down memory lane. Despite having seen Anne of Green Gables and its sequel, Anne of Avonlea, numerous times before, it had been a while. And I can remember feeling more affected by a story than perhaps I ever had (might also have something to do with the fact that I watched all three of them in a row, so that's over 10 hours with these characters).
There are few stories that we encounter that really hit us hard and stick with us forever, but this is one of them for me. And though I've read all the books, it's really the movies that I love because of their visuality. The landscape is gorgeous. The historical setting is endearing. The entire style palette is just perfection. I gushed about this a couple weeks ago with Betsy-Tacy, but when you read or see a story from a time before TVs and phones and computers, everything just seems more human. It's raw emotion that sucks you in without distraction, and I love and appreciate how real it all is.
But no need to go on a spiel against modern technology again. Anne of Green Gables is one of those movies that will never get old, that I will never be too grown up for, and that will cheer me up until the end of time. I'm sure every one of you has your own favorites that will never lose their magic.
It's stories like these that make me excited to have a kid with whom to share great books.
But not yet. Most definitely not yet.
11 comments:
I just shared Anne (the book and the movie) with my daughter recently. It was a nice revisit for me. Last week, we took a trip to PEI (it's only about 3 hrs and a 1 hr ferry ride away) and had a fantastic time. PEI is still just as pastoral and pretty as it ever was.
I don't think I ever saw the movie but I loooved the book!! Makes me want to read it again. I actally have the whole series but don't think I ever made it past the second one, lol
I loved the books,and I had them all at some point. But I am with you all the way. The movies are something special. They happened upon magic with that cast!
I love the televised adaptations very much too; I actually own the first two on DVD, but I confess to not having watched the third installment, since Kevin Sullivan departed from the books and changed the time period, which I just can't get behind. I love the books so much, having read them as a child (every Canadian girl must, you know!) and I really think these are wonderful adaptations that capture the spirit of the books appropriately.
As I said at BEA, you have a standing invitation to come visit :D We even have an Anne of Green Gables musical, and an Anne & Gilbert musical up in lovely PEI!!
i remember watching the adaptations too--though i have a few years on ya! i was about 15 when they were on and remember the scenes you posted--especially the one with the carriage!
long live AOGG!!!
They did! Apparently Schuyler Grant auditioned for Anne before she was cast as Diana. I saw a screenshot from her audition...it does not fit at all!
And I just love Gilbert with his Canadian "soooorry."
I also saw the third installment late. It's quite a departure from the innocence of the first two and it doesn't have that same pastoral feel, but I enjoyed it. Might have something to do with watching them all three in a row, so I was just automatically sucked in. I'm pretty sure I started bawling when they finally found each other in the middle of war-torn Europe.
Oh I'm so jealous! I really want to go on one of their bicycle/seafood tours. I'm on their email list, so their vacation packages always make me want a vacation!
I used to watch these movies all the time. Every Christmas, I get the hankering for AOGG, especially the sequel, when Anne finally allows herself to fall in love with Gilbert. Ah, good times.
Oooooh i love it. does it has a book? or a novel? sorry i am so clueless. this is my first time to visit here
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