The Railway Children (TV 2000)

Director:

Catherine Morshead

Writers:

Simon Nye (screenplay), E. Nesbit (novel)

Stars:

Jack Blumenau, Clare Thomas, Jemima Rooper

1 win.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Jack Blumenau	...	Peter
Clare Thomas	...	Phyllis
Jemima Rooper	...	Bobbie
Jenny Agutter	...	Mother
Michael Kitchen	...	Father
Valerie Minifie	...	Cook
Melanie Clark Pullen	...	Ruth
Georgie Glen	...	Aunt Emma
Gregor Fisher	...	Perks
Amanda Walker	...	Mrs Ransome
Clive Russell	...	Station Master
Richard Attenborough	...	The Old Gentleman
David Bamber	...	Dr Forrest
Jane Wood	...	Mrs Viney
Ian Gain	...	Bargee

Storyline

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Plot Keywords:

1900s | mother son relationship | writer | brother sister relationship | railroad | 

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Genres:

Family

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Details

Official Sites:

PBS [us]

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Release Date:

12 November 2000 (USA)

Also Known As:

Les enfants du chemin de fer

Filming Locations:

Lasham, Hampshire, England, UK

Company Credits

Production Co:

Carlton Television

Technical Specs

Runtime:

108 min

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.78 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Jenny Agutter, who plays Mother, played eldest daughter Roberta 30 years earlier in The Railway Children.

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Goofs

In the scene where the children are on the canal bridge they watch a horse drawn canal boat pass under the bridge, the boat however is a motor boat and not an unpowered boat, motor boats did not appear on the canals until the 1920s.

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Quotes

Phyllis: Open my present Peter! It's crayons. If you don't want them, I'll have them!

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Connections

Version of The Railway Children (1970)

User Reviews

Almost as good as the 1970 version...

I very much enjoyed this latest version of The Railway Children, yet I felt it left out a very important part by not including the relationship between the injured hound, Jim, and the children's "Old Gentleman," and by adding a romantic sub-text between Bobbie and Jim not found in the book. I was also disappointed in the portrayal of the bargee, (and the elimination of his wife and baby son), and the elimination of the scene where Peter and Phyl wake the signalman up. Petty grievances, yes, but I'm so fond of the book that I want any movie to include all my favorite bits. The performances were wonderful; Jack Blumenau as Peter was especially effective at capturing the wistfulness of a boy in the company of too many women. Jenny Agutter as the mother was a nice touch, and Jemima Rooper as Bobbie and Clare Thomas as Phyl were spot on. It's such a delightful story, and it's not as sickly sweet as much of the so-called "family fare" being offered up these days. Even though the story is almost a hundred years old, its freshness and message are still relevant, and it allows a child to imagine being as resourceful as the protagonists. Well done indeed, and if I do prefer the earlier movie, it's not by much!