Anne of Green Gables: The Sequel

  • Review Date: December 13, 2011
  • NR
  • Genre: Drama
  • 1987
Review

Common Sense Media says

Lovely, kid-friendly sequel has more romance than the first.
greenON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age.
yellowPAUSE: Know your child; some content
may not be right for some kids.
redOFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age.
not for kidsNOT FOR KIDS: Not appropriate for kids any age.

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Quality
 
Sometimes media can be age appropriate but a real waste of time. Our star rating assesses the media's overall quality.

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Parents say

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Kids say

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What parents need to know

Parents need to know that this sequel to the excellent Anne of Green Gables miniseries is less faithful to L.M. Montgomery's original books than the first movie but captures their spirit well enough to entertain loyal fans. Anne, as always, is an imaginative, enthusiastic, hardworking role model for girls; her impulsiveness sometimes leads to confrontations and mistakes, but she learns from her errors and always means well. There's more romance in this movie than in the first one, including a few embraces, but nothing at all iffy. Expect a few tense scenes and exchanges (including one featuring corporal punishment) and one character's serious illness, but no real violence.

  • Educational value2
    While not intended to be educational, the movie offers a look at life in 19th-century Canada, as well as worthwhile lessons about friendship, responsibility, and more.
  • Positive messages4
    Many positive messages about friendship, love, family, and being true to yourself. The value of learning to accept change gracefully -- and rise above pettiness -- is emphasized. Characters are sometimes stubborn and/or petty, but they eventually see the error of their ways.
  • Positive role models5
    Anne continues to be imaginative, enthusiastic, impulsive, and loyal; she makes her share of mistakes but always tries to learn from them and is a strong role model. She overcomes hostility from the Pringles and, over the course of the movie, learns a lot about herself. She also helps others empower themselves and stands up for those who need a friend, even when they push her away.
  • Violence & scariness1
    Anne administers corporal punishment to one of her students in one scene, but she clearly has no taste for it, and it's very upsetting to her. A few tumbles/tense scenes and exchanges, and one character who's prone to fainting cuts herself mildly during a fall. Some dust-ups between children, though nothing serious. A key character gets very ill at one point, which could scare some kids. During part of the movie, people are cruel to Anne for petty reasons, but she rises above it. A minor character dies.
  • Sexy stuff1
    Much more romance than in the first movie, including mild flirting, marriage proposals, and a couple of kisses, but nothing at all graphic.
  • Language1
    "Darned," plus a few insults during heated exchanges, including "snippet," "narrow-minded," etc. "Oh good Lord" and "great Jehosaphat!" as exclamations/expressions of exasperation.
  • Consumerism0
    Anne's experiences with her story "Averil's Atonement" actually argue against product placement.
  • Drinking, drugs, & smoking0
    Toasts are made at a wedding, and punch is served at a party, but there's no suggestion that the beverages are alcoholic. Boys try to make their own cigarettes, though they're caught.
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What's the story?

Based on L.M. Montgomery's novels Anne of Avonlea, Anne of the Island, and Anne of Windy Poplars, ANNE OF GREEN GABLES: THE SEQUEL picks up the impulsive red-head's adventures a little bit after where Anne of Green Gables left off. Now a teacher herself, Anne is also an aspiring writer, penning romantic short stories and dreaming grand dreams. But after her best friend, Dianna Barry (Schuyler Grant) gets married and her friendship with Gilbert Blythe (Jonathan Crombie) takes an unwelcome -- to Anne, anyway -- turn toward sentimentality, Anne leaves Avonlea to take a position at Kingsport Ladies College. There she encounters hostility from the unwelcoming Pringle clan, cold stand-offishness from Principal Katherine Brooke (Rosemary Dunsmore), and romantic interest from dashing, wealthy Morgan Harris (Frank Converse). In her own inimitable style, Anne faces all of her new challenges with good humor and grace ... but is she living the life she really wants?

Is it any good?

 

Despite the fact that Anne of Green Gables: The Sequel (also known as Anne of Avonlea) strays much further from Montgomery's source material than its predecessor did, the movie has earned legions of loyal fans for good reason. Follows again portrays Anne with spirit and charm; whether she's in the depths of despair or the heights of joy, her Anne is sympathetic and relatable (if perhaps a bit artificially eloquent at times). Her co-stars are, for the most part, equally skilled -- Colleen Dewhurst is the perfect mix of tart and kind as Marilla, and Crombie is appealingly earnest as Gilbert (his heartfelt Canadian "sorey"s to Anne remain some of fans' favorite moments in the movie).

 

The movie's Prince Edward Island settings are absolutely beautiful, the score memorable, and the romantic moments both sigh-inducing and innocent enough to be completely age-appropriate for even young tweens. Loyal fans of the books may not like some of the liberties that filmmaker Kevin Sullivan has taken with the plot (particularly in the Kingsport sequences), but ultimately the movie stays true to the spirit of both Anne and the novels, and there's a lot to enjoy here.

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What families can talk about

  • Families can talk about Anne. Is she a role model? How is she different here than in the first movie? Can you think of any real people like her?

  • If you've read the Anne books, how does this movie compare? Which do you like better, and why? If you haven't read the books, does watching the movie make you want to?

  • Why do you think the filmmakers might have changed some details from the books?

This review was written by Betsy Bozdech
Kid, 11 years old
December 25, 2011
AGE
7
 
Good movie
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Helped me decide (7) | Had useful details (7) | Read my mind (7)
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Kid, 13 years old
March 28, 2012
AGE
7
 
love movie
I love the books and love the moves too. Very good role models. It's pretty much the same as the books.
Was this review useful?
Helped me decide | Had useful details | Read my mind (1)
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This review was written by Betsy Bozdech
Topics:book characters, friendship, great girl role models
Studio:Sullivan Entertainment
Director:Kevin Sullivan
Cast:Colleen Dewhurst, Jonathan Crombie, Megan Follows
Genre:Drama
Run time:230 minutes
Theatrical release date:May 19, 1987
DVD release date:September 7, 2004
MPAA rating:NR
This review was written by Betsy Bozdech
 

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About our rating system
ON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age.
PAUSE: Know your child; some content may not be right for some kids.
OFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age.
Learning ratings
BEST: Really engaging, great learning approach.
GOOD: Pretty engaging, good learning approach.
FAIR: Somewhat engaging, OK learning approach.
NOT FOR LEARNING: Not recommended for learning.
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