A Canadian series that moves at a comfortable pace without a need for unrealistic drama but still gets you glued to the screen. It is a reimagining of Lucy Maud Montgomery’s 1908 classic work of Children’s Literature – Anne of Green Gables.
The movie tells the story of the plucky young Anne who gets adopted, after being mistakenly picked from the asylum even though the Cuthberts’ – the ageing siblings had requested for a boy that could help on the farm. Threatened to be returned, she became determined to prove that what a male can do, a female can also do in spite of her her “frail arms”.
Her resolution drew her closer to Matthew Cuthbert, a soft spoken bachelor brother as he became fascinated by her passionate chattiness. However, it took some time for his elder spinster sister- Marilla, with whom he lived with to get used to Anne’s talkativeness and spirit.
Matthew and his sister had requested for a help to keep their company and not as a mere maid since they never had partners of their own. This decision came to be after a family incident which came up occasionally as the series progressed.
The series takes viewers on a journey of character metamorphosis. Anne navigates the battle of being accepted despite being an orphan, as well as progressing in school. The sibling caretakers are unveiled to us seductively and timely as we get to know the intricacies of their persons by their decisions and past. Also, we are given occasional peeks at Anne’s rocky and abusive past and how it shaped her fears but kept her spirit.
The whole town of Green Gables had to deal with the adoption of Anne too. Whether due to personal taste and reservation or interactions with her, which were mostly through positive acts such as Anne being of immeasurable help to their sick child or standing up to being passively or actively bullied.
The town also faced some ideas, developments, and changes (the most constant thing) that came with the passage of time and era. These changes varied, ranging from a woman choosing to wear pants, to a suspicion of a gold mine in the town, the printing press, and a woman on the executive board that served as triggers for reaction and adaptability.
The plot of the movie is a coming-of-age story of how an outsider against all odds and numerous challenges fights for love, acceptance and a place in the 19th century. If that sounds like something that will interest you, you may want to check it out.
