Lantern Hill (1990) (TV)

User Rating:

6.6/10   

Director:

Kevin Sullivan

Writers:

Fiona McHugh (writer)
Lucy Maud Montgomery (novel)

Release Date:

30 December 1990 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Family

Plot:

In 1935 Toronto, Jane Stuart's mother has taken ill, and the two of them have temporarily moved in with her rich...

Plot Keywords:

Girl | Family Relationships | Child | Summer | Grandmother Granddaughter Relationship

Awards:

Nominated for Primetime Emmy. Another 3 wins & 3 nominations

Cast

Mairon Bennett	...	Jane Stuart
Sam Waterston	...	Andrew Stuart
Patricia Phillips	...	Robin Stuart
Zoe Caldwell	...	Mrs.Kennedy
Sarah Polley	...	Jody Turner
Colleen Dewhurst	...	Hepzibah
Vivian Reis	...	Aunt Irene
Joyce Campion	...	Violet Titus
Florence Patterson	...	Justina Titus
Sharry Flett	...	Lillian Morrow
Glori Gage	...	Evelyn Morrow
Dora Dainton	...	Aggie
Robert Benson	...	William Kennedy
Juno Mills Cockell	...	Phyllis Kennedy
Jillian Cook	...	Gertrude Kennedy

Also Known As:

Jane de Lantern Hill (Canada: French title)
Jane of Lantern Hill

Runtime:

111 min

Country:

Canada

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Certification:

Canada:PG (Ontario)

Company:

Hal Roach Studios

good acting, disappointing adaptation

This was one of my favorite books as a child. I even had the book on tape, read by the same wonderful young actress that portrayed Jane in the film. I spent numerous blissful hours drawing and listening to the tapes, imagining that I was part of Jane's marvelous world. Then the movie came along and as a nine year old, I was thoroughly traumatized as to what they had done to my beloved book.

Years later, an interest in Sam Waterston's acting drew me back, and admittedly out of sheer bias toward his portrayal of Andrew, which may be the only good thing about the movie, I did not hate it as much. But that does not make it a good adaptation. "Jane of Lantern Hill" was never meant to be a ghost story. There was no strange, creepy, gray-haired old woman (witch?) trying to encourage Jane to draw her parents back together. There was no ghost haunting her, nor no sinister nightmares. Beyond that, the first half hour of the film is complete rubbish that only bears a passing resemblance to the book.

I'm not a prude when it comes to adaptations. I can enjoy them even with major changes made so long as the spirit remains true to the author's intention, and the characters are not severely altered in any way. I'm afraid this one doesn't quite hit the mark. I found it enjoyable, but in comparing it to the book, came up short every time. The best thing about the production are the performances by the leading girls and the depiction of a charming, eccentric father. That almost makes it worth it.