Amazon.com reviews for
Princess Caraboo (1994)

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Princess Caraboo (vhs):

Amazon.com video review: This gentle "true" fairy tale succeeds on nearly every level, becoming an intelligent handling of a tabloid story. In 1817 a young foreign drifter (Phoebe Cates, never better) sets a small portion of England buzzing that she is a royal princess from an uncharted land. This feels like a magical movie with slightly overcooked characters, such as Kevin Kline's Greek butler. The supporting cast is older than in most movies of this type--no cute actors, we have performers with chiseled features and gruff voices. Director Michael Austin's decision to approach this as a true story keeps things firmly grounded so the eccentrics are not overplayed. Beautifully filmed by the great Freddie Francis (Glory) and featuring a surprisingly rich cast (Stephen Rea, Wendy Hughes, Jim Broadbent, and John Lithgow), this is simply the best family movie since The Secret Garden. --Doug Thomas