Disclosure / Disclaimer: I received this DVD, free of charge,from Foundry Communications for review purposes on this blog. No other compensation, monetary or in kind, has been received or implied for this post. Nor was I told how to post about it. All opinions are my own.
If you're of a certain age, you might remember Heidi as one of your favorite books!
And now the book comes to life for our kids, starting tomorrow, April 4th!
But I have the scoop on the movie, AND a free copy to giveaway, for you today!
Few children's properties have had as storied a history as Heidi, and Omnibus Entertainment proudly brings the latest big screen adaptation of this timeless classic to DVD (available exclusively at Walmart) and Digital HD . Engaging, tender and lavishly shot in the Swiss Alps, HEIDI is Dove-approved and perfect entertainment for the whole family!
With more than 50 million copies in print, Swiss author Johanna Spyri's beloved 1880's novel, "Heidi," is one of the all-time classics of children's literature, which has also spawned numerous adaptations - from a 1937 Shirley Temple vehicle and several Japanese anime series to a Hanna-Barbera feature.
Spyri originally published "Heidi" as a two-volume novel - "Heidi: Her Years of Wandering and Learning" and "Heidi: How She Used What She Learned" - and, according to the original subtitle, was written "for children and those who love children." Aside from being translated from the original German into over 50 different languages, HEIDI has also become an enduring figure in children's entertainment through many theater productions; television programs, including one by the BBC and one by Walt Disney; films, including a silent one; a musical play co-written by Neil Simon; a video piece with Paul McCartney and Mike Kelley, and a talking dog version with Angela Lansbury. There is even a "Heidiland" in eastern Switzerland.
Orphan girl Heidi spends the happiest days of her childhood with her eccentric grandfather, Alpöhi (Ganz), cut off from the outside world in a simple cabin in the breathtaking Swiss mountains. Together with her friend Peter, she tends to grandfather's goats and enjoys freedom in the mountains to the fullest. But these carefree times come to an abrupt end when Heidi is whisked to Frankfurt by her Aunt Dete. The idea is for her to stay with the wealthy Sesemann family and be a playmate for his wheelchair-bound daughter Klara, under the supervision of the strict nanny, Fräulein Rottenmeier. Although the two girls soon become close friends and Klara's grandmother awakes a passion for books in Heidi while teaching her to read and write, young Heidi's longing for her beloved mountains and her grandfather grows ever stronger.
Called "handsomely crafted" (Edmund Lee, South China Morning Post), this most recent adaptation, an international box office smash that has played at top children's film festivals across the U.S., also captured the award for "Best Children's Film" at last year's German Film Awards. It stars Bruno Ganz and marks the big screen debut of Anuk Steffen as the titular Swiss mountain girl. Omnibus Entertainment's DVD features both the original German language version with English subtitles, as well as a dubbed version.
Check put the trailer:
Review:
As you all know, Miss Grace has a thing for international kids movies, so I wasn't surprised she was so intrigued with this movie! Course I wasn't expecting her to relate it to the Angela Lansbury dog version, which I had forgotten she had scene. OOPS, time to get the book off the shelf and make it Summer reading! LOL We did watch the dubbed version, and as long as you aren't really watching the faces closely, it flows well. The lush backgrounds really are a character unto themselves. Miss Grace couldn't believe the mountains were real (see THIS is what happens with too much computer animation, kids can't tell what is real or not, sigh! topic for another day). The story has multiple avenues for family discussion before, during and after, like how we should treat other people, jealousy, and even listening to elders! It's a great movie for family night and we highly recommend it!
Giveaway:
Ready to win your own copy?
Comments
Post a Comment