Review – A Little Princess

Obviously this one’s a little outside my usual viewing habits. That notwithstanding, I’ll admit to kinda liking this movie. Sure, it’s cliché-ridden, jam-packed with false gender consciousness and strange racial dynamics, afflicted with half a dozen different kinds of bad acting, and more than one or two other faults. That notwithstanding, I’d have to say that it does a charming job of subtly emphasizing the value of imagination and the inherent dignity of the human spirit, particularly the spirit of young girls struggling to keep their hopes alive in a rigid, hostile world. The acting’s not half bad, especially for a production with this many kids in it. And best of all, it manages to be charming and light-spirited most of the way through, only occasionally descending into the sort of melodrama only an uncritical child could love. On the other hand, I have it on good authority that the book is considerably better. Mildly amusing