FairyTale: A True Story (1997)

Two children in 1917 take a photograph, believed by some to be the first scientific evidence of the existence of fairies. Based on a true story.

Director:

Charles Sturridge

Writers:

Albert Ash (story), Tom McLoughlin (story),

Stars:

Harvey Keitel, Florence Hoath, Elizabeth Earl

1 win & 3 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Harvey Keitel	...	Harry Houdini
Jason Salkey	...	James Collins
Peter O'Toole	...	Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
Lara Morgan	...	Jean Doyle
Adam Franks	...	Adrian Doyle
Guy Witcher	...	Denis Doyle
Joseph May	...	Houdini's Assistant
John Bradley	...	Portly Gentleman
Anna Chancellor	...	Peter Pan
Florence Hoath	...	Elsie Wright
Phoebe Nicholls	...	Polly Wright
Leonard Kavanagh	...	Stage Manager
Elizabeth Earl	...	Frances Griffiths
Paul McGann	...	Arthur Wright
Anton Lesser	...	Wounded Corporal

Storyline

Based on factual accounts, this is the story of two young girls that, somehow, have the ability to take pictures of winged beings... which certainly causes quite a stir throughout England during the time of the first World War. Everyone, except the girls who think it's quite normal, are excited about this "photographic proof" that fairies exist... even the great Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and Harry Houdini pay the girls a visit.

---

Plot Keywords:

girl | fairy | photograph | children | owl | 

---

Taglines:

Believe.

---

Genres:

Drama | Family | Fantasy | Mystery

---

Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG for brief mild language

Details

Country:

UK USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

24 October 1997 (USA)

Also Known As:

Istinita vilinska prica

Filming Locations:

Cottingley, West Yorkshire, England, UK

Box Office

Opening Weekend:

£272,295 (UK) (13 February 1998)

Gross:

£2,164,218 (UK) (10 April 1998)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Icon Entertainment International, Wendy Finerman Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

99 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The film is based on the true story of the Cottingley Fairies. In the summer of 1917, Frances Griffiths (then 10 years old) and her cousin Elsie Wright (then 16 years old) were living with Elsie's parents in the town of Cottingley in West Yorkshire. Using Arthur Wright's camera, the girls took a series of pictures of themselves with fairies in the nearby woodland brook of Cottingley Beck. (The woodland scenes in "FairyTale: A True Story" are filmed in Cottingley Beck, the actual location where Frances and Elsie supposedly encountered the fairies in 1917.) The photographs became public in 1919 (not during World War I, as depicted in the film), when Elsie's mother gave the photos to Edward Gardner, President of the Theosophical Society of Bradford. Sir Arthur Conan Doyle published the photos with an article on spiritualism in "The Strand" Magazine in December, 1920. Opinions over the authenticity of the photos were divided. Several photographic experts examined them and pronounced them "genuine," while other photo experts found "evidence of fakery." (A few experts who examined the photos noted that the "fairies" had "Parisienne-style haircuts," which were popular in the day.) In the end, no real harm came from the photos. The two girls never accepted any money for them, or tried to swindle anyone with their claims of fairy encounters. Years later, as adults, the girls admitted they had faked the photos using cardboard cutouts of fairies taken from a children's book. Elsie explained that they were too embarrassed to admit the truth about the photos after Conan Doyle, the legendary creator of Sherlock Holmes, accepted them as genuine. However, Frances insisted until her death that at least one of the "fairy photos" was real. Frances died in 1986, and Elsie died in 1988. The original photos, and the cameras the girls used to take them, are now in the National Media Museum in Bradford, England.

---

Quotes

Harry Houdini: Never try to fool children. They expect nothing and therefore see everything.

---

Connections

Referenced in Siskel & Ebert: Lost in Space/The Spanish Prisoner/Mercury Rising/Kurt & Courtney/Character (1998)

---

Soundtracks

"See the Conquering Hero Comes"
from "Judas Maccabeus"
Composed by George Frideric Handel (as Georg Friedrich Händel)
Arranged by Christopher Blood
Performed by the combined brass ensembles of St. Peter's & St. Oliver's Schools, York

User Reviews

Believe...Can You?

This venture was beautiful, whimsical, and inspired. This work felt as though it were real, although that is only partially true. I really don't care. The (movie) magick to be found here is awe inspiring and will have you watching your bird feeder much more closely.

Backed up by big names, beautiful photography, a solid screenplay, and natural dialog, this production is almost timeless. As it was a "period" piece (1917), it bears the virtue of not showing its wear. It was filmed as "old" when it was new.

The two girls' performances were nothing short of exemplary. They came off as being honest and true to their roles. That having been said, there was not a single poor performance to be found.

While there are some slow spots, as character development and the story are set up for the duration of the work, they are few and do not interrupt the flow of the production enough to break the wonderful spell.

It rates an 8.8/10 from...

the Fiend :.