A Little Princess (1995 film)
Encyclopedia
A Little Princess is a 1995 American children's film directed by Alfonso Cuarón
, starring Liesel Matthews
, Eleanor Bron
, Liam Cunningham, and Vanessa Lee Chester
. Set during World War I
, it focuses on a young girl who is relegated to a life of servitude in a New York City
boarding school by the headmistress after receiving news that her father was killed in combat. Loosely based upon the novel A Little Princess
by Frances Hodgson Burnett
, this adaptation was heavily influenced by the 1939 cinematic version and took great creative liberties with the original story. Various differences occur between the original source material and the setting and screenplay of this film.
Due to poor promotion by its distributor, the film hardly made back half its budget. However, the film was critically acclaimed and given various recognition for its significant achievements in art direction and cinematography, among other aspects of its production.
) loves her childhood home in India
, but she has to leave it when her beloved father (Liam Cunningham) enlists to fight for the British
in World War I
. He enrolls her at Miss Minchin's Seminary for Girls in New York
, the same school Sara's late mother attended, and spares no expense to make sure his daughter will be comfortable while he is gone.
Sara quickly becomes popular and well-liked by the other students, whose boring, mundane lives are made exciting by the wonderful stories from "The Ramayana
" Sara tells. The school's spoiled bully, Lavinia (Taylor Fry
), becomes angry over Sara's increasing popularity. She often clashes with the severe headmistress, Miss Minchin (Eleanor Bron
), who attempts to stifle Sara's creativity and sense of self-worth. Sara attempts to befriend the school's black servant girl, Becky (Vanessa Lee Chester
), but is told to avoid her. Miss Minchin throws Sara a lavish birthday party in order to extract more money from her father, but when word comes that her father was killed in battle and his estate has been seized by the British government, she forces Sara to become a servant. Miss Minchin also confiscates all of Sara's possessions, including a locket her father gave her. Sara's belief that "every girl is a princess" is put to the limit and she stops telling stories. Her friendship with Becky grows and her other school friends sneak up to the attic to see her. Feeling sorry, Sara's friends decide to surprise her by stealing her locket. Touched by this, Sara continues "The Ramayana
".
Meanwhile, in the mansion next door, a rich old man named Charles Randolph (Arthur Malet
) has recently received word that his son, John, also fighting in WWI, is MIA
, resulting in his being relegated to a wheelchair
. He is cared for by an Indian immigrant named Ram Dass (Errol Sitahal
) who had traveled to America on the same ship as the Crewes. Ram Dass keeps an eye on Sara, knowing that she is a kind hearted girl. Mr. Randolph is called to a military hospital
hoping an unidentified soldier suffering from blindess and amnesia
due to exposure to poison gas is his son. Ram Dass convinces Mr. Randolph to take the injured soldier in anyway, reminding him that the soldier may know what happened to John.
One evening, as Sara tells the girls a frightening tale of Ravana, the girls scream in terror and Miss Minchin finds them. She punishes Sara and Becky by denying them any food the next day. To stay full, Sara suggests that they eat a feast that night. The two girls then pretend to have a banquet in the room as Ram Dass watches. The next morning, they wake up to find that the room has turned into a palace-like bedroom, with the same food they dreamed of eating the night before, courtesy of Ram Dass. Miss Minchin enters the room later that day and accuses them of stealing everything. She turns them in to the police and the girls decide that Sara must try to escape. Using a plank as a bridge, Sara narrowly crosses from the school to Randolph's house. The police arrive and enter the house to find her, and to arrest Becky as well. In Randolph's house, Sara meets the soldier and realizes that he is her father. He is unable to remember her however, even though she tries to remind him. Miss Minchin tells the police that Sara has no family, though she clearly recognizes Sara's father. Just as she is being taken away by the police, however, Ram Dass helps Captain Crewe to regain his memory and rescue her.
The film ends with Sara, her father, whose assets and fortune have been restored by the British government, and Becky all leaving for India together. Sara says goodbye to all of the girls and leaves them her favorite doll, Emily, given to her by her father before the war, as a present. Even the bullying Lavinia overcomes her jealousy and parts with Sara on good terms. Mr. Randolph learns of how Sara's father attempted to save his son's life in the trenches during the gas attack, and becomes the school's new headmaster. Meanwhile, Miss Minchin becomes a chimney sweep
, working for a boy she previously mistreated.
, with the consensus, "Alfonso Cuarón adapts Frances Hodgson Burnett's novel with a keen sense of magic realism, vividly recreating the world of childhood as seen through the characters."
it has been cited as one of the "greatest movie of all time" by the academy. It "kindles your heart"
Alfonso Cuarón
Alfonso Cuarón Orozco is a Mexican film director, screenwriter and film producer, best known for his films Children of Men, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, Y tu mamá también, and A Little Princess.- Early life :...
, starring Liesel Matthews
Liesel Matthews
Liesel Anne Pritzker , stage name Liesel Matthews, is an American former child actress and heiress to the Hyatt Hotels fortune...
, Eleanor Bron
Eleanor Bron
Eleanor Bron is an English stage, film and television actress and author.-Early life and family:Bron was born in 1938 in Stanmore, Middlesex, to a Jewish family of Eastern European origin...
, Liam Cunningham, and Vanessa Lee Chester
Vanessa Lee Chester
Vanessa Lee Chester is an American television and film actress. She has worked on a variety of projects, most notable for her roles as Kelly in Steven Spielberg's The Lost World: Jurassic Park , and as Becky in Alfonso Cuarón's A Little Princess...
. Set during World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, it focuses on a young girl who is relegated to a life of servitude in a New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
boarding school by the headmistress after receiving news that her father was killed in combat. Loosely based upon the novel A Little Princess
A Little Princess
A Little Princess is a 1905 children's novel by Frances Hodgson Burnett. It is a revised and expanded version of Burnett's 1888 serialized novel entitled Sara Crewe: or, What Happened at Miss Minchin's Boarding School, which was published in St. Nicholas Magazine.According to Burnett, she...
by Frances Hodgson Burnett
Frances Hodgson Burnett
Frances Eliza Hodgson Burnett was an English playwright and author. She is best known for her children's stories, in particular The Secret Garden , A Little Princess, and Little Lord Fauntleroy.Born Frances Eliza Hodgson, she lived in Cheetham Hill, Manchester...
, this adaptation was heavily influenced by the 1939 cinematic version and took great creative liberties with the original story. Various differences occur between the original source material and the setting and screenplay of this film.
Due to poor promotion by its distributor, the film hardly made back half its budget. However, the film was critically acclaimed and given various recognition for its significant achievements in art direction and cinematography, among other aspects of its production.
Plot
Sara Crewe (Liesel MatthewsLiesel Matthews
Liesel Anne Pritzker , stage name Liesel Matthews, is an American former child actress and heiress to the Hyatt Hotels fortune...
) loves her childhood home in India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
, but she has to leave it when her beloved father (Liam Cunningham) enlists to fight for the British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
in World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
. He enrolls her at Miss Minchin's Seminary for Girls in New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
, the same school Sara's late mother attended, and spares no expense to make sure his daughter will be comfortable while he is gone.
Sara quickly becomes popular and well-liked by the other students, whose boring, mundane lives are made exciting by the wonderful stories from "The Ramayana
Ramayana
The Ramayana is an ancient Sanskrit epic. It is ascribed to the Hindu sage Valmiki and forms an important part of the Hindu canon , considered to be itihāsa. The Ramayana is one of the two great epics of India and Nepal, the other being the Mahabharata...
" Sara tells. The school's spoiled bully, Lavinia (Taylor Fry
Taylor Fry
Taylor Fry is an American actress. She played the role of John McClane's estranged daughter Lucy in the first Die Hard film, and had regular roles on the television series Nightingales, Get a Life and Kirk.-Filmography:...
), becomes angry over Sara's increasing popularity. She often clashes with the severe headmistress, Miss Minchin (Eleanor Bron
Eleanor Bron
Eleanor Bron is an English stage, film and television actress and author.-Early life and family:Bron was born in 1938 in Stanmore, Middlesex, to a Jewish family of Eastern European origin...
), who attempts to stifle Sara's creativity and sense of self-worth. Sara attempts to befriend the school's black servant girl, Becky (Vanessa Lee Chester
Vanessa Lee Chester
Vanessa Lee Chester is an American television and film actress. She has worked on a variety of projects, most notable for her roles as Kelly in Steven Spielberg's The Lost World: Jurassic Park , and as Becky in Alfonso Cuarón's A Little Princess...
), but is told to avoid her. Miss Minchin throws Sara a lavish birthday party in order to extract more money from her father, but when word comes that her father was killed in battle and his estate has been seized by the British government, she forces Sara to become a servant. Miss Minchin also confiscates all of Sara's possessions, including a locket her father gave her. Sara's belief that "every girl is a princess" is put to the limit and she stops telling stories. Her friendship with Becky grows and her other school friends sneak up to the attic to see her. Feeling sorry, Sara's friends decide to surprise her by stealing her locket. Touched by this, Sara continues "The Ramayana
Ramayana
The Ramayana is an ancient Sanskrit epic. It is ascribed to the Hindu sage Valmiki and forms an important part of the Hindu canon , considered to be itihāsa. The Ramayana is one of the two great epics of India and Nepal, the other being the Mahabharata...
".
Meanwhile, in the mansion next door, a rich old man named Charles Randolph (Arthur Malet
Arthur Malet
Arthur Malet is an English actor.Arthur Malet was born in Lee-on-Solent, Hampshire, England in 1927. He emigrated to the United States in the 1950s, starting out onstage and winning two Drama Desk Awards in 1957. He came to some prominence in the 1960s, starring in films playing characters much...
) has recently received word that his son, John, also fighting in WWI, is MIA
Missing in action
Missing in action is a casualty Category assigned under the Status of Missing to armed services personnel who are reported missing during active service. They may have been killed, wounded, become a prisoner of war, or deserted. If deceased, neither their remains nor grave can be positively...
, resulting in his being relegated to a wheelchair
Wheelchair
A wheelchair is a chair with wheels, designed to be a replacement for walking. The device comes in variations where it is propelled by motors or by the seated occupant turning the rear wheels by hand. Often there are handles behind the seat for someone else to do the pushing...
. He is cared for by an Indian immigrant named Ram Dass (Errol Sitahal
Errol Sitahal
Errol Sitahal is an Indo- Trinidadian actor, residing in Canada, who has acted in several Hollywood films. In 1995, he played Ram Das, the Indian manservant, in the film, A Little Princess. The same year he also appeared with Chris Farley and David Spade in a scene from the movie Tommy Boy, where...
) who had traveled to America on the same ship as the Crewes. Ram Dass keeps an eye on Sara, knowing that she is a kind hearted girl. Mr. Randolph is called to a military hospital
Military hospital
Military hospital is a hospital, which is generally located on a military base and is reserved for the use of military personnel, their dependents or other authorized users....
hoping an unidentified soldier suffering from blindess and amnesia
Amnesia
Amnesia is a condition in which one's memory is lost. The causes of amnesia have traditionally been divided into categories. Memory appears to be stored in several parts of the limbic system of the brain, and any condition that interferes with the function of this system can cause amnesia...
due to exposure to poison gas is his son. Ram Dass convinces Mr. Randolph to take the injured soldier in anyway, reminding him that the soldier may know what happened to John.
One evening, as Sara tells the girls a frightening tale of Ravana, the girls scream in terror and Miss Minchin finds them. She punishes Sara and Becky by denying them any food the next day. To stay full, Sara suggests that they eat a feast that night. The two girls then pretend to have a banquet in the room as Ram Dass watches. The next morning, they wake up to find that the room has turned into a palace-like bedroom, with the same food they dreamed of eating the night before, courtesy of Ram Dass. Miss Minchin enters the room later that day and accuses them of stealing everything. She turns them in to the police and the girls decide that Sara must try to escape. Using a plank as a bridge, Sara narrowly crosses from the school to Randolph's house. The police arrive and enter the house to find her, and to arrest Becky as well. In Randolph's house, Sara meets the soldier and realizes that he is her father. He is unable to remember her however, even though she tries to remind him. Miss Minchin tells the police that Sara has no family, though she clearly recognizes Sara's father. Just as she is being taken away by the police, however, Ram Dass helps Captain Crewe to regain his memory and rescue her.
The film ends with Sara, her father, whose assets and fortune have been restored by the British government, and Becky all leaving for India together. Sara says goodbye to all of the girls and leaves them her favorite doll, Emily, given to her by her father before the war, as a present. Even the bullying Lavinia overcomes her jealousy and parts with Sara on good terms. Mr. Randolph learns of how Sara's father attempted to save his son's life in the trenches during the gas attack, and becomes the school's new headmaster. Meanwhile, Miss Minchin becomes a chimney sweep
Chimney sweep
A chimney sweep is a worker who clears ash and soot from chimneys. The chimney uses the pressure difference caused by a hot column of gas to create a draught and draw air over the hot coals or wood enabling continued combustion. Chimneys may be straight or contain many changes of direction. During...
, working for a boy she previously mistreated.
Cast
- Liesel MatthewsLiesel MatthewsLiesel Anne Pritzker , stage name Liesel Matthews, is an American former child actress and heiress to the Hyatt Hotels fortune...
as Sara Crewe - Eleanor BronEleanor BronEleanor Bron is an English stage, film and television actress and author.-Early life and family:Bron was born in 1938 in Stanmore, Middlesex, to a Jewish family of Eastern European origin...
as Miss Minchin - Liam Cunningham as Captain Crewe/Prince RamaRamaRama or full name Ramachandra is considered to be the seventh avatar of Vishnu in Hinduism, and a king of Ayodhya in ancient Indian...
- Vanessa Lee ChesterVanessa Lee ChesterVanessa Lee Chester is an American television and film actress. She has worked on a variety of projects, most notable for her roles as Kelly in Steven Spielberg's The Lost World: Jurassic Park , and as Becky in Alfonso Cuarón's A Little Princess...
as Becky - Rusty SchwimmerRusty SchwimmerRusty Schwimmer is an American film and television actress and singer. Her most prominent role so far is that of Barbara Ludzinski on The Guardian.Among her movie appearances are those as Joey B in Jason Goes to Hell: The Final Friday, Mrs...
as Amelia - Arthur MaletArthur MaletArthur Malet is an English actor.Arthur Malet was born in Lee-on-Solent, Hampshire, England in 1927. He emigrated to the United States in the 1950s, starting out onstage and winning two Drama Desk Awards in 1957. He came to some prominence in the 1960s, starring in films playing characters much...
as Charles Randolph - Errol SitahalErrol SitahalErrol Sitahal is an Indo- Trinidadian actor, residing in Canada, who has acted in several Hollywood films. In 1995, he played Ram Das, the Indian manservant, in the film, A Little Princess. The same year he also appeared with Chris Farley and David Spade in a scene from the movie Tommy Boy, where...
as Ram Dass - Taylor FryTaylor FryTaylor Fry is an American actress. She played the role of John McClane's estranged daughter Lucy in the first Die Hard film, and had regular roles on the television series Nightingales, Get a Life and Kirk.-Filmography:...
as Lavinia - Heather DeLoachHeather DeLoachHeather DeLoach is an American actress. She is best known for her portrayal of the tap dancing "Bee Girl" in the 1992 music video for the hit single "No Rain", by Blind Melon...
as Ermengarde - Darcie Bradford as Jesse
- Rachael BellaRachael BellaRachael Bella Kneeland known professionally as Rachael Bella, is an American former actress known for her role as Becca Kotler in the movie The Ring.-Career:...
as Betsy - Alexandra Rea-Baum as Gertrude
- Camilla BelleCamilla BelleCamilla Belle is an American actress. Her works include The Lost World: Jurassic Park, When a Stranger Calls, 10,000 BC, The Quiet, Push and Speedy Singhs.- Early life :...
as Jane - Lauren Blumenfeld as Rosemary
- Kelsey Mulrooney as Lottie
- Kaitlin CullumKaitlin CullumKaitlin Cullum is an American former child actress. Her older sister Kimberly Cullum is also a former child actress.She is known for her role as Libby Kelly in the sitcom Grace Under Fire. Her other television credits include 7th Heaven, The Amanda Show, Malcolm in the Middle and a brief recurring...
as Ruth
Differences from the book
- The book takes place in Victorian-era LondonLondonLondon is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, while the film is set in New YorkNew YorkNew York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
at the time of World War I. Sara's father also fights in World War I here which he didn't in the book. - Like the Shirley Temple film version, this adaptation changes the fate of Sara's father. While he dies of brain fever in India in the book, here he is said to have been killed in the war. He is revealed to have been alive all along only with amnesia and the movie ends with Sara going to live with her father.
- In the book Becky is a typical Victorian-era cockney girl. In the movie she is black.
- The character of Carrisford does not appear in this version.
- In the book Ram Dass gradually fills Sara's attic room with fresh bed sheets, extra food etc. over time while in the movie Sara and Becky wake up to find the room completely furnished and decorated for them with all the food.
- In the book Sara crawls over into the house and meets Ram Dass and Carrisford there. The movie has an entirely different take on this; Miss Minchin discovers the decorated attic room and accuses Sara of stealing so she calls the police. Sara escapes from the police by crawling across into the other house where she finds her amnesiac father.
- In the book Miss Minchin is allowed to keep the school but lives in terror that Sara could ruin her with one word to Carrisford. In the movie Mr Randolph takes over the school and Miss Minchin is reduced to working as a chimney sweep.
- In the film it is implied that Sara's father has adopted Becky instead of her becoming Sara's personal attendant like in the book.
Reception
Despite commercial failure, A Little Princess was critically acclaimed; it currently holds a 97% 'Fresh' rating on Rotten TomatoesRotten Tomatoes
Rotten Tomatoes is a website devoted to reviews, information, and news of films—widely known as a film review aggregator. Its name derives from the cliché of audiences throwing tomatoes and other vegetables at a poor stage performance...
, with the consensus, "Alfonso Cuarón adapts Frances Hodgson Burnett's novel with a keen sense of magic realism, vividly recreating the world of childhood as seen through the characters."
Awards
- 1995 Los Angeles Film Critics Association Awards for Best Music and Best Production Design
- Two Academy Award nominations: Best Art Direction/Set Decoration (Bo WelchBo WelchRobert W. "Bo" Welch III is an American motion picture production designer and director.Welch was born in Yardley, Pennsylvania. He worked as a production designer on the Tim Burton films Edward Scissorhands, Beetlejuice, and Batman Returns, as well as A Little Princess and Men in Black, among...
, Cheryl CarasikCheryl CarasikCheryl Carasik is a set decorator. She has been nominated for five Academy Awards in the category Best Art Direction.-Selected filmography:* A Little Princess * The Birdcage * Men in Black...
) and Best Cinematography - Young Artist AwardYoung Artist AwardThe Young Artist Award is an accolade bestowed by the Young Artist Foundation, a non-profit organization founded in 1978 to recognize and award excellence of youth performers, and to provide scholarships for young artists who may be physically and/or financially challenged.The Young Artist...
- Best Young Actress for Liesel Matthews
it has been cited as one of the "greatest movie of all time" by the academy. It "kindles your heart"
External links
- A Little Princess at MetacriticMetacriticMetacritic.com is a website that collates reviews of music albums, games, movies, TV shows and DVDs. For each product, a numerical score from each review is obtained and the total is averaged. An excerpt of each review is provided along with a hyperlink to the source. Three colour codes of Green,...
- A comparison of the various "Little Princess" films
- A Little Princess at Stars Now.