For a family movie, this is great: not too scary, there's humor, and of course, the heartwarming ending. For those of you who adore the book, or are trying to write a book report by viewing the movie...well, for the former, you might like it, and for the latter...go find another film version if you really can't read the book.
BUT...unlike the book, in which Sarah's father is in fact killed, and not just missing...Captain Crewe is, in fact, not killed, just injured and suffering from amnesia and living right next door. Now, the right-next-door idea of course, comes from the book, in which the friend of Captain Crewe was indeed living next to the young girl he was searching for. But reviving Captain Crewe for no good reason just doesn't sit well. The heartwarming ending could still have been had by staying faithful to the book.
In fact, the ending could be misleading to young children who've recently endured the death of a parent. They pop in the movie, watch Sarah start out happy with her father, watch her learn of her father's death, be thrust into poverty, and then learn that her papa is, in fact, alive....and wonder if maybe their parent is alive as well. Not a great message to send to little kids, in my opinion.
BUT...unlike the book, in which Sarah's father is in fact killed, and not just missing...Captain Crewe is, in fact, not killed, just injured and suffering from amnesia and living right next door. Now, the right-next-door idea of course, comes from the book, in which the friend of Captain Crewe was indeed living next to the young girl he was searching for. But reviving Captain Crewe for no good reason just doesn't sit well. The heartwarming ending could still have been had by staying faithful to the book.
In fact, the ending could be misleading to young children who've recently endured the death of a parent. They pop in the movie, watch Sarah start out happy with her father, watch her learn of her father's death, be thrust into poverty, and then learn that her papa is, in fact, alive....and wonder if maybe their parent is alive as well. Not a great message to send to little kids, in my opinion.