Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #723 in DVD
• Released on: 1999-10-25
• Rating: Universal, suitable for all
• Aspect ratio: 1.85:1
• Number of discs: 1
• Formats: Dubbed, PAL, Widescreen
• Original language: English
• Subtitled in: Arabic, Bulgarian, Dutch, English, French, German, Italian, Portuguese, Romanian, Spanish
• Dubbed in: Dutch, French, Italian
• Number of discs: 1
• Running time: 93 minutes

Amazon.co.uk Review
After the critical success of 1993's The Secret Garden, Warner Bros returned to the novels of Frances Hodgson Burnett to create this 1995 adaptation of A Little Princess, which instantly ranked with The Secret Garden as one of the finest children's films of the 1990s. Neither film was a huge box-office success, but their quality speaks for itself, and A Little Princess has all the ingredients of a timeless classic. A marvel of production design, the film features lavish sets built almost entirely on a studio backlot in Burbank, California. The story opens in New York just before the outbreak of World War I, when young Sara (Liesel Matthews) is enrolled in private boarding school while her father goes off to war. Under the domineering scrutiny of the school's wicked headmistress, Miss Minchen (Eleanor Bron), Sara quickly becomes popular with her schoolmates, but fate intervenes and she soon faces a stern reversal of fortune, resorting to wild flights of fancy to cope with an unexpectedly harsh reality. Rather than label her fanciful tales as escapist fantasy, A Little Princess actively encourages a child's power of imagination--a power that can be used to learn, grow, and adapt to a world that is often cruel and difficult. It's also one of the most visually beautiful films of the 90s and creates a fully detailed world within the boarding school--a place where imagination is vital to survival. A first-class production in every respect, this is one family film that should (if it's not too stuffy to say it) be considered required viewing for parents and kids alike. --Jeff Shannon

Special Features
1.85 Wide Screen
Dutch\French\Italian
English\Italian
English
Region 2
Dolby Digital 5.1 Dutch English French Italian
Dolby Digital 5.1
Interactive Menu
Scene Access
Arabic\Bulgarian\Dutch\English\French\German\Italian\Portuguese\Romanian\Spanish

Synopsis
An engaging version of Frances Hodgson Burnett's classic tale of a girl who's sent to a boarding school in New York when her father must serve in World War I. The young girl learns that, despite the treatment she receives from a strict headmistress, she'll always be a princess.

Customer Reviews

brilliant
this movie is so heart warming and beautifully shot. It has made me cry EVERY time i watched it! the actors are brilliant, and Liesel Matthews is fantastic. Its set in the 1940s (but in a way you forget) and sara crew, who lived with her dad in india has to move to America (i think new york) and stay a bording school. her mother died when she was very young, and all she has left of her is a locket (which the evil headteacher takes off her at one point). when the headteacher hears news that her father dies (i get teary at that part) she is made a servant at the school with the other servant girl. The other servant girl is black, and nobody likes her, but sara sees through this and questions the other girls why. they both become best friends.

because she is the servant she lives on the top floor. some how her father is alive, and coincidentally the man next door is looking after him. she risks her life climbing over a plank of wood (in the rain) balancing over the balcony. when she finds her father he doesnt remember his own daughter (by this time the police are on their way, and again im crying here). then at the last minute his memory comes back, and they are reunited together.


It trueley is a magical story, i watched when i was 5 in the cinema (funny i remember it so well :P, well i have watched time and time again) and it has remained my favourite movie of all time.

5 stars *****

Very well done!
Although not quite as great and visually stunning as the previous Frances Hodgson Burnett film adaptation, The Secret Garden, "A Little Princess" is a delightful film to watch any time, anywhere. The story centers around Sara Crewe, a young girl brought from India by her father to be left under the care of Miss Minchin at her institution for girls in New York. Sara has all she could ever want at the school, the most delightful riches and comfort and a bunch of new friends, however, when Miss Minchin informs Sara that her father has been killed in war, Sara is then turned into a servant. She is now required to work for the school in order for Miss Minchin to recover the financial losses caused by Captain Crewe's tragic death.

This Warner Brothers film is wonderfully done. Very detailed surroundings give the movie a believable air that it is set in a more old-fashioned New York. Liesel Matthews does a magnificent job of portraying the main character, Sara Crewe as well as all the other actors and actresses portraying their own characters. I have never read the original F. H. Burnett book, although I have a copy and I plan on reading it soon, so I can't really compare the movie to the book. Either way, the movie is definitely an inspiration to reading the novel, which I expect to be quite different based on other viewers' reviews. I almost forgot to mention that the movie has beautiful music, nice soft ballads that are a combination of a classical rhythm and an Indian-like chorus, as well as the repeated addition of the lovely song, "Kindle My Heart."

If you enjoy this movie, I also recommend viewing the 1993 version of The Secret Garden, filmed by the same studio. I give this movie five overall stars, I've added a VHS copy of it to my collection and plan on enjoying it for many years.

For people who believe in miracles!
This is a beautiful story, i grew up reading the book and watching this movie. This story of Sara Crew is amazingly enchanting. It will capture your heart and make you believe no matter how old you are. A must buy for all those believers out there. Want to go back to your childhood? then... GO ONNNN....Buy this DVD!