Little Princess DVD

A Little Princess
A privileged, free-spirited young girl tries to adapt to life in a strict boarding school in this charming, critically acclaimed children's fantasy. Adapting a novel by Frances Hodgson Burnett, also the author of The Secret Garden, the film shifts the story's setting to World War I. 10 year-old Sara Crewe (Liesel Matthews) has been left in a respected New York City boarding school while her British father heads overseas to fight. Filled with wild stories and a playful attitude, the unconventional Sara becomes popular amongst her classmates but quickly comes into conflict with the harsh headmistress, Miss Minchin (Eleanor Bron), who attempts to quash the child's individuality. The young girl's situation takes a serious turn for the worse when she unexpectedly receives word of her father's death, and, suddenly impoverished, is forced into life as a servant. Treated as a lesser class of person by her former companions, Sara instead befriends her fellow servants and turns to the power of imagination in order to maintain hope for the future. In addition to changing the story's setting, screenwriters Richard LaGravenese and Elizabeth Chandler add a layer of Indian mythology to the tale, allowing director Alfonso Cuaron the chance to punctuate the riches-to-rags fable with a series of lush, imaginative fantasy sequences. Though A Little Princess had difficulty attracting audiences during its initial run, its visual splendor and touching storytelling were praised by many critics, several of whom proclaimed the film one of the best family-oriented productions of its time. ~ Judd Blaise, All Movie Guide

Cast Eleanor Bron as Miss Minchin Liam Cunningham as Captain Crewe/Prince Rama Liesel Matthews as Sara Crewe Rusty Schwimmer as Amelia Minchin Arthur Malet as Charles Randolph Vanessa Lee Chester as Becky

Crew Thomas A. Duffield - Art Director Jill Greenberg Sands - Casting Judianna Makovsky - Costume Designer Stephen P. Dunn - First Assistant Director Alfonso Cuarón - Director Steve Weisberg - Editor Alan C. Blomquist - Executive Producer Patrick Doyle - Composer (Music Score) Jose Antonio Garcia - Musical Direction/Supervision Patrick Doyle - Songwriter Julie Hewett - Makeup Robert Norin - Makeup Robert W. Welch III - Production Designer Emmanuel Lubezki - Cinematographer Charles Minsky - Cinematographer Mark Johnson - Producer Lawrence Hubbs - Set Designer Cheryl Carasik - Set Designer John Dexter - Set Designer Alan E. Lorimer - Special Effects Richard LaGravenese - Screenwriter Frances Hodgson Burnett - Book Author

A Little Princess
Alfonso Cuaron's adaptation of the Frances Hodgson Burnett classic, the second film version in the last decade, is a brilliantly stylized reimagining of the well-known children's story. Sarah Crewe (Liesel Matthews) is the ten-year-old daughter of a wealthy businessman who places her in a New York boarding school during WWI, after he's called to fight in India. The girl quickly makes a place for herself in this upscale world through her gift for storytelling, but trouble lurks just around the corner. Cuaron has chosen to lessen the realism and harshness of the story, using elaborately designed sets to create an otherworldly atmosphere, while remaining faithful to its overall meaning. Liesel Matthews makes a plucky and intelligent heroine, and comedy veteran Eleanor Bron is suitably chilling as the school's snobbish headmistress. While writers Richard LaGravenese and Elizabeth Chandler have rendered the characters with considerable subtlety, there's nothing here that couldn't be understood by a child. ~ Michael Costello, All Movie Guide
 

Cheryl Carasik: Academy, Best Art Direction (nominated) Emmanuel Lubezki: Academy, Best Cinematography (nominated) Patrick Doyle: L.A. Film Critics Association, Best Music Score (winner) Robert W. Welch III: Academy, Best Art Direction (nominated) Robert W. Welch III: L.A. Film Critics Association, Best Production Design (winner)

General Specifications: Language Options: English, French, Spanish Subtitle Options: English, French, Spanish Sound Processing: DD5.1: Dolby Digital w/ sub-woofer channel DDS: Dolby Digital Surround Additional Features: Soundtrack remastered in Dolby Digital 5.1 Interactive menus Production notes Scene access Three theatrical trailers Languages and subtitles: English, Français, Español MPAA Rating: G DVD Discs Included: 1 DVD Sides: 2 DVD DVD Region Code: 1 Content Length: 97 min   DVD Chapters: Side #1 0. Jump to a Scene 1. A Woman's Right [3:03] 2. My Little Princess [1:22] 3. A Gift for Sara [2:07] 4. Miss Minchin's Seminary for Girls [4:09] 5. Known by Heart [3:46] 6. First Day: Too Many Rules [4:54] 7. Whistling for Angels [3:13] 8. A Gift for Becky [2:00] 9. No More Make-Believe [3:21] 10. Parents Day Blues [3:48] 11. Poison from the Sky [1:30] 12. Unhappy Birthday [5:14] 13. A Circle of Safety [3:09] 14. Ram Dass-and Randolph's Bad News [2:46] 15. No Magic [2:55] 16. Others in Need [3:09] 17. An Indian Fantasy [3:19] 18. The Dirt on Miss Minchin [2:35] 19. Lavinia's Curse [1:15] 20. A Soldier Requiring Care [3:46] 21. Rescue Mission; Romantic Advice [5:05] 22. All Girls Are [5:23] 23. Make-Believe Menu; Prince Rama's Victory [2:56] 24. A Real Feast [2:43] 25. An Elopement [1:48] 26. A Risky Escape [5:01] 27. Inside Randolph's House [1:22] 28. "You've Got to Know Me!" [2:09] 29. A Princess Again [1:12] 30. Goodbyes and Just Desserts [2:58] 31. End Credits [5:06] Side #2 0. Jump to a Scene 1. A Woman's Right [3:03] 2. My Little Princess [1:22] 3. A Gift for Sara [2:07] 4. Miss Minchin's Seminary for Girls [4:09] 5. Known by Heart [3:46] 6. First Day: Too Many Rules [4:54] 7. Whistling for Angels [3:13] 8. A Gift for Becky [2:00] 9. No More Make-Believe [3:21] 10. Parents Day Blues [3:48] 11. Poison from the Sky [1:30] 12. Unhappy Birthday [5:14] 13. A Circle of Safety [3:09] 14. Ram Dass-and Randolph's Bad News [2:46] 15. No Magic [2:55] 16. Others in Need [3:09] 17. An Indian Fantasy [3:19] 18. The Dirt on Miss Minchin [2:35] 19. Lavinia's Curse [1:15] 20. A Soldier Requiring Care [3:46] 21. Rescue Mission; Romantic Advice [5:05] 22. All Girls Are [5:23] 23. Make-Believe Menu; Prince Rama's Victory [2:56] 24. A Real Feast [2:43] 25. An Elopement [1:48] 26. A Risky Escape [5:01] 27. Inside Randolph's House [1:22] 28. "You've Got to Know Me!" [2:09] 29. A Princess Again [1:12] 30. Goodbyes and Just Desserts [2:58] 31. End Credits [5:06]