A Little Princess (1995)

**A Little Princess** is a 1995 American family drama film directed by Alfonson Cuaron, which was released on May 10, 1995 by Warner Bros. Pictures.

It is based on Frances Hodgson Burnett's novel of the same name.

## Plot

When Sara Crewe is sent to a boarding school in New York City while her father, Richard is serving in World War I, she makes the best of things by entertaining her new friends with stories; however, when Richard goes missing, she is forced to work in servitude.

## Cast

* Liesel Matthews as Sara Crewe
* Eleanor Bron as Miss Maria Minchin
* Liam Cunningham as Captain Richard Crewe/Prince Rama
* Vanessa Lee Chester as Becky
* Camilla Belle as Jane
* Rachael Bella as Betsy
* Kaitlin Cullum as Ruth
* Taylor Fry as Lavinia
* Heather DeLoach as Ermengarde
* Kelsey Mulrooney as Lottie
* Peggy Miley as Mabel
* Rusty Schwimmer as Amelia
* Arthur Malet as Charles Randolph
* Errol Sitahal as Ram Dass
* Vincent Schiavelli as Mr. Barrow
* Alison Moir as Princess Sita
* Lomax Study as Monsieur Dufarge
* Darcie Bradford as Jesse
* Alexandra Rea-Baum as Gertrude
* Lauren Blumenfeld as Rosemary

## Production

Principal photography for "A Little Princess" began on April 11, 1994 and ended on July 11, 1994.

Filming locations included Chicago, Illinois; Taj Mahal, Agra, Uttar Pradesh, India; Simla, Himachal Pradesh, India; and Burbank, California. The boarding school exteriors were filmed at the Warner Bros. Studios in Burbank, California.

## Box Office

"A Little Princess" grossed $28,612 during its opening weekend. Domestically and worldwide, it grossed $10,015,449.

## Critical Reception

"A Little Princess" received critical acclaim upon its release. On Rotten Tomatoes the film has a rating of 97% based on 32 reviews with an average rating of 8.2/10. The site's consensus states: *"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."*

Janet Maslin called the film a *"bright, beautiful and enchantingly childlike vision,"* one that *"draw[s] its audience into the wittily heightened reality of a fairy tale" and "takes enough liberties to re-invent rather than embalm Miss Burnett's assiduously beloved story."*

Rita Kempley of The Washington Post called "A Little Princess" Alfonso Cuarón's *"dazzling North American debut"* and wrote that it *"exquisitely re-creates the ephemeral world of childhood, an enchanted kingdom where everything, even make-believe, seems possible."*

Writing for Variety, Todd McCarthy said: *"An astonishing work of studio artifice, A Little Princess is that rarest of creations, a children's film that plays equally well to kids and adults."*

Roger Ebert from the Chicago Sun-Times said: *"[Alfonso] Cuaron's version of magic realism consists of seeing incredibly fanciful sets and situations in precise detail, and Johnson has provided him with the freedom and logistical support to create such places as the street where Miss Minchin's school looms so impressively."*

Jonathan Rosenbaum from the Chicago Reader wrote: *"The virtues on display are very much those of the heroine: generosity, imagination, charm, and the capacity to keep an audience mesmerized with a good story."*

The San Francisco Examiner called "A Little Princess" a *"delightful film."*

James Berardinelli from ReelViews wrote: *"To be sure, A Little Princess has a few missteps. For one thing, Miss Minchin could have been played with less villainy, but younger viewers will probably appreciate the one-dimensional nastiness. There are also a few moments of overt sweetness, but these are easily forgiven. Actually, there's very little this movie has to apologize for -- it's the rare kind of picture that can be enjoyed by viewers of 8, 18, and 80."*

## Awards

**Los Angeles Film Critics Association Awards** (1995)

* Best Music: Patrick Doyle [**Winner**]
* Best Production Design: Bo Welch [**Winner**]
* New Generation Award: Alfonso Cuarón [**Winner**]
* Best Picture [*Nominated*]

**Awards Circuit Community Awards** (1995)

* Best Art Direction: Bo Welch (production design) and Cheryl Carasik (set decoration) [*Nominated*]
* Best Costume Design: Judianna Makovsky [*Nominated*]

**Academy Awards** (1996)

* Best Cinematography: Emmanuel Lubezki [*Nominated*]
* Best Art Direction (Set Decoration): Bo Welch and Cheryl Carasik [*Nominated*]

**Dallas-Fort Worth Film Critics Association Awards** (1996)

* Best Picture [*Nominated*]

**Young Artist Awards**

* Best Family Feature (Drama) [*Nominated*]
* Best Young Leading Actress (Feature Film): Liesel Matthews and Vanessa Lee Chester [*Nominated*]