Anne of Avonlea (1987 film)

Infobox Television Film
bgcolour =
name = Anne of Green Gables: The Sequel


caption = DVD cover
format = Drama
runtime = 230 minutes (approx.)
creator =
director = Kevin Sullivan
producer = Kevin Sullivan
writer = Lucy Maud Montgomery (original novels)
Kevin Sullivan (adaptation)
starring = Megan Follows
Colleen Dewhurst
Wendy Hiller
Frank Converse
Jonathan Crombie
Marilyn Lightstone
Schuyler Grant
Rosemary Dunsmore
Kate Lynch
Geneviève Appleton
music = Hagood Hardy
country = Canada
language = English
released = 1987 on Disney and CBC
preceded_by = "Anne of Green Gables"
followed_by = ""
website = http://www.anneofgreengables.com/
imdb_id = 0092571

"Anne of Avonlea" is a 1987 television film. It is a sequel to the 1985 "Anne of Green Gables" film. The film incorporates elements from not only "Anne of Avonlea", but also "Anne of the Island" and "Anne of Windy Poplars", and introduces several characters and issues not present in the books.

The film was initially broadcast by Disney as "Anne of Avonlea". However, on video and all other television airings, it was titled "Anne of Green Gables: The Sequel". The film was also shown theatrically in Israel, Japan and Europe as "Anne of Green Gables: The Sequel".

Synopsis

The film resumes the story of Anne Shirley, who at 18 has chosen to put aside her dreams of becoming an author to remain at Green Gables to help care for an aging Marilla. Anne, teaching at Avonlea School, is courted by Gilbert Blythe, her one-time rival, but though the pair have become close she rejects his proposal of marriage because she does not believe he is her ideal man. Marilla convinces Anne to accept an opportunity to teach at a private school for girls in Kingsport, Nova Scotia, but Anne finds the experience challenging, with disruptive students who seem determined to give her a hard time. She grows close to one student, Emmeline Harris, and is welcomed by Emmeline's entire family, including her father who eventually also proposes to Anne. Coming to her senses, Anne realizes that the right choice for her is to return to Prince Edward Island and try to win back Gilbert.

Awards and Nominations

*2 Cable Ace Awards: Best Costume, Best Supporting Actress (Colleen Dewhurst), 1987
*6 Gemini Awards: Best Dramatic Miniseries, Best Photography, Best Art Direction, Best Costume Design, Best Performance by Lead Actress (Megan Follows), Best Performance by a Supporting Actress (Colleen Dewhurst), 1988
*Silver Award - International Film and Television Festival, New York, 1987
*Best Family Series - TV Guide, 1987
*CFTA Award - Best New TV Production, 1987
*Chris Award - Columbus International Film Festival, 1987
*Honourable Mention - International San Francisco Film Festival, 1988
*Crystal Apple Award - National Education Film and Video Festival, 1988
*ACT Award - Achievement in Children's TV, 1988
*Golden Hugo Award - Chicago International Film Festival, 1987
*Gold Award - Houston International Film Festival, 1987

equels & Spinoffs

was released in 2000 and followed Anne Shirley as she embarked on a new journey, taking her from her home in Prince Edward Island to New York, London and into war-ravaged Europe.

to be released in fall 2008 serves as a prequel to the previous films in the "Anne" movie trilogy. Set between two different time periods, Anne Shirley, now in her fifties looks back on her early childhood before arriving at Green Gables only to uncover answers to questions that have plagued her throughout her life.

Road to Avonlea is a television series which was first broadcast in Canada and the United States between 1990 and 1996. It was inspired by a series of short stories and two novellas by L.M. Montgomery, author of Anne of Green Gables, which Sullivan had previously adapted as Anne of Green Gables in 1985 and in 1987. Many of the actors in the "Anne of Green Gables" movies also appear in storylines crossing over into the long-running Emmy award-winning series.

Several actors from the first two Anne films can be seen in both Road to Avonlea and the Anne of Green Gables, including Rosemary Dunsmore, Patricia Hamilton, Colleen Dewhurst, Jonathan Crombie, Jackie Burroughs, Cedric Smith, Mag Ruffman and Marilyn Lightstone and David Fox.

Cast

*Megan Follows - Anne Shirley
*Colleen Dewhurst- Marilla Cuthbert
*Wendy Hiller - Mrs. Harris
*Frank Converse - Morgan Harris
*Jonathan Crombie - Gilbert Blythe
*Schuyler Grant - Diana Barry
*Marilyn Lightstone - Miss Stacey
*Rosemary Dunsmore - Katherine Brooke
*Kate Lynch - Pauline Harris
*Genevieve Appleton - Emmeline Harris
*Susannah Hoffman - Jen Pringle
*Mag Ruffman - Alice Lawson
*Bruce McCulloch - Fred Wright
*Dave Foley - Lewis Allen

Production

When Kevin Sullivan was commissioned by CBC, PBS and The Disney Channel to create a sequel he started by combining many different elements of Montgomery’s three later books: "Anne of Avonlea" (1909), "Anne of the Island" (1915), and "Anne of Windy Poplars" (1936) into a cohesive screen story. Sullivan invented his own plotline relying on several of Montgomery’s episodic storylines spread across the three sequels, He also looked at numerous other nineteenth century female authors for inspiration in fleshing out the screen story.

The film succeeded in re-popularizing Megan Follows and Colleen Dewhurst in their original roles. Sullivan also cast British veteran actress and Oscar winner, Wendy Hiller, in the role of the impossible Mrs. Harris, a character Sullivan specifically invented for the storyline.

In Canada, the film became the highest rated drama to air on network television in Canadian broadcasting history. This Sequel became known as "Anne of Green Gables – The Sequel" when shown around the world and as "Anne of Avonlea – the Continuing Story of Anne of Green Gables " when it premiered on The Disney Channel.

External links

* [http://www.anneofgreengables.com/ The Official Anne of Green Gables Movie Website] - The official website of Sullivan series of Anne of Green Gables movies
* [http://www.sullivanmovies.com/ Sullivan Entertainment Website] - The Official website of Sullivan Entertainment. Includes a wealth of information on the Anne movies and it's spinoffs
* [http://www.roadtoavonlea.com/ Road to Avonlea Website] - The official website for Road to Avonlea, the spinoff to the Green Gables series of movies