Where would British literature be without the island nation’s remarkable lore of horrid governesses, awful parents and boarding schools resembling detention centers?
In the chilling tradition before and aft of Charles Dickens, Roald Dahl and countless others, Frances Hodgson Burnett wrote “A Little Princess” to freeze and then thaw the hearts of dreamy little girls. A happy, imaginative and rich girl loses her father to wartime, is sent overseas to the care of an abusive headmistress and is generally beset by woe from all fronts.
Alfonso Cuaron took some liberties with the novel’s plot but in doing so moved even closer to the heart of Burnett’s intentions. Cuaron’s 1995 version of “A Little Princess” is at once magically surreal and sharply heartbreaking. It works as immediate plot and ethereal metaphor; you will gasp and worry at the fate of plucky Sara, while also contemplating the greater goals of Cuaron. The director aims to pit the human urge for creativity and dreams against the brute force of the “real world,” and the battle is fierce.
While Sara’s father is fighting with the British in World War I, she battles evil Miss Minchin at a New York boarding school. When it appears her father’s estate has been confiscated, Minchin takes it out on Sara by treating her like a scullery maid.
Sara battles on, with occasional support from a kind gentleman next door and his mysterious helper, Ram Dass. The plot lines will eventually get tied back together in truly Dickensian fashion, a tradition honored brilliantly by Cuaron.
“A Little Princess” may sound like a special for 7-year-old girls — don’t lose the chance, though, to watch it for yourself. It’s truly a film for all ages.
Rated G: for all audiences.
Best suited for: children and all parents who love the colorful villains and satisfying endings of British literature.
