Product: Anne of Green Gables: The Continuing Story
Rating: 1.0
Completely lost the magic
What a waste. The romantic and dreamy, humourous and impetuous Anne is gone, leaving behind a woman twice as old and unforgivably dull, along with her long-suffering love Gilbert - the both of them barely recognisable, as they have altered so much both in appearance and in nature, since the first two productions.The feel of the Anne films, which were captured by the idealistic and diverse characters, the sweeping views and nostalgic settings, the musical score, the laughter and tears, in short the magic, is totally lacking in this third production.Why didn't the creaters of this episode set the story in the context of L.M. Montgomery's 'Rilla of Ingleside', making Anne and Gil the parents of children who are caught up in the conflict of WWI? This would have been infinately more believable considering Anne and Gilbert's respective age and appearance, and could have set out to capture the hopes and fears, loves and tragedies of the times. As is stands the story line is fantastical and devoid of interest.It is ridiculous to ask viewers to believe that it has been a mere matter of a few years since Anne and Gilbert were betrothed. Futher absurdity is found in the idea of Anne and Gilbert, still unmarried, going away together and getting jobs in New York. Then we are to beleive that Anne leaves Avonlea on an intrepid journey to find Gil in war-torn Europe.Add to this Diana's transformation from a loving down-home family-and-friends woman to a affluent, materialistic, stuck-up tyrannical wife and mother. Then add a Green Gables that has by some mystery in a brief space of years been allowed to decay into a complete ruin.Dreadful. I was so keen to see this film, as I'm an avid fan of both the Anne films and books. Afterward, I wish I wouldn't have seen it at all. What on earth were they thinking?