Anne Adaptations: Anne of Green Gables: The Good Stars (2017) Part 1

(Original thread here.) Oscar Wilde once said, “We are each our own devil, and we make this world our hell.”

So 2016 Anne had a sequel released February 20th, 2017, a year after the first movie came out. Let’s just do this.

I don’t think it was released theatrically, but I have no background information because no one cares. It doesn’t even have its own wikipedia page.

And why is it called Anne of Green Gables: The Good Stars? No clue. The movie never explains it. It’s certainly not something from the book. I got nothin’ here. I guess “2 Green 2 Gables” was taken already.

If Hell is real, all that will play for me is this trilogy.

Y’all I’ve seen 3 different animated Titanic movies.

Also can we talk about this hilarious DVD cover/poster? Why do Gilbert and Diana look like an awkward prom photo?? XD

We open on a stormy shot of Green Gables. Looks great, people!

The roof’s leaking so Matthew goes down to the kitchen to put a pot under the leak. Yeah, MATTHEW is the first person we see in this ANNE of Green Gables movie.

We all know who the real star is here.

Marilla says they’ll hire someone to fix it, but Matthew basically says he won’t trust it unless he fixes it. Remember how in the book Matthew suggested they hire Jerry Buote to help out? *sips tea*

Also. This is a niche complaint. But he specifically says “I can fix that.” About a leaky roof and the rain. Anyone else around my age immediately think Sam and Holes and shudder a little?

First actual shot of Anne as Marilla sends Matthew off to bed! She says, “You to bed, too.” Anne’s first line is “I’m goin’, I’m goin’.” This does not sound remotely like an Anne thing to say. Also apparently she’s afraid of storms. It won’t come up again

Hey, look, a slightly different angle of the house! I didn’t know they could do that.

And Matthew’s on the roof! Of course.

Okay I know I’m nitpicking now, but the bottom of Matthew’s boot looks too modern to me. Am I wrong? Footwear’s not my expertise – especially not men’s footware from 1908.

Now, remember. Matthew is our comic relief so he’s apparently never gotten off a roof before and awkwardly slides down, knocking over the ladder.

He crawls up to the window, finds it locked, and then sees Marilla walking up the drive and calling for him. So he… hides from her?

…I think the lighting managed to get worse in this movie.

Only once Marilla is inside does Matthew reply to her calling his name. She goes upstairs and sees him through the window. He tells her to prop up the ladder “quickly” – so why was he hiding from her in the first place???????

She gets downstairs and outside in time to see him climbing down. Thanks, Anne.

I guess.

…not to keep picking on him, but I deeply hate the facial expression Martin Sheen makes here.

Again, Marilla is wearing a lot of makeup and this jacket fits really badly. My kingdom for a tailor.

They eat a slightly better lit dinner and we get some actual book dialogue as Anne mentions Minnie Andrews (a sister of Prissy and Jane Andrews, I think? Or maybe cousin. Who knows. Editing Laina: This is not actually a complaint about the movies – the books play fast and loose with family trees, too.)

But then I wondered why there were 3 different Minnies in the book. How many Minerva/Wilhemina’s could there be on one small island? I started wondering if it was just a nickname for small girls, maybe the youngest girl in a family. Apparently it was also a nickname for Mary and Margaret, though. I didn’t find anything conclusive, but I thought it was interesting that we have Minnie Andrews, Minnie MacPherson, and Minnie May Barry all in the same book.

Anne’s acting is better in this one, also. The actress has clearly aged some, and it helps a lot.

They suddenly do the “Gilb- I mean, we all” thing because… that’s a thing now. Apparently Mr. Phillips is “deeply sad about something”. I could not care less.

Anne says she’s a “dunce” at geometry and Matthew gets all worked up about it, especially when she says, “I’m such a dummy. Even Mr. Phillips says so.” Like not to defend Phillips, but he never says that about her.

Matthew replies, “I believe I’ll have a word with that man” and “Fear and shame are no way to educate a child.”

Hey, remember who criticized the education on the Island in the book? Mrs Rachel. Just saying.

Anne and Marilla act like this outburst is out of character as though he ever shuts up in these movies.

Marilla: “You talk too much.”

REALLY????? MATTHEW CUTHBERT TALKS TOO MUCH?

This movie doesn’t know hat pins exist and it just bugs me. Or hats with ribbons to hold them on. That’s a thing too!

This is interesting. I’m pretty sure this is the same building as last movie but the set dressing is totally different.

The road UNPAVED itself. I guess they didn’t know the first paved road in Canada was in 1915, and the first in PEI was in the 1950s. Yeah, I looked into that. Unlike the first movie.

Gilbert had a growth spurt and also possibly a dye job. Anne’s hair is also darker, you may have noticed.

Anne struggles with geometry some more and this dickwad mic-drops his chalk.

Is the Anne and Gilbert academic rivalry coming out of nowhere?

Yes. Yes, it is.

This girl offers to help. Apparently this is Ruby Gillis. Nice to meet you. We never have before, but whatever.

She apparently has six older sisters (it’s not numbered in the book, just “a lot”, so this is fine) and gives Anne and Diana some romantic advice as they walk home.

Diana got even taller. I know you can’t control how children grow but Anne’s supposed to be tall

The “secret of the universe” aka the secret to boys, is apparently to “never appear to try too hard”, which Diana says Anne is an expert at. Because she doesn’t “try at all with Gilbert”. I guess that’s true when they’ve only had 3 scenes together in two movies.

Diana invites Anne over to make toffee and I don’t remember the Barrys having a cook, but awww she has a kitty friend.

Wait. They recast Diana’s mother???

Okay, I mean. Good for her getting out.

But why did they significantly age up Diana’s mother? Like I’m not being snarky – this actress is 8 years older than the first one. She’s only 2 years younger than Marilla’s actress. The actress was around 63 filming this. Diana is 12, turning 13. Minnie may is THREE in the first movie, so 4 at this point.

So she had Minnie May at 59? Possible, yes. Likely? No.

Did no one think this through?

Also @AnomriaReid pointed this out. She looks like Marilla? But actually I think she looks more like 1985 Marilla.

Anyways, after saying how glad she is to have Anne there, and kissing her cheek, she leaves them alone to make toffee. Which is “taffy” in the book, BUT. This is actually from the book! So YAY!

As in the book, they get distracted and let it burn, and the cat walks on it. What a good kitty. Such acting.

This scene is actually cute. The actresses seem to be having a good time and you can mostly even see things! Good job, movie. You did one good scene. This probably is my favourite scene in the whole series.

It even quotes the book in the next scene. Thoug Anne is just talking to herself when in the book she was telling Marilla what happened.And it was when she visited after saving Minnie May so the timeline is whacked, but! I will let them have this one. The taffy/toffee making also hasn’t been in an adaptation I’ve seen yet, so. That’s actually cool.

At school, Phillips talks about when he worked at the Royal Bank (aka RBC aka where I bank). Anne and Gilbert compare test scores.

Who cares?

Diana/Mrs Barry have invited Anne for a sleepover. No concert, I guess. No spare room, either. Marilla still says no, though. “Little girls belong in their own beds.”

Anne replies, “I’m not a little girl. I’m nearly thirteen.”

She flounces off, Matthew argues for her, and Anne comes back to apologize for causing them to fight. I don’t care. Marilla agrees to let her go, yada yada.

I actually think this part is sweet. Marilla brings Anne a nicer bag to bring to Diana’s instead of her old suitcase. It was Marilla’s mother’s.

I like that she’s giving Anne a family thing to use. It shows she considers Anne a member of the family.

I don’t like the part where Anne smells it so much.

In an odd change, Marilla knows that Aunt Josephine is staying with the Barrys and warns Anne to behave.

Yeah, I think this is the same building, just set-dressed differently. Maybe they really could only get it for one day last movie. The road unpaving itself continues to amuse me.

Mr. Phillips walks through the empty class and sad music plays over it. I still do not understand why I’m supposed to care he’s sad.

On the way home, Diana asks if Anne wants to walk home a different way. I actually like when adaptations lean into the idea that Diana also can get into trouble and enjoys imagining and adventures, but doesn’t have an outlet for that until Anne. It’s a cool way to show that their friendship is more equal, and why she likes Anne in the first place

And I don’t even mind them doing a Haunted Woods thing here! Though I wish they’d use a bit more of the book’s descriptions/prose.

The thing is. They chose to use bad CGI in this scene for some ungodly reason. When the girls look behind them, they see… this.

My screenshots didn’t show how odd this was so here’s a clip that hopefully won’t be taken down.

It’s hard to see – there’s this CGI white blob that streaks around between the trees. It’s not clear if this is real, or imagined but it looks so bad. What’s next, the trees start talking? Why does an Anne of Green Gables movie need CGI??

We cut immediately to them running to bed in I think Diana’s room. So, yeah, no spare room plot.

Still freaked out, Anne goes to see if “it” followed them, looking out the window. She can’t see anything so Diana suggests the window at the end of the hall that looks out at the edge of the woods. Anne looks, freaks herself out over nothing, and gets confused about which door is to Diana’s room, and ends up jumping into bed with Aunt Josephine.

Just Anne.

Rachel comes over the next day to gossip about this as Anne and Marilla are baking, and Anne decides to apologize.

This is about when I realized we were only 20 minutes in. Remember how I complained how fast everything happened in the first one? Well, this movie heard that complaint and overcorrected to be as slow as possible.

This movie is boring!

I was going to say “At least it’s slightly better lit” but I don’t think it actually is! I think it’s just summer as this is being shot, instead of spring, so the sun is brighter and it’s not cloudy as often.

Wow, what an angle. I wish all movies had a Ring doorbell shot!

Mr. Barry exists now!

Mrs Barry: “We’ve had dealings with Anne Shirley before this, haven’t we?”
Aunt Josephine: “For instance?”
Mrs Barry: “Serving alcohol at a children’s tea party.”
Aunt Jo: “REALLY?”
Mrs Barry: “Inexcusable.”

She saved your kid’s life, you dick!

Like what a dick move from Mrs Barry.

Aunt Jo forgives Anne, obviously, and asks her to visit, you know the drill.

More school. Gilbert gets I think his first line in the movie. Hot spelling action ensues, and Luce and I learn “puckle” is a word. Also the editor discovered the fancy transitions in their editing program, and decided to use them all.

Like I said, the lighting is BRIGHTER, not BETTER. Like what is this? Is God himself beaming down onto Gilbert’s paper?

More rivalry stuff because the script said they had to have it.

Walking home, Diana says she thinks Gilbert is in love with Anne, and Anne says not to say such things. Diana also says, “Secretly you love him, too.” It’s not all super off-book, using some book dialogue, but it is pushing the romance really heavily – and they’re not even 13 yet! It’s not subtle at all.

Anne makes a pie and the lack of labelling things still kills me.

She puts it in to bake and goes out in the garden to pick some tomatoes that could use some water. And look at the sunflowers – they’re ready to be harvested. It really just is summer, isn’t it?