Customer Reviews

Madeline

5 star:		(23)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

The movie uses many different elements from many different Madeline books. It is cute and represents Madeline accurately.

Columbia Pictures portrays a wonderful ooh-la-la picture of the French schoolgirl! Even boys like it! From start to finish, the movie is packed with pranks, humor, sadness, on the edge of your seat thrills, and a happily ever after surprise! Great for all ages!!!

I absolutely love the witt, charm and excitment about this classic childrens movie brought to life by an A grade cast.and im 13, i watch it on dvd with my two younger sisters every week.
Hatty jones was the perfect madeline and pepito fitted his role perfectly aswell.
I thought it was cool how they brought all the books into one movie flawlessly.I loved the kidnap part and when they cause havoc as possible buyers go through the house.
The background was even better filmed on location in paris.
watch it and it will surely make you feel happy!

I bought this DVD for my 3 year old neice and she loves it! If you have young relatives, or children of your own, this DVD is great. It is not too long, and it is a great break for any fan of Madeline. My neice Taylor gave this DVD 4 stars! That is better than my recommendation.

Our 4-year old enjoyed it, with a little explanation in order about Miss Clavel's habit, and about the motives of the kidnappers.

A very nice extra on the DVD is an old 1952 animated short based closely on the original Bemelmans book, with the text and cartoon style nearly identical. Amusingly, Miss Clavel is therein depicted as a sort of governess, rather than as a nun; perhaps a sign of the times, or maybe the cartoon's producers were not Catholic?

I thought Hatty Jones did great in the title role -- wonder what ever happened to her?

I remember when I saw this in 1998 with my grandma and my cousins and we sneaked in the theatres with hamburgers and didn't get in trouble. Anyways this is a cute movie I use to watch the cartoon on Disney channel but now I feel I grew too old for the cartoon and stickec with the movie I think the young actress who played Madeline looks alot like the cartoon she's very cute and I think Frances McDormand is good at playing Miss Clavel but all I can say is I give it a THUMBS UP!!!! and want you to go buy this for all it's worth! 14 yr. old veiwer

Madeline is a slight but utterly charming film taken from the children's books by Ludwig Bemelmas. It does not possess the dramatic content of The Secret Garden or A Little Princess, but it's free of the cynicism of the modern five-year old, as in The Rugrats Movie. It has an innocence which is downright old-fashioned. I liked it, and I am cynical and somewhat over the age of five.

Aren't the best stories about little girls often about orphans? That's what bright, adorable eight-year old Madeline is, as are her eleven schoolmates in a small private school in Paris. Usually the students dress alike, but they have several outfits. There are some wonderfully colorful scenes of the young ladies exploring the City of Lights. All have distinct personalities, which causes them to disagree on many subjects. This makes for some charming bits of dialog.

In charge of this group is the wise and tolerant nun, Miss Clavell, and the cold, lonely Lord Covington, whom the girls refer to by such names as Lord Coo Coo Face. These two characters are played by an American treasure, Francis McDormand, and a British one, Nigel Hawthorne. McDormand won an Oscar for Best Actress in Fargo, while Hawthorne was nominated for Best Actor in The Madness of King George. This picture is more of a holiday than an acting job for these major talents, but it's always nice to see them.

Madeline is spirited and exuberant. She gets into one mess after another. She winds up in the hospital, falls into the River Seine, nearly destroys the Spanish Embassy, smuggles a dog into the school and finds herself accidentally kidnapped by circus clowns. As directed by Daisy Von Scherler Mayer and portrayed by the delightful Hatty Jones, Madeline is never seen as a bad girl. She's simply a very bright and curious one.

The plot may be old hat and predictable, but the film is handled in such a light and lyrical style that I doubt many children will care. It's so professionally done that most adults caught having to sit through it should find it a pleasant hour and a half. Filmed on location in Paris, it is indeed lovely to look at.

Madeline got overlooked at the boxoffice in a very crowded 1998. Besides the already mentioned Rugrats, we were treated to three other animated film events - Antz, A Bug's Life and The Prince of Egypt. Hopefully, the less ambitious Madeline will find the audience it deserves on DVD.

Rated PG for a reason called "momentary language". If anyone knows what this phrase means, please let me know.

It is heartening to know that people are still making films of this type. This is in the style of Happiest Days Of Their Lives or the St.Trinians films, but with younger girls. It therefore ditches any sort of sexuality in favour of a rather charming innocence. Even the teacher is a nun, rather than an Alistair Sim type. Having said that, these girls are no Von-Trapp angels. Director Daisy Von Scherler Meyer avoids the pitfall of casting precocious showbiz children and choses (mainly) sweet little girls who can act. The main plot about the girls trying to keep their school from being sold by crusty old aristocrat Nigel Hawthorne is spiced up with a kidnap caper which stops things wearing thin. On the whole, a good one to watch with younger children.

We are currently going through a major addiction to all things Madeline and especially this movie. It represents my daughter's first venture into a fantasy world (she's 4.5 yrs) that she has created for herself and she now spends her days repeating bits of the film, pretending to be Madeline or Miss Clavel and generally being happy playing. I'm not sure how much I really like this movie as I've now watched it upwards of 20 to 30 times. I doubt even the filmmakers thought anyone would study any film so closely. I'm now looking for contunity errors or obscure turns of phrases to keep me interested! As other reviews have said, the movie really departs from the books and creates its own world. The art direction of the film is very good but the movie seems to lack some final layering that would make it a truly memorable film. Frances McDormand seems to sleep walk through the film or wasn't given enough to do. The kids roles are good, however. But the proof is in my child: she's obsessed. For that, I don't mind. It could be something like Eminem or Pokeman.

I don't watch many movies, and have recently lost my taste for kids' movies in particular--which are also the few movies which don't have gratuitous sex, violence, and cursing. This movie manages to transcend genres, a witty film that those who have outgrown the "Madeleine" cartoons will enjoy.

Madeleine, played by the excellent Hatty Jones, is a little French girl at a boarding school in France, along with eleven other girls (also flawlessly acted) and their teacher Miss Clavel (Frances McDormand). The movie follows her clashes with the Spanish ambassador's son, Pepito, and with Lord "Cuckooface" Covington, the man who owns the school upon the death of their sponsor--and who wants to close it down; also with such problems as a ransom plot, and the loyal dog Genevieve.

Madeleine purists should be warned: this movie is not just a live-action version of the book stories. The movie exists as a series of vignettes loosely based on the books, such as Madeleine's appendectomy and her rescue by Genevieve. Two of the central plots are not in the books, however: Lord Covington's wish to sell the school, and the kidnapping plot concerning Pepito. Occasionally dialogue will be lifted (a difficulty, given the almost complete lack of REAL dialogue) such as Miss Clavel's midnight "Something is not right" or Madeleine's defiant "pooh pooh!"

The actors and script contain the necessary amount of innocent cuteness and comedy (the visits of the various ambassadors to the school) while also having poignancy. One thing that will irritate Madeleine purists is Madeleine's family situation in this movie, but it does give her the ability to interact with Lord Covington.

McDormand is excellent as the rather put-upon nun Miss Clavel, who stiffly glides through real life while trying to keep her twelve little girls in something approaching order without squelching them. Thank God the old "authority figure as clown" thing never came into play. Hatty Jones is cute and sprightly without being annoyingly so, while the actresses for such characters as Vicki and Chantal are perfect in their roles. The girls REGISTER as being real people. So does Kristian de la Osa, as the attention-hungry Pepito--the movie hints quietly at why he is such a "bad hat," while simultaneously giving us sympathy for him and Madeleine alike. And kudos to the best original character, Helene the cook!

Music is overall very good (thankfully no one breaks into spontaneous song) with sedate music playing for Miss Clavel and the girls, sad music during poignant moments, and excellent Spanish numbers as we focus on Pepito. The final number stinks, though, it clashes with the setting and plotline.

The minimal violence is cartoonish and there is no innuendo; one (bad word) creeps into the script, via a bad guy.

This movie is a delight from start to finish, a witty and charming movie that will take you back to your childhood. Or if you didn't like your childhood, it'll take you somewhere nice...