MovieChat Forums > Anne of Green Gables: A New Beginning (2008) Discussion > Why can't Kevin Sullivan Leave it Alone?

Why can't Kevin Sullivan Leave it Alone?

posted 17 years ago by librarian4kids
30 replies | jump to latest

I'm still not quite ready to forgive Kevin Sullivan for screwing up the third film with all of that Anne in WWI nonsense. Now he seems set to muck it all up yet again rather than make amends for that monstrosity of a film! I'm surprised that whomever owns the rights to the books is allowing this. I mean, the first two took a couple of liberties - but you can understand why they did what they did. But the third film and probably now this one too, seem to feel the need to try and "improve" on the original stories. The question is - WHY????

This seems to be a story about an older Anne from the looks of things - not to be confused with the new BOOK, which is a prequel. I haven't read it yet, but Budge Wilson is a great author, and a Maritimer, so I think it will be just fine. But Barbara Hershey in a red wig - PLEASE!!!! SPARE US!!!!

[–] leighann1001 12 years ago

"I'm surprised that whomever owns the rights to the books is allowing this. "

From what I've gathered Kevin Sullivan had a fall-out with Montgomery's estate and he retained the rights to the names of the characters but lost the rights to the stories. If they were going to pull any of his rights they should have pulled all of them. Or sold the story rights to someone else so there's be some decent competition. But there's no telling what the contract said.

[–] jbasmati 12 years ago

no kidding!! saw this film listed online and came to look at the synopsis with a faint hope of filmmakers redeeming the 3rd film.... sigh...
I feel like the 3rd film and, from the description, this film are practically antithesis to the way and the central current of Lucy Maude Montgomery's books - melodrama melodrama melodrama, and very little consistency in relation to the original characters, let alone the ideals Montgomery expresses. Anne gaining publishing success from writing the kind of junk she idealized as a kid? Part of her development was understanding the beauty and wonder in the people and places that she knew instead of that fictional world of dukes and barons. Doing films like this with Montgomery's characters and world is like someone using The Mysteries of Udolpho as a playbook for revamping Northanger Abbey - yikes!!!

"Don't worry. We'll soon be safe in the Fire Swamp."

[–] WackyKacky 9 years ago

I have to admit I didn't see this one, even with the lure of Shirley MacLaine. The third one in my opinion was a disaster. And one aspect that annoyed me more than anything else was Anne's love affair with Gilbert AND the man that stole her book (Garrison?). Anyway, they made them like lovers that would have hooked up if not but for Gilbert in the way.
I appreciate the explanation, though, on Kevin Sullivan butching the 3rd movie: the family wouldn't sell him the rights ti the other books because he was greedy. So he thought he could do a better job than the author of Anne of Green Gables books. It just goes to show he CAN'T. Left to himself he couldn't pull together a decent story. So I will sit this one out and if I want to do anything, I will read Lucy Maud Montgomery's Anne of Green Gables series.

[–] rudegubmintworker 9 years ago

Couple of hours of my life I can't get back were spent watching this movie.

I wish I'd had my husband download the last movie so I could have watched it before I bought it. But at least it came as a set of four and the other three movies I like.

Should we all live up to promises as does Rick Grimes.