Includes Major Spoilers
Since the premiere of Anne with an E, I’ve struggled with posting a review of my honest thoughts on the series as it’s left me with mixed feelings. From its inception, the announcement sent loyal fans of the ‘80s series with Megan Follows into an upset. I, however, looked forward to a new adaptation for a new generation.
In fact, I went into Anne with an E with an open mind despite my absolute adoration for the Sullivan miniseries. I actually love seeing various adaptations of classic books as each filmmaker brings their own vision to the table. And I looked forward to seeing Moira Walley-Beckett’s interpretation. Unfortunately, the adaptation didn’t feel like much of an adaptation at all. At least not past the first episode.
The first episode began strong and I respected that this would be a more “realistic” interpretation. The dirty fingernails, the hard life on the farm, the darker Bronte-like color scheme, etc. vs Sullivan’s brighter interpretation of aesthetic beauty and idealism.
While I much prefer the sunnier Romantic interpretation, which rings truer to Montgomery’s books, I could appreciate and understand an adaptation choosing to focus in on Realism with a touch of Romantic Gothic inspiration instead.
However, the first episode was only lulling book fans into a place of safety. This wasn’t going to be a moodier Romantic adaptation (despite the misleading Jane Eyre references) than the lighter Sullivan version. As after that, the series went off the rails – barely resembling the plot lines and characterization from Montgomery’s beloved novels.
RELATED L.M. Montgomery’s Anne of Green Gables (2016) TV Movie Review – A Cute If Underwhelming Adaptation
If you’re not familiar with the infamous story based on the classic 1908 children’s novel, Anne of Green Gables follows Anne Shirley, a young orphan girl, who mistakenly ends up with Matthew and Marilla Cuthbert at Green Gables in the idyllic town of Avonlea. Now getting older, the brother and sister choose to adopt an orphan boy to help on the farm. Only there’s been a mistake! The orphanage sends Anne instead! A girl…
While the shy Matthew connects with Anne right away and longs to keep her, no-nonsense Marilla feels she should be taken back straight away to fix the mistake. Anne, an imaginative girl who uses big words, longs to stay at Green Gables. But will Marilla agree to keep her? From there, we follow the adventures of the red-headed Anne, her friendships and romance and ultimately her coming of age into a smart, capable young woman who can do anything she sets her mind to!
Anne with an E follows a similar structure but twists everything into something darker than L.M. Montgomery ever intended. Now, some viewers may enjoy this gloomy, bleak adaptation. And while I did enjoy some aspects of the series, overall, I was more often than not upset with its’ direction. Before I go off into some of the problematic aspects of the series, Anne with an E is not without its strengths.
The Cast
Besides the unfortunate miscasting of Rachel Lynde (nothing against the actress’s acting abilities), Anne with an E boasts a fabulously talented cast who fit the parts! I only wish the writing and direction was there to match the fantastic cast.
First, there’s Amybeth McNulty as Anne Shirley. Cast closer to Anne’s actual age in the books, she feels and looks the part. While she’s no Megan Follows, McNulty is a talented young actress with a bright future and induces a few goosebump worthy scenes in the first episode.
Then there’s Geraldine James as Marilla. A brilliant British actress, she brings a layered approach to Marilla and delivers lines like the pro she clearly is. However, the writing sometimes interprets her to be closer to the character of Elizabeth from Montgomery’s other brilliant series, Emily of New Moon. Mostly due to the lack of Marilla’s usual wit and dry humor.
And then my personal favorite. R.H. Thomson as Matthew. Now, Avonlea fans may recognize him as Jasper Dale – the beloved awkward (and romantic) inventor with a heart of gold. So, he’s no stranger to adaptations of Montgomery novels. In all, he fits and plays Matthew to perfection. It’s hard to imagine finding anyone more perfect in present day than Thomson for the role.
RELATED Anne of Green Gables: 30th Anniversary Blu-Ray Review – A Must See For Anne Fans Everywhere
I was also surprisingly pleased with Lucas Jade Zumann as Gilbert Blythe. While no one will ever live up to Jonathan Crombie’s iconic take on Gilbert (who arguably has just as many fans as Colin Firth as Mr. Darcy), Zumann does a great job. Sure, as written, the character’s not quite Gilbert from the books. But it’s easy to see him as a romantic interest for Anne. And it will be fun to watch the two actors grow into their characters. As is, the two already have a believable chemistry.
Dalila Belle, while not as dynamic as the other actors cast, does a fine job as Diana though she is a little on the dull side.
Besides the main players, the supporting cast also does quite well. I was especially pleased with the casting of Kyla Matthews as Ruby Gillis, who seemed to walk right out of the pages of the book. And I did love the exploration of the often ignored character, Jerry, who was played by Aymeric Jett Montaz with a ton of charm.
Production Quality
Besides the wonderful casting, the series also has fantastic production quality. Everything about this series looks professional with a clearly decent sized budget. The quality is comparable in scope to a BBC period drama, which is no easy feat. The cinematography, the music, the costumes, the directing all are wonderful.
If the series were standalone, and not an adaptation, I’d probably enjoy the series more than I did. Sure, I’d have some issues with the over the top bleakness, the negative attitudes toward the past, and the misinterpreting of the time period itself but the dialogue is strong, the actors brilliant, and the filmmaking itself well done.
Which brings me to the main problem I have with the series. How Anne with an E works (or doesn’t work in this case) as an adaptation of L.M. Montgomery’s Anne of Green Gables.
Avonlea, A Villain? Modernism Vs. Montgomery’s Romanticism
While this adaptation presents itself as being all about realism, one quickly learns that this is not about realism at all. But rather modernism disguising itself as realism. This isn’t historically accurate to the time and place. Nor is this an accurate reflection of how people behaved or believed.
Rather, Anne with an E is a modernist adaptation that uses modern characters and beliefs and places them in the “villainous” past. Characters become heroes in Anne with an E when they see the “typical” morality of the time period as bad. To claim realism in an adaptation that is clearly not is unfair to the audience.
Walley-Beckett can’t write the time period because she appears to have no affection for it. She can’t seem to reconcile that people of that time are different than people today.
While Reverend Allan and his wife are kindred spirits to Anne in the books, in this adaptation, the Reverend is a “villain” against women’s rights. Marilla can only be likable because she questions the teachings of the Bible and re-thinks her beliefs to better fit modern views of the 21st century.
RELATED: ‘Persuasion’ 2022 Review: Netflix’s New Jane Austen Movie is Entertaining
In fact, Avonlea, or the past, becomes a villain to modernism and modern ideals. Avonlea, a character in and of itself in Montgomery’s novels, is a place of optimism and hope. However, Avonlea in this interpretation is negative, even verging on sinister. The time period is also a villain.
It’s Realism (or Modernism claiming to be Realism) against Romanticism in Anne with an E – arguably a statement against Montgomery’s own viewpoints. One wonders how a writer seemingly against stories with Romanticism would want to adapt Anne of Green Gables – a book series enveloped in imagination and optimism. Not much you’ll see of in Anne with an E. Walley-Beckett interprets nearly every plot from the book with a disturbing lens.
A harmless slate broken over Gilbert’s head in the books due to her impulsive temper becomes more unhinged and almost violent in this adaptation. It wasn’t endearing.
While Anne and Diana giggle over a possible romance between their teacher and a student in the books, in this version, Anne discusses (due to the troubling sexual images she’s witnessed) a bizarre and disturbing sexual analogy about petting mice – which causes the village and the other students to turn against her for a time.
Then there’s Matthew. Our sweet, beloved Matthew. While the Cuthberts do face hardships, it’s never overwhelming or despairing. However, in this adaptation, Matthew contemplates suicide because they’re about to lose the farm. Yes. Suicide.
This plot and the handling of it made me incredibly upset. Anne of Green Gables is an uplifting children’s series that has stood the test of time. It’s not an HBO show. It’s not Breaking Bad. And Matthew, as a character, would never contemplate suicide.
And then there’s the cliffhanger. Villains come to stay at Green Gables. A message that stays true to this version! Don’t be neighborly because you never know when someone’s out to rob and attack you. But I guess we’ll have to wait until next season to see if Marilla and Anne make it out of this situation. Sigh…
The Romance
Now, let’s talk about Anne and Gilbert! While it’s easy to imagine young girls swooning over the new Gilbert, the writer’s approach to the actual buildup between Anne and Gilbert disappointed me. In this adaptation, Anne and Gilbert don’t connect over an intellectual meeting of the minds.
Rather, Walley-Beckett found it would make more sense to turn Gilbert into an orphan as well so they can bond over this similarity. No doubt this is a disservice to both characters as well as their romance. Still, they have a few cute scenes and the two actors work well off each other.
RELATED 20 Most Memorable Gilbert Blythe Scenes in Anne of Green Gables
But Anne and Gilbert are not the only romance. Matthew also has a romantic story. Some viewers were upset by this addition to the series as he never had a romance in the books. This was one aspect/change, however, of the series I was actually okay with. I felt it gave some lovely backstory to Matthew and I wanted him to find his own happy ending.
Anne Shirley
Anne Shirley is one of the most beloved female characters of all time! Imaginative, intelligent, ambitious, compassionate, and yes, hot-tempered, Anne is a character everyone can admire despite her flaws. She faces numerous hardships and yet continues to look at the bright side of life. And along the way, she inspires others to do the same.
One doesn’t need to change her to be more feminist as she’s naturally a “strong” (whatever that means) female character as is. And yet, the writers and producers decided Anne just wasn’t good enough. So, they changed her. Tweaked her to fit into the modern 21st century.
Anne is not Anne from the books. Rather she suffers from post-traumatic stress, can be selfish and even whiny (what was the point of Anne’s abysmal treatment of Jerry, the French-Canadian farmhand?), a couple times verging on hysterical. Imagination seems more like a crutch or reaction to abuse and neglect rather than the strength of character and uniqueness Montgomery intended.
Related: Typing Fictional Characters – Anne of Green Gables
Not only that, suddenly Anne is better and smarter than everyone in Avonlea – almost to an eye-rolling ridiculous level. In one episode, Anne even knows how to put out the huge fire when the town firefighters don’t! But remember, Anne is a hero because she’s “modern!” Whereas the “ignorant” villagers of the past couldn’t possibly have any common sense!
Putting Anne on such a high pedestal to make the villagers of Avonlea look bad (or perhaps it was simply to hammer Anne’s greatness into the audience) was silly and overstated.
And while McNulty plays Anne with a charm and likability, overall, I didn’t feel like her character felt like the essence of Anne from the books. This was an altogether new character who, at times, resembled Montgomery’s Anne Shirley.
Overall Thoughts
Growing up, I read the books of Montgomery, watched the Sullivan adaptations, and then later watched the spinoff series Road to Avonlea. The idyllic, dream-like quality of Avonlea was something of wondrous beauty. Books and shows I return to when I need to get away from the harshness of the world. To see it obliterated in this adaptation is an affront to Montgomery, Cavendish (the place Avonlea was based on), childhood, and even Romanticism in general.
Was I entertained by the series? For the most part, yes. But I also felt disturbed and uneasy by the series’ direction. Children should be allowed to have wholesome adaptations of wholesome children’s novels. This is not the adaptation you want to show your children, that’s for sure.
I’m not sure Walley-Beckett’s even read the book. Because if she has, she’s completely misunderstood just about every word. It’s as if she decided to take a popular book and reimagine the story to what she “wished” it to be rather than what it is. A writer who can only write bleakness should not be adapting a series all about the opposite. If she wanted to write a period drama with a modernist view, she should have created an original series with new characters.
RELATED Mini-Series Review: BBC’s Anne of Avonlea, A Forgotten Gem
Overall, while the production quality is strong, Anne with an E is not a believable adaptation of Montgomery’s beloved series. Walley-Beckett misunderstood her audience. And while I’m sure there are many who enjoy it, no doubt the polarizing nature of the series will keep it from ever becoming a definitive adaptation of Anne of Green Gables. Unlike the ‘80s Sullivan adaptations, it’s unlikely to become a fan favorite people will return to again and again.
Content Note: The series is Rated TV-PG but a couple of episodes should be rated TV-14 for violence (Anne is beaten in the first episode in a slightly explicit scene), bullying and abuse, adult themes including suicide, and discussion of disturbing sexual situations.
Where to Watch: You can stream the entire series on Netflix.
Fun Factoid 1: One of the Executive Producers is Miranda de Pencier, who played Josie Pye in the Sullivan adaptations of Anne of Green Gables.
Fun Factoid 2: Amanda Tapping of Stargate SG-1 fame directed the season finale!
UPDATE: I grew to like the series more over time and rate it much higher now. The series can be enjoyed if you appreciate it separately from the books. I’ve updated my ratings below to reflect that.
What did you think of Anne with an E? Did you like or dislike this controversial adaptation?
Didn’t expect it to be Anne…but honestly, I hated it. Won’t be watching future episodes…they ruined everything that was beautiful about this story. Not surprising for today’s society.
That seems to be a common opinion. 🙂 If it doesn’t give you joy to watch, no reason to continue!
Oh my, don’t get me started. Hated it — I was just so angry after watching it. Humour was swapped for melodrama and tragedy. Marilla had this cruelty streak that the Marilla of the books would never have had. And Matthew attempting suicide, well, by that point in the series, I could only guffaw at the utter ridiculousness of that. And with a pistol no less? This is eastern Canada, not the wild American west!
The citizens of Avonlea are malicious from the get-go, not well-meaning, curious gossips, as they often are portrayed in the books. Yeah, disdain for small towns and their small people. And just little details in this series, like when Marilla and Matthew are desperate to save Green Gables and Rachel Lynde is trying to get the community to help and is talking to a couple of women, who claim not to know who the Cuthberts are…As a small-town girl myself that just really does not ring true to small towns. Even if you don’t know someone yourself, you know of them or someone who does know them. There is always a closeness there, so this isolation of the Cuthberts by their community is bizarre and cruel, reflecting nothing of the tenderness and compassion, the looking after one another…And Gilbert just sort of left to his own devices after his father dies, yeah, again not harmonizing with the nature of small towns.
And then Green Gables itself with its white-washed walls and bare wooden floors — yeah, yeah, that’s the minimalist Scandinavian look for farm houses these days, but seriously, not practical and not the aesthetic of the time period. Sigh…
Not a fan, not a fan…
I completely understand everything you’re saying! While I do appreciate some aspects of the series, as an Anne adaptation I’m not a fan either. It just doesn’t match the essence of Montgomery’s novels.
I started the first episode, but that is as far as I got. After reading numerous reviews (including this one) I doubt I will finish the series. I really have no desire to watch the butchery of one of my favorite stories.
There are many who can’t get past the first episode. This series is definitely not for everyone!
This review was excellent! Since the first time I heard about this new version of “AOGG”, I was so happy! When I saw the actors they chose for the characters, I was satisfied. Everything looked perfect. Then I began to research reviews, comments, etc. to decide if I would watch the show. When I found out all the above mentioned from other websites, I decided not to watch this MURDERING of L. M. Montgomery’s delightful novel. I loved the 80’s version of AOGG and the novel too much to mire it with this dirt!
Thank you! Glad you liked the review. 🙂
You literally took the words right out of my mouth; I think the most disappointing thing is, like you, I was really looking forward to a new version, it had some fantastic potential, and then they had to spoil it by taking away the very essence of the books, and putting in it’s place a dark kind of melodrama. Speaking of which, I also agree whole-heartedly with your modernism vs. romanticism observation. Thank you for providing such a cathartic review!
You’re welcome! And thanks for sharing your thoughts. I was really open to this series and I still think there are some good things about it. But yeah, it’s just too dark to be a good adaptation of the novel.
Your opinions are much kinder than mine! I missed out on seeing the PBS remake from last year, and so was excited to watch this one when it came out. Swing and a miss! Couldn’t watch past the first episode. What I loved about the books and the original series were the characters. You had something to laugh about, characters you cared for and loved, and it was something akin to comfort food. I hoped this could be a series to watch with my children, which it turns out is not at all for children, even though it cycles through on the recommended videos in Kid’s Netflix. There’s already too much depressing, graphic, adult-theme oriented content on TV and streaming video, no need to adapt a much beloved children’s series into yet another godless made-for-adults show. I will say, my sister-in-law said she loved the show because of its grit and differences from the original. So I realize that not all fans of the originals will dislike this version, but it lost my interest and I wouldn’t recommend it to anyone!
I tried to give a really honest, objective review. 🙂 And, for sure, there are definitely people who love it. But I don’t think its going to be loved by a majority/consensus because of it’s gritty interpretation. It’s also a shame that they couldn’t have made this appropriate for children.
I love this new Anne. I’ve seen the earlier miniseries a few times and I always felt like I was expected to like it. It was fine, but I didn’t really relate to Anne. This series works so much better for me. I feel oddly calm and happy while watching it. And the kids being actual kids and not young adults makes it more authentic.
I relate more to this Anne. I feel like it puts all of it in a better context. It’s still sweet and charming but I like that the darker elements are there. That makes me like Anne a lot more than I ever have.
That’s lovely! Thanks for your thoughts. 🙂
Never heard of Anne Shirley before this Anne with an E. My sister persuaded me to binge it with her. Reluctanly start watching. Loved it. So different that the other series/movies I usually watch. The pace, the feel of being there with them, this courageous young girl, this shy man and his wholehearted love for her, the beauty of the whole series. A real surprise to me. A feel-good series.
The only down-side it’s trying to persuade your sister that these are not tears but only dust in the eyes. She’s so obstinate.
Glad you found Anne! Anne Shirley is a character that always finds new fans. 🙂 You should definitely give reading the books a try!
Sorry for the late reply. I didn’t expect any follow-up to my post. It’s not easy for me, I don’t have a PC/tablet right now.
No somber intrigue or intend to monopolize your comments section, simply that I use the same PC to write my comment than my sister, a PC and a internet access for use by all residents at her workplace, a habitation complex for autonome senior
citizens. No much traffic around this PC. Those who are more techno have their own device.
Florence above is my sister, she challenged me to post my thoughts on Anne with an E, so I wrote one. The last line of my comment was intended to her. A joke. A wink.
For the third post we don’t know. She talked a lot about this series and comments she posted on various sites including yours with some residents and staff here, so perhaps this third one came from one of them but she don’t recognize any of the names of the posters in this comments section.
And for the first question, yes I started to read the book AoGG, out of curiosity, but stopped. I don’t want any spoilers before the next season of Anne with an E.
The other name was Robert S. However, your explanation is unlikely but I won’t push it. We’ve had a lot of experience with people posting under different names. But again, I haven’t blocked you because at least these two comments aren’t rude. That said, the third comment (the first one) did not show up on the page, though as administrator I could see the comment. It appears the comment was marked by our automatic spam detector. It didn’t look like spam but it was argumentative. I ultimately didn’t approve of the comment. Again, keep it one person per IP address. At most, two for people who are related and make that obvious. Thank you. And you should still read Anne. The series will be quite different from the original text. And because they’ve changed so much from the books, I’m sure there will be surprises for all viewers on the show.
I’ll be skipping this one! I had the same problem with Doctor Quinn, too–the modernist thinker in the 1800s. It didn’t ring “true” but as somebody’s idea of what the past *should* have been like. I also don’t like film adaptations that totally change the original story into something unrecognizable, such as the “Scarlet Letter” that came out in the 90s. And making Gilbert an orphan? But he’s the son of Marilla’s ex, not an orphan!
This adaptation is definitely not for everyone. While I do think “modernist” period dramas can work and is a fair story to tell when you’re not going for realism, I don’t think Anne of Green Gables is the proper avenue for it!
I’ve got to say, this was the first thing about Anne of Green Gables I ever watched. I’m from Brazil, where the series is not very well known, but a friend of mine tipped me off about it and when I saw it was on Netflix I decided to give it a go. I had never read the books not watched the Sullivan version before and still… I couldn’t get past the second episode. I realize people are saying it’s bad because it’s got little to do with the original series, but I agree with what you said and I think it’s more than that. The disdain for country people, small towns, the past and the way it tries to change and villanize the characters and the historical context in order to make it look more pleasant to the producer’s 21st century views are all over the place. Even for a foreign viewer who knows little about Canadian history it doesn’t take much to realize they’re trying way too hard to force their own views on the story while sacrificing a good deal of accuracy. Good thing I know it’s not like the original books, so I’m still looking forward to reading it as well as the Emily Starr series.
Thanks for your excellent and balanced review. After watching it myself, I’ve been wanting to hear what others thought of it, and to share my own impressions. I was especially wanting to hear what fans of the Sullivan Anne films and the Road to Avonlea series thought. The fan forums on the Sullivan site have been down for some time, so I went looking and found your review.
I am one of those rare male fans of Anne, and have been since my late teens when I first saw Sullivan’s AOGG miniseries on VHS. Since then, with the sequel Anne of Avonlea, and seven seasons of Road to Avonlea, I’ve found an bright and innocent getaway from the stresses of life in this modern world. Now, after marriage and children, Avonlea is still dear to my heart. My wife and children never took to the shows as much as me for some reason, but that’s ok, it’s my own private escape. When I get nostalgic for a simpler more innocent time, I can go to Avonlea via Sullivan’s films.
Anyway, when I heard of the “Anne with an E” series I knew I had to check it out. I realized from the trailer and things I’d read that it was going to be darker and grittier, but it still looked delightful. So I signed up for a free trial month of Netflix to check it out.
(Lots of Spoilers below…)
From the opening scenes and even the hip artsy opening sequence, I was hooked. This is going to be good, I thought. The first episode pretty much followed the familiar story, but with more raw emotion and punch. The main players were excellent. I thought it was great that RH Thompson played Matthew; he’s like an elderly Jasper Dale without the scientific tinkering and the stutter. The woman playing Marilla was spot-on also, for me anyway. And I really enjoyed the spunk and spirit of Amybeth McNulty’s performance. Her facial expressions and enthusiasm in the role really won me over. She’s no Megan Follows, but I really enjoyed her version of Anne nonetheless. I really feel for this girl’s troubles and hardships in adjusting, more so even than in the Sullivan production.
I enjoyed the second episode, but I realized the writers were going to be taking some serious liberties with the storyline. Even to inventing things out of thin air, but I was still on board.
The third episode, with the “mouse” talk, was a bit off-putting, but it was still innocently handled and I could overlook it. One of my favorite scenes is at the end of this episode, when Anne runs out of the school house and all the way home; very poignant and touching. Episode 4 resolves the tension of her adjusting to school, and the end of the episode where she returns to school, and is greeting by smiles and her new friends, is another touching moment.
If only the writers would have kept on track from that point on – but no, the next episode gets into menstration scenes, and menstration discussions among the girls, which I know is realistic and all, but I felt as a grown man I was hearing things I should be privy to hearing from the mouths of young girls. Certainly Anne and Marilla in the books and the Sullivan films went through something similar, but that was private, “off-camera” and not “shown” in the books, or on film. Yes she’s coming of age, no need to show the blood.
But I was still into the series, overlooking the puberty talk – though un-called-for, it was realistic and gritty, true to form for this production.
Until this point I had in mind that I’d purchase the DVD of the series when it came out, I was enjoying the acting, the cinematography, the music, the all-around excellent production value. However, around the middle of episode 6 I began to feel differently.
I hadn’t heard anyone mention this, but when the writers found a way to shoe-horn in allusions to homosexuality, by way of Diana’s aunt Josephine, and her relationship to her late “companion” Gertrude, I was dismayed. To me it seemed obvious that they were making a point to inject a 21st century liberal mentality about same-gender relationships and marriage. There was an Agenda here. As a strong conservative myself, I was taken aback. There goes the innocent escape that keeps me coming back again and again to shows like Road to Avonlea. This was not the same Avonlea.
I recalled how the town minister was portrayed as a rigid clueless buffoon. A totally unsympathetic figure in every one of his scenes. How unfortunate. But now I see it fits with the writers’ agenda.
Then the final seventh episode. I expected, and wanted, a happy glowing finish to Season One. Such as a warm family gathering around the hearth at Christmas, smiling faces in the candlelight, you know. But what we get instead is Green Gables and the farm in jeopardy, Matthew coming close to blowing his brains out with a pistol, Anne and Jerry selling off all the family items, including Marilla’s brooch and Anne’s dress with puffed sleeves. Jerry gets beat to a pulp by ruffians, and then, at the end, instead of a happy resolution, those same ruffians show up at Green Gables as boarders, Anne appears uneasy with it all, and the episode ends. Ugh, what a let down.
I’m halfway through watching the series again, but I might skip most of episode 6, and will not watch the final 7th episode again – I probably will not buy the DVD set. If I could purchase individual eps, I’d only get 1-5. That way I get no Aunt Jo’s “enlightened” views of same-gender marriage, and no suicidal Matthew. (I mean, Anne brought Matthew so much joy, he would never contemplate killing himself like that; it was so disappointing they did that; makes me distrust what they will do with Season Two)..
A replier from the future. If you hated S1E6, I’m so curios what you thought of S2E7 if you got that far
I might have a dark side because I love this version I know it’s not true to the books and I am actually okay with that for a lighter version I can watch the Megan Follows or the 2016 version but if I want a darker version Anne with an E will do. So bottom line I love every version I have seen.
I haven’t read or watched anything in relation to Anne with an ‘E’, but I thoroughly enjoyed it and am intrigued to find out about the previous adaptions. Personally, I enjoyed the darker themes, and although many people would prefer to appreciate an adaption of Anne of Green Gables which is innocent and wholesome out of respect for its brilliance from the original and some adaptions can seem like a let-down or ruination, of it, I found this quite appropriate to this generation and relatable.
I found myself more attached to Anne when themes such as female puberty and curiosity etc were addressed as they help normalize these topics to this generation and I understand that many representations of a time like this would not have included some of these scenes or been graphical about Anne’s period would seem unnecessary or simply a dismissed idea these things happened then too and just because they aren’t romanticized or deemed clean and wholesome I don’t believe deters the quality of this production or gives it a reason not to include them.
Having actors of their age (instead of adults who are around 10-years-senior to the character they are trying to portray) perform these scenes and other topics addressed especially from Amybeth McNulty concerning PTSD. Overall, I think this has opened the discussion and welcomed it naturally to people of an age where other generations have transferred a taboo down, sometimes for good reason but as a mentally and emotionally evolving society this helps bring respect and naturality to these topics as seeing it from people of similar age and may see as peers.
I did not expect there to be as much reference to homosexuality as there was and can understand that it does seem like a modern talk being stuck in the middle of a timepiece where others haven’t many portfolios of similar focus to compare to. Although I don’t always look forward to this sort of topic due to religious conflicts, I do believe this show handled it quite beautifully and not overpoweringly so that it felt everything was about sexuality. I did very much enjoy Aunt Jo’s and Cole’s character don’t get me wrong and their bond it’s just nice in contrast to other shows where obviously there is probably a different main theme but that there was proper character and traits and relationships built with the other characters which didn’t concern their sexuality and curiosity but rather kindness and natural way of making friends.
The character developments weren’t always the best I’ll admit, and I wasn’t impressed by Marilla’s even though she had a great actress I did think there could have been more wit carried through and generally more backbone despite liking her breakdown to the softer woman she becomes; I think I just feel like her original self-left too quickly. Diana could’ve had a better development as she seemed to just be a loose end at the end of the third season who was hurriedly made to grow in conflict mentally and emotionally with her parents when a more progressive gradual development would have been more satisfactory. Matthew being suicidal is a very surprising turn of events which I don’t quite know if I like or not, as the character and from the director’s perspective I can understand it, but it felt quite a drastic shock even though it blended into the situation understandably.
I feel that in a way it became a protagonist against the world sort of situation, in this case, Anne and the town. It felt overly villainous and shows a lack of imagination for the plot regarding how Anne and the townspeople develop as individuals and together over the 3/4-year period, it is a good enough idea for the first season but after that, it seemed to drag on.
Romantically speaking I do wish there were more scenes with Anne and Gilbert leading up to their ‘connection’ especially as I liked their dynamic although Anne could have been less angsty.
Talking about Gilbert, he got enough screentime and although his scenes were relevant, they did at times only suffice whereas I thought him becoming an orphan was thrown in a desperate attempt to be relatable to Anne and there wasn’t enough discussion or even acknowledgment from the other characters of how caring he was or hardworking. of course, his parent or lack of situation welcomed the amazing introduction of Sebastian, etc but still. The frustration from the miscommunication between Gilbert and Anne infuriated me as my romantic fantasies weren’t materializing as quickly but that’s fine now 😉 (watch the last episode)
I was sad at Mary’s short-lived performance as I feel there was more for her to offer but it did feel slightly relevant for whole-roundly growth concerning the main plot now that I look back on it.
I could honestly ramble on about other characters, but I think I’ll finish. Although I have had quite a lot to say, I am ever so delighted and fulfilled with the ending even though I am still processing emotionally that after getting invested and binging through it over a couple of days that Netflix canceled the show:(
This production will probably not be the actors’ greatest performance of their entire career, but it is a great experience and a great source of entertainment. 1000% recommend
Thanks for your detailed thoughts on the show! I grew to love it more than I did on the first watch. It was jarring at first because I grew up with the books and previous adaptations that were closer to the source material. I can appreciate it now for being something separate.
Thank you so much for your review, Amber. I dislike when Hollywood feels the need to pretend that every time in history had exactly the same issues and morality as ours; so it’s always essentially the 21st century but the characters just wear period costumes. Your insightful comments about modernism being the true hero here, and old-fashioned people and things being the villains, were spot on. This aspect absolutely ruined the series for me.
The dark and gritty stuff they injected was unfortunate. I didn’t take issue with Anne’s flashbacks to earlier trauma, however I couldn’t get past the horrible way she often behaves in this series. The rudeness she shows the friendly French hired hand is just weird. Her temper is nasty and vindictive continually, and it never is in the book. They have Anne all wrong, and that is disappointing. Worse, the parts where Anne is actually bright and sparkling are atrociously over-acted by McNulty. It was hard to watch without cringing.
I’m glad you’ve found a way to appreciate this series now by separating it in your mind from Montgomery’s beloved book. I, however, wish they’d just written new material about a traumatized orphan girl who moves to a farm, rather than taint the purity of the source material here.
Hi Jules. Thanks for your comment! Yeah, it was a strange choice from the writers to transform the Anne story in this way. In the end, I enjoyed it, but it’s not really Anne of Green Gables as imagined by L.M. Montgomery.
“ should have created an original series with new characters.”
And this sums up much of modern day filmmaking let alone Anne with an E.
Excellent review.