Tuesday, March 13, 2012

ANNE OF GREEN GABLES

Anne of Green Gables is a 1985 television movie based on the novel of the same name by Canadian author Lucy Maud Montgomery. The film was produced and directed by Kevin Sullivan for the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. It was released theatrically in Israel, Europe and Japan.
The film aired on CBC Television as a two-part miniseries on December 1, 1985. Both parts of the film were among the highest-rated programs of any genre ever to air on a Canadian television network. On February 17, 1986, the film aired on PBS in the United States on the series WonderWorks.
Anne of Green Gables is the first film in a trilogy of movies based on the titular character. In 1987 the film's sequel, Anne of Avonlea, was released. (It was subsequently retitled Anne of Green Gables: The Sequel on home video.) In the United States the final movie, Anne of Green Gables: The Continuing Story, was aired on July 23, 2000, and aired on March 5, 2000 in Canada. The final film passed over Anne's House of Dreams - the corresponding Anne novel - in favor of a plot not featured in Montgomery's series, and did not receive the same critical praise as the first two films.
The first two Anne films generated a spin-off television series which aired from 1989 to 1996 and starred Sarah Polley. The Road to Avonlea series featured characters and episodes from several of Montgomery's books. Anne herself did not appear in the episodes, but Gilbert Blythe, Marilla Cuthbert, and other characters from the Anne books were included.
In 2008, the fourth in the series, titled Anne of Green Gables: A New Beginning was completed. The film stars Barbara Hershey, Shirley MacLaine, Rachel Blanchard and it introduces Hannah Endicott-Douglas as the new Anne Shirley. The film is both a sequel and a prequel to Sullivan's trilogy.

  Awards and nominations

The film swept the 1986 Gemini Awards, winning the following:
  • Best Dramatic Miniseries
  • Best Actress in a Single Dramatic Program or Miniseries: Megan Follows
  • Best Supporting Actor: Richard Farnsworth
  • Best Supporting Actress: Colleen Dewhurst
  • Best Writing (TV Adaptation): Kevin Sullivan and Joe Wiesenfeld
  • Best Music Composition: Hagood Hardy
  • Best Costume Design: Martha Mann
  • Best Photography: RenĂ© Ohashi
  • Best Production Design/Art Direction: Carol Spier
  • Most Popular Program
The film was also nominated for Best Direction in a Dramatic Program or Mini-Series and Best Picture Editing in a Dramatic Program or Series.
The series also won an Emmy Award in 1986, for Outstanding Children's Program.
Other Awards
  • Peabody Award - to Kevin Sullivan for Outstanding Contribution to Broadcasting in the United States, 1986
  • Prix Jeunesse: Best Drama, 1988 (Germany)
  • TV Guide Award: Most Popular Program, 1986
  • Grand Award - International Film and Television, New York
  • Emily Award - American Film and Video Festival, 1986
  • Macleans Medal of Merit - Macleans Magazine, 1986
  • Chris Award - Columbus International Film Festival, 1986
  • Silver Hugo Award - Chicago International Film Festival, 1986
  • International TV Movie Festival: Nomination for Movie of the Year, 1986
  • American TV Critics Award: Best Drama, 1986
  • Grant Award: Best TV Program, Houston International Film Festival, 1987
  • Golden Gate Award - San Francisco Film Festival, 1986
  • CRTA Award: Outstanding Personal Achievement in TV, 1986
  • Ohio State Award - Performing Arts and Humanities Award, 1987
  • First Prize - Odyssey Institute Media Award, 1987
  • The Ruby Slipper: Best Television Special, 1987
  • Parents Choice Award - Parents Choice for TV Programmings, 1987
  • Excellence in Programming - Award from Association of Catholic Communications in Canada, 1987
  • Golden Apple Award - Best of National Educational Film and Video Festival, 1987

DVD releases

The Anne of Green Gables series was released on DVD in a collector's edition set on February 5, 2008 in the U.S., April 29, 2008 in Canada and Japan and on September 22, 2010 in Hungary. The set is the most comprehensive edition of all three movies ever released. In addition to the series, it also includes several DVD extras such as feature length commentary from director Kevin Sullivan and Stefan Scaini, 2 New Documentaries: L.M. Montgomery's Island and Kevin Sullivan's Classic featuring new cast and crew interviews, missing scenes, lost footage and a condensed, 10-minute version of the missing "Road to Avonlea" episode "Marilla Cuthbert's Death".

CAST

Production

Kevin Sullivan adapted the novel story into his own screenplay, collaborating with industry veteran Joe Wiesenfeld, and developed a co-production between the CBC and PBS in order to film Anne of Green Gables. Sullivan amalgamated many of Montgomery’s episodes into the film's plot that diverged from Montgomery’s original, but relied on strong characterizations and visuals in order to render the story for a contemporary filmic audience.
Primary locations for filming the movie included Prince Edward Island, Stouffville, Ontario and Westfield Heritage Village in the Hamilton, Ontario neighbourhood of Rockton, over a consecutive ten week shoot. Sullivan used several locations as Green Gables farm and combined them to appear as one property.
The original film and sequels (with Road to Avonlea and the animated Anne films and series being 130 hours of production) have been seen, thanks to satellite, in every country in the world that broadcasts. The films have now been translated and seen in more places around the world than even the original novels.

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