Did you know that all women are princesses? That is our right. It doesn’t matter if she is poor or old or ugly. Didn’t your father ever tell you that?
Sarah Crewe’s father told her.
Sarah’s story is one that has been loved by generations of little girls. From the novel by Frances Hodgson Burnett (the author of The Secret Garden as well) to the Shirley Temple adaptation as well as several other adaptations (including a popular version for television in 1986) and, in 1995, to this adaptation it’s a story that has awakened the imagination.
Before Harry Potter and Y tu mama tambien, Alfonso Cuaron brought his magical touch to this, a very magical story. Working alongside Emmanuel Lubezki (the two collaborate frequently), Cuaron brings the story to life in the most touching way.
The year is 1914 and little Sarah leaves India for a New York boarding school when her father is sent to war. Miss Minchin’s school is a cold place of rules and proper conduct but Sarah’s imagination cannot be contained. The other girls fall in love with Sarah’s stories and even when tragedy strikes they refuse to abandon their friend. Sarah goes from royalty to scullery maid in the blink of an eye. Kindness, compassion, love, and hope never abandon or are abandoned by Sarah, no matter how dark conditions may become. With Becky by her side, Sarah dances and feasts and, always, dreams. Sarah will always be her father’s princess.
While this adaptation may not be the most faithful in detail to the novel, I really feel that it captures the essence of the story. Between the acting, the camera work, and the music, it comes across beautifully. Cuaron and Lubezki create images that are moving and just plain breathtaking. Liesel Matthews is enchanting as Sarah. And as Sarah walks, the music swells, the leaves dance and even the cold New York City streets seem filled with the magic she carries with her. Every element in this film blends seamlessly together, all working to bring the magic of A Little Princess to life.
Liesel carries the film as the lead but the rest of the cast is just as superb. From Liam Cunningham who plays Captain Crewe to Eleanor Bron as the wicked Miss Minchin, the cast is filled with gems. Vanessa Lee Chester is Becky, Errol Sitahal is the neighboring Indian servant Ram Dass, Heather DeLoach is the timid Ermengarde, Taylor Fry is the bully Lavinia, and Kelsey Mulrooney is the little banshee Lottie. The girls are mischievous imps all too ready to listen to an imagined story or embark on a life threatening adventure. Paternity suits Liam Cunningham well and in Miss Minchin’s eyes you can see the disillusionment and bitterness as well as the memory of abandoned hopes and dreams. Ram Dass is a mystery and heroic in his own quiet way.
What makes A Little Princess so special though is how it is able to transcend the state of being only entertainment. A Little Princess is so much more. When watching you can feel the magic that Sarah and her father talk about wrap around you. It sneaks into your heart and by the ending you are completely captured by this world. Yes, I’ll admit it, I cried. A Little Princess was the first, and one of the only, films to ever strike such an honest note with me. I feel Sarah and her father so completely. This film is a rare thing indeed.
It’s also a family film. It’s intelligent and well done but maintains a sense of innocent fantasy that parents can share with their children without worry. It is a story for little girls after all, a story for the princess in all of us.
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