A Little Princess

In general, I love watching movie versions of books I've loved, even when they veer from strict adherence to the plot. I love seeing someone else's vision/interpretation of the story that I also connected with. To me, it's sort of like discussing a book with someone else as new nuances may emerge that I hadn't picked up on before. And, of course, I am usually spurred to re-read the book to make my comparison of the book versus movie.

Of course, there are some very poor movie adaptations of books out there, but one film that is a fantastic adaptation is the 1995 film A Little Princess directed by Alfonso Cuarón who went on to direct Y tu mamá también, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, and Children of Men (more great film adaptations of novels!). It is based on the Frances Hodgson Burnett novel and is a charming, moving adaptation that, while appropriate for children, appeals to adults as well. I first watched the movie a decade ago after seeing rapturous reviews by Siskel & Ebert about how it was the best family movie of the year that no one saw. I loved it so much that I bought the DVD and have since had my husband and other friends watch it and we all agreed what a fine film it is.