MovieChat Forums > From Time to Time (2010) Discussion > Soooo disappointing

Soooo disappointing

posted 14 years ago by anniewrose
22 replies | jump to latest

I was really looking forward to this as 'The Children of Green Knowe' was one of my favourite childhood books ... totally fed up with this dreadful adaptation ... the actor playing Tolly was far too old for the part and Maggie Smith was too young ... (casting take note) ... the story was distorted beyond belief ... what happened to Toby, Linnet and Feste ???

The whole cast seemed uninterested, the story was lost and i am amazed that Lucy M Boston's relatives sold out to this extent ..

badly done Julian Fellowes .... the original tale was magical and full of cinematic promise ... you ruined it !

[–] GoldCoin89 14 years ago

Having never read the books - I thought it was FAB!

[–] obs-2 13 years ago

Ditto. I watched this by chance, not knowing anything about the story or the books, and loved it. Don't know how it got such a low rating.

[–] jephry-958-207558 12 years ago

I just watched this yesterday, by chance, on Netflix. It was wonderful! I'll usually watch anything with Maggie Smith, so I thought I'd give it a go. I'm so glad I did!

OK...who the H#!! added all those numbers after my name in my username?!?

[–] VartanD 12 years ago

Same here.

Never seen a book on the topic....thought the movie was wonderful!

[–] jjamison-2 11 years ago

I thoroughly enjoyed it. Didn't know it was based on a book- or books, so I just enjoyed it for what it was-- a good story.

[–] GhostBuster (22) 5 years ago

I'm watching it for the first time now too on Netflix and the boy appears as a ghost to some. Why is it that some see him and others don't

[–] thatlinhgirl 14 years ago

Hey anniewrose,

I was really looking forward to this as 'The Children of Green Knowe' was one of my favourite childhood books ... totally fed up with this dreadful adaptation

This film is adapted from 'The Chimneys of Green Knowe' the second book of the series. The first book is 'The Children of Green Knowe' and Julian Fellowes decided that first book was not filmic enough for the big screen.

... the actor playing Tolly was far too old for the part and Maggie Smith was too young ... (casting take note) ... the story was distorted beyond belief ... what happened to Toby, Linnet and Feste ???

Alex Etel was not too old, he was the same age as Tolly when the film was in production last year. Alex is now 14 years old and looks like he experienced a growth spurt. He was a bit smaller when he filmed 'The Waterhorse' and more so in his debut 'Millions'.

In the book, Mrs Oldknowe was the great-grandmother, but Julian Fellowes changed it grandmother, so Maggie Smith was approached for the role.

The story was not distorted because it was from the second book and not the first. Minor alterations were made but the story is mostly the same as the book.

The whole cast seemed uninterested, the story was lost and i am amazed that Lucy M Boston's relatives sold out to this extent ..

How do you know what the cast members were feeling while they were filming their scenes? Do you mean the characters in the film were less interesting than in the book?

Diane Boston, Lucy M. Boston's grand daughter, was thrilled with the end result and held out for so long before agreeing to the film adaptation because she wanted to be certain it would do justice to the book.

badly done Julian Fellowes .... the original tale was magical and full of cinematic promise ... you ruined it !

I really enjoyed, but I guess it's not everyone's cup of tea. I wouldn't judge too harshly as books will always be better than its film adaptation, no matter who writes the screenplay, who directs the film or who stars in the film.

[–] Joannakathryn 12 years ago

For some reason, "The Chimneys of Green Knowe" was published in the U.S. as "The Treasure of Green Knowe."

Camera adds 10lbs;internet subtracts 50.

[–] dianefraser 14 years ago

As someone else indicated the story is from the chimneys of green knowe and having read the books extensively the adaption with the minor changes was fairly decent but

**** Possible Spoilers ****

I personally did not like the fact they said Susan and jacob died as children because they did not in the book

In the book as well there was a painting of toby, alexander, and linnet that was gone when tolly got there and because he found the jewels the painting and they themselves were back at the end of the book along with the painting

I can see why this was taken out as it really didn't add to the way they presented the story as tolly coming there for the first time which it wasn't of course.

As far as the actor playing tolly too old - I think probably it was more the fact he seemed so tall and tolly never seemed that way - to me he always felt like a small boy but as to how the actor handled himself he did well

Maggie Smith too young? maybe but there are women who are grandmother's at 40 so don't know but with tolly in the book referring to her as granny partridge she did not strike me like that - they seemed to be presenting her as the british stiff upper lip kind of stereotype - the kitchen help seemed more the granny partridge type

But like I said decent adaptation but some things I would have changed

Maybe they will make the children of green knowe or the stones of green knowe now

[–] mahadevi_cat 14 years ago

Also, if I remember correctly, Tolly's *mother* was the Greenknowe, not his father. She was the one who had died, and his father was re-married. It sort of hinted at the fact that Tolly didn't like his stepmother, and his father seemed sort of distant. It also took place after the war... his father had served, but did not die in it.

The thing that I didn't like was how Tolly was presented at the beginning. I get that he was hurting, but he came off as a little jerk. Mrs. Oldknowe was also much more childlike and easy going, and LOVED talking about the past instead of "That's enough now, bedtime!"

I really didn't like the adaptation at all :-/ if I had never read the books I might have liked it.

If I had a world of my own, everything would be nonsense.

[–] mwstone-702-794940 13 years ago

The thing that I didn't like was how Tolly was presented at the beginning. I get that he was hurting, but he came off as a little jerk.

At the start maybe. I thought he grew up in time.

In the opening scene, he's a child - one who has been pulled out of his familiar surroundings and "binned" some place out in the middle of nowhere with an old woman he barely remembers. Add to that his worries about his father, and it's no great surprise that he's having a bit of a sulk, as kids do.

No doubt from a grownup perspective he's being silly. By evacuee standards, grandma's stately home is a pretty cushy number. But it would be idle to expect a distressed and uprooted boy to see it that way.

As with many films in this genre, his experiences in the Other World change him. By the end he is basically the same kid, but a bit tougher and a lot more realistic - a bit less child and a bit more young man. This is most obvious in his attitude to his father's death. At the outset, he is simply in denial, refusing to accept what the grownups know to be true. But by the time his mother's telegram arrives, his attitude is quite different. When grandma tries to let him go on hoping, he responds that "It's something she doesn't want to say over the phone" clearly knowing exactly what that means. In the most diplomatic way, he is telling her that he is now ready to face facts, and that sugaring the pill is no longer necessary.

All in all, I thought Alex Etel took a pretty good part, and the scriptwriters gave him one. About the only change I would make is at the end. Throughout the film, Tolly has worn shorts, as is entirely likely for the period, but I can't help thinking that for the closing scene he ought to have long trousers. Mentally as well as physically, he is now ready for them.

[–] [email protected] 10 years ago

Very well said mwn.

[–] Deidra 14 years ago

I agree that 'The Stones of Green Knowe' would make a wonderful film. And I have always loved 'The Children of Green Knowe' and believe it can be "filmic." The opening scenes of flooded landscapes, rowing to the front door instead of walking on dry land, and the shaped trees in the darkness could create an other-worldly state of mind. This book has a more subtle quality to it. We can hope that someone of rare genius could take it on- perhaps a combination of Alfred Hitchcock, Victor Fleming and Michael Powell.

[–] mwstone-702-794940 13 years ago

As far as the actor playing tolly too old - I think probably it was more the fact he seemed so tall and tolly never seemed that way - to me he always felt like a small boy but as to how the actor handled himself he did well

I agree with your last point. Alex Etel took an excellent part.

As to his size, having seen Children of Green Knowe I don't find this a problem. While Tolly's age in CoGK is never stated, he's clearly no more than ten, and maybe less. By contrast, the Tolly of FTtT is thirteen. Having been for seventeen years a Latter-day Saint, and watched boys (and girls) in our Youth Quorums growing up, I can assure you that it is entirely possible for this interval to witness really massive growth. I've seen "Young Men" who were in fact still little boys on their twelfth birthdays, but eighteen months later were looking me in the eye. We even have one who at thirteen was taller than his father, though I agree that was exceptional.

A teenage Tolly - even as a teenager of only around six months standing - might very well be that size, especially if he has tall parents, as Tolly apparently has. His (ghost) father, in particular, is several inches taller than he, which is what you would normally expect at thirteen.

[–] petra-59 13 years ago

Wrong, wrong, wrong. A beautiful film. Thoroughly enjoyed it.

Acting good. The magic was there. Perhaps it was you.

In fact I'm sure it was you.

[–] kezzypipkin 13 years ago

I love Maggie Smith in anything, and Tim Spall, and I thought they were both excellent.

The Green Knowe books were great favourites of mine as a child and, whilst Julian Fellowes didn't do a bad job, I agree that a lot of the mystery and magic was lost in this adaptation. I did think Tolly came across as a bit of a brat in this version rather than the awkward, slightly sad little boy of the books.

I wish they had chosen The Children of Green Knowe and filmed that - it was always my favourite of the stories!

If you haven't read the books then you will probably enjoy this a lot more than those who have.

[–] christeline1 12 years ago

Loved it!!! I wish it had been a longer movie.

"I've noticed that everybody who is for abortion has already been born." Ronald Reagan.

[–] Kent_Kainer 10 years ago

Not knowing the book, to me the movie is mediocre. Not bad, not good.
The Tolly actor was too stiff. Dont know whether thats supposed to be. Hed make a good butler. I didnt care for him the slightest.

For the movie age rating of 12 (Germany) the story was too childbooklike. I expected a more complex story and not this simple and shallow.
Maggie Smith raises the movie.

---
Lincoln Lee: I lost a partner.
Peter Bishop: I lost a universe!

[–] Enrique-8 10 years ago

Annie - the problem with reading a book then watching the movie is the worst prospect a movie ever has. Unfortunately for you, you had too many predetermined impressions that you could not erase.

As a film, standing alone, this was WONDERFUL. Too bad for you.

Enrique Sanchez

[–] [email protected] 10 years ago

My husband and I absolutely loved this movie. But then, we love anything that features Maggie Smith.