Madeline (1998)

Director:

Daisy von Scherler Mayer

Writers (WGA):

Ludwig Bemelmans (books)
Malia Scotch Marmo (screen story) ...

Release Date:

10 July 1998 (USA)

Genre:

Family | Comedy

Tagline:

In an old house in Paris, that was covered with vines...

Plot:

Redheaded young girl Madeline is very good at getting into trouble, but she's also fantastic in solving problems as well...

Plot Keywords:

School | Precocious Child | Museum | Child's Point Of View | Mouse

Awards:

4 nominations

Cast

Frances McDormand	...	Miss Clavel
Nigel Hawthorne	...	Lord Covington (segment "Lord Cucuface")
Hatty Jones	...	Madeline
Ben Daniels	...	Leopold the Tutor
Arturo Venegas	...	Mr. Spanish Ambassador
Stéphane Audran	...	Lady Covington
Katia Caballero	...	Mrs. Spanish Ambassador
Chantal Neuwirth	...	Helene the Cook
Kristian de la Osa	...	Pepito (as Kristian De La Osa)
Clare Thomas	...	Aggie
Bianca Strohmann	...	Vicki (as Bianca Strôhman)
Christina Mangani	...	Chantal
Rachel Dennis	...	Lucinda
Pilar Garrard	...	Beatrice
Jessica Mason	...	Serena

Also Known As:

Madeline (France)

MPAA:

Rated PG for momentary language.

Runtime:

88 min

Country:

France | USA

Language:

English | French | Spanish

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital | SDDS

Certification:

Iceland:L | Australia:G | South Korea:All | Argentina:Atp | Chile:TE | Finland:S | France:U | Netherlands:AL | Peru:PT | Portugal:M/6 (video premiere) | Spain:T | Sweden:Btl | UK:U | USA:PG | Brazil:Livre

Filming Locations:

Clichy, Hauts-de-Seine, France

Company:

Jaffilms

Goofs:

Anachronisms: The person who was responsible for keeping the boarding school from being sold in the movie was said to be the 'Uzbekistani ambassador'. However, since the whole story took place in the Cold War years, Uzbekistan was still a part of the Soviet Union, and there wasn't such an ambassador yet until the union broke up in 1991.

Quotes:

Leopold the Tutor: I'm teaching him Latin, I'm teaching him biology, algebration, calculometry, physiconomy, and astrology.
Mr. Spanish Ambassador: But he doesn't even know how to read!

Movie Connections:

Version of Madeline (1989) (TV)

Soundtrack:

The Cuckoo and the Nightingale

Cute But Tame

In an old house in Paris that was covered with vines, Lived twelve little girls in two straight lines.

If you don't know and love those lines, and if your children don't either, then none of you are likely to enjoy Madeline very much.

Ludwig Bemelans wrote those opening words for the first Madeline book published in 1939. Admirers of Bemelans cite his charming, economical use of words and images. He also illustrated his stories. Madeline the film is by all accounts a faithful homage to this man's notable children's literature.

It's possible that some parents have schooled their children to appreciate the Madeline tales but if they haven't it's likely that Madeline will be considered a little too tame by all but the real littlelees. There's just none of the brash, relatively violent noise of most children's film fare here.

However the film does star Frances McDormand (Fargo) and Nigel Hawthorne (Yes Minister, The Madness Of King George) and they do what they can with a film that some will find charming.

Hawthorne in particular is particularly touching in one of the final scenes. And young Hatty Jones is appropriately determined and fearless.