I revisited this 1985 Canadian made-for-television drama two weekends ago with my daughter Katherine. It was one of the most watched movies in our family while I was growing up, so it will always hold a special place in my heart. I hadn’t seen it in almost four decades, so I was excited to share it with my 10-year-old daughter, who is about the same age I was when I first watched it.
This coming-of-age story about the orphan Anne Shirley is one of the finest examples of storytelling I have ever seen put to screen. I’m no stranger to getting glassy-eyed and shedding a tear during a movie, but I think I set a personal record with this one. There are so many genuine and heartfelt moments that I couldn’t help but be deeply moved seeing it all again, especially through the eyes of my daughter.
IMDB Storyline:
At the turn of the century on Prince Edward Island, Matthew Cuthbert and his sister Marilla decide to take on an orphan boy as help for their farm. But they get an unexpected jolt when they’re mistakenly sent a girl instead: Anne Shirley. Anne’s a dreamer with an unusual point of view, far removed from Marilla’s pragmatic ways, and it’s only on trial that Marilla agrees to keep Anne…if Anne can keep out of trouble, only Anne has a positive genius for it. As Anne falls into a series of scrapes (and off a roof), makes a bosom friend, searches (and finds) several kindred spirits, Matthew and Marilla discover that their lives have become a great deal richer, now that Anne is at Green Gables.
Anne of Green Gables shares such wonderful old-fashioned morals and values through the relatable scrapes Anne finds herself in. You can’t help but wish that more young people today could experience these lessons in such an entertaining and heartfelt way. Originally named simply “Ann”, she insists her name be spelled “Anne” with an “e”, believing it gives her name a little more distinction.
Anne is exceptionally well read, has an imagination that knows no bounds, and is wonderfully curious, sometimes to her own detriment. As the storyline above describes, she often finds herself in the most unlikely predicaments, causing no shortage of worry for her elderly guardians.
But what’s so revealing, and ingeniously counter-intuitive, is that while Anne is surrounded by deeply religious, conservative, and often rigid townsfolk who constantly try to guide her along the straight and narrow, they themselves are gradually transformed by the exuberance of her youth and her vivacious spirit.
Anne speaks her mind, has an enormous heart, and possesses a delightful wit. Through her kindness, affection, and strength of character, many of the older, more reserved townsfolk find themselves learning just as much from her as she learns from them.
As the story unfolds, you gradually see Anne changing the hearts of those around her. The townsfolk become warmer, more expressive, and more compassionate in the way they treat one another. Who would have thought that one spirited orphan girl could have such a profound effect on an entire community?
Although many people simply refer to it as a film, it originally aired as a two-part television mini-series and was later followed by sequels. It is exquisitely photographed on Prince Edward Island. To give you some idea of just how beautiful the cinematography is, I’ve included below the wonderful buggy ride from Bright River Railway Station to Green Gables with Anne Shirley and Matthew Cuthbert.
When Matthew says ‘Green Gables, yonder’; you know you are witnessing ‘greatness’.
The casting also deserves special praise. I honestly can’t imagine a better group of actors bringing these much-loved characters to life. The production is based on the 1908 novel by Canadian author Lucy Maud Montgomery, and many readers believe this adaptation comes remarkably close to capturing the spirit of the book. I’ve even read several IMDb user reviews suggesting that, rare as it is, this may be one of those occasions where the screen adaptation rivals the original novel.
The mini-series first aired on CBC Television on 1 and 2 December 1985, with both parts becoming two of the highest-rated television broadcasts ever shown on a Canadian network at the time.
I couldn’t recommend it more highly to anyone who has yet to see it. And for those who have, I’d love to hear your thoughts.
Thanks, as always, for reading.
References:
1. Anne of Green Gables (1985 film) – Wikipedia
2. Anne of Green Gables – IMDB
“The more I live, the more I learn. The more I learn, the more I realize, the less I know.”- Michel Legrand
Observation Blogger 
Matt, what a beautiful thing you just shared. Watching this movie with Katherine at the same age you were, that is so special. I love how you wrote about Anne. She doesn’t change just herself. She changes everyone around her. Her kindness, her spirit, her huge heart. She makes the whole community warmer and more caring.
And now you are doing the same thing with Katherine. Sharing this story. Sharing those tears. She will remember watching this with her dad forever. Thank you for this lovely post. It made me smile. 💙
Thanks so much, Khadija. It was very moving watching it with Kath, and it clearly made such an indelible impression on her. This movie is as educational as it is entertaining. I loved how you described how Katherine will one day reminisce so fondly about this experience.
Yes, you nailed Anne (with an E!!!) to a tee! 😂 She’s so vivacious, irresistibly interesting, endlessly curious, and such an avid reader. She scorns her red hair, but I think it’s beautiful. She’s truly one of a kind.
Thank you for this. Yes. Anne doesn’t see what we see. She’s too busy talking and imagining and dreaming to notice how much she matters to everyone around her. And that’s what makes her so irresistible, right? She’s real. Not trying to be perfect. Just trying to belong. Kath will remember this movie. She’ll remember you sharing it with her. And one day she’ll understand why Anne’s story matters so much.
Hehehe Anne with (E) oops 🙈
I grew up reading Anne of Green Gables. I have two complete sets of the series ~ the one I received a book or two at a time, in my teens & the one I inherited from my aunt Jean when she died.
I also have the Emily of New Moon Series & some of LM Montgomery’s other books ~ two of my favorites, The Story Girl & The Blue Castle, which has to be one of my favorite novels OF ALL TIME.
Montgomery had a hard life. She was deeply in love with a man whom she could not marry. The man she did marry suffered a debilitating nervous breakdown after WWI & the great flu pandemic of 1918-19, both of which resulted in the deaths of many family & friends ~ LM almost died herself from the flu. (my Gramma Mac was 13 at the time of the great flu pandemic ~ she spoke often of it & about how many people died). & then she found out that the publisher she was working with was cheating her financially & she had to go to court numerous times to get what she was contractually due. This went on for over 20 years! Meanwhile, several Anne of Green Gables movies were made that shared the name of the novel & almost nothing else.
Like me, she suffered from depression & migraines, which she attributed to having to suppressed romantic passions & being haunted by the ghost of her dead lover. Which makes me consider the reality of my life right now.
She committed suicide when she was 67 years old, a year older than I am now. This was kept secret until about 20 years ago, when her granddaughter spoke out, hoping to raise awareness on depression & suicide.
Sorry for writing so much. The coffee is GOOD this morning.
Polly, you’re like me on my third cuppa when writing. Just go at it… Giddyup!
As usual, a great read. I wouldn’t have pictured you as an Anne of Green Gables fan, of the book no less. I’d love to read the book if the movie is anything to go by. Based on what you’ve written, Lucy Maud Montgomery’s writing is something to behold. Your background on her life is a captivating read. What a woman! And what a terrible ending it was for her, after all the wondrous good she did in bringing her novels to the world. Your opening up about her life lends so much to the article, and I’m grateful for it, as I’m sure other readers happening upon this will be too.
Keep the coffee chugging if this is where it leads. Gorgeous.
I wasn’t always a party girl. I grew up in small towns & I had a large extended family who loved to tell stories. I was especially close to my paternal family ~ they were the bookish ones.
In some of the Green Gable books & other Montgomery novels & stories, the characters often walk around a cemetery, talking about family members & friends who lie there, dead & buried. It was a innovative way to inform the reader about the past of the town & the people who lived there.
I used to walk around the cemetery where my paternal family is buried with my Gramma Mac & Aunt Jean ~ my mother’s family is in the Catholic cemetery a quarter-mile up the road, behind the Catholic Church I went to ~ my grandfather was the caretaker of the cemetery, as my younger brother is now. Gramma & Aunt Jean would tell me the stories of all the family members & friends of the family who were buried there.
Reading stories like that made me feel like I could identify with the people in Avonlea & the other places that Montgomery wrote about. A big part of me is emotionally & psychologically Canadian.
You have shared some beautiful and tender memories there. Your references to the cemetery reminded me of a short story by Dostoevsky called ‘Bobok’. While your recollection is about Montgomery talking about the dead from above ground, Dostoevsky tells his story from below, with a dialogue between the recently deceased occupants of graves in a cemetery, most of whom remain fully conscious and retain all the characteristics of their living personalities. Great read.
That sounds like a cool story.