Sarah, Becky, and the Racial Elephant in the Room - A Little Princess Retrospective - The Fangirl
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- Опубліковано 30 чер 2021
- A Little Princess (1995) really is an adorable movie that follows Sarah's journey from riches to rags. But... can we talk about how utterly flat the characters are? Especially Becky, who deserved more!
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The big problem with this adaptation is that in the book, Becky is Cockney (seen as lower class and uneducated) and had no backstory in the book either. In Victorian times ( when the book was written) servants weren’t seen as people, but as a kind of robot that just did what they were told. It’s a problem of the culture in which the book was written, not a problem with the movie
This version does its own thing and departs greatly from the book.
Alfonso Cuaron didn’t care about being faithful to the novel. He had very distinct themes that he wanted to explore mainly the relationship between Sara and her father but also the dynamic between Sara and Minchin.
With that being said, It is NOT Becky’s story.
We don’t need to cram subplots into a film just to seem more inclusive, especially when the script already gets rid of a lot of the ones that are already within the book.
Becky’s character is not that important within the context of this film and the same goes for the other girls.
I think the film is perfect the way it is and the chemistry between Liesel and Vanessa is impeccable and both are beautiful in their respective roles.
Exactly what I was going to point out!
The Hollyweirdos had to remake old movies to instill the idea of racial oppression.
@@RedaDoodles Very well said. We should perceive this movie or book from the point in time when they were made and not appropriate them for today's points of view. That's not to say we shouldn't compare now and then but certainly trying to hammer on the modern attitudes and points of view on things/situations which wouldn't have been possible for people of various classes to freely express is not constructive. It's a beautiful story a perseverance of a young spirit which in spite of everything manages to shine positivity.
@@arakhneweaving Amen!
There was a time of my life when The secret garden, A little Princess and Madeline movies were watched on rotation.
Thank you for unpacking all of that, it’s definitely so important to look with a critical eye at the stories that were foundational to our world view and might have turned into unconscious biases.
I just watched The Secret Garden from the 90s a few months ago and OOOH I love that movie so much too! The recent remake wasn't too bad either, but it was missing a number of elements that I found most appealing about the 90s film. I would love to talk about that movie eventually, but I wasn't clever enough to think of something interesting to talk about. 😅
@@TheFangirlWatches I haven’t seen the remake yet. I’ll try to see it at some point.
They didn't do it for the other girls either, it's a 90 minute movie, and wasn't seeking to push an agenda as they do now with anti white rhetoric.
I love the movie A little princess. But your right. They glossed over Becky's life. I would have loved to see her tell Sarah her story, how she became a servant, what happened to her parents. I am happy she did get to leave with Sarah at the end with her father. Maybe the writers thought we , "the audience" would assume Sarah asked her father if Becky could live with them and take care of the paper work. Or because he's rich it doesn't matter... Idk. I was born in the 90's so I see how this movie and others came across. Maybe there could be a remake with a more realistic story. Thank you for the video.
It is definitely a problem with films where, times change, perspectives change, and what was initially like "hey, look, an inter-racial friendship, that will be a great theme in the movie" really aged awkwardly. I do believe that, in other versions of this film, Becky is white, so it's her class that separates her from the other girls, so I can see where, if the writers weren't being attentive enough, they could have missed the glaring issues they were not addressing when they problem skin tone into the mix.
You have to see the original movie with Shirley Temple. Becky was an orphan and a waif, she had no back story of note.
This isn't about the character of Becky. Becky in the original book isn't black. This is about a screen writer choosing to make Becky a black girl and by doing so didn't feel the need to give her much back story because in real life her skin color would speak for itself. It's so much deeper than just breaking down the movie from a character stand point. Had they left Becky white the way she was written originally none of this would would an issue. In the book you knew who Becky was and how she got to the school. Making her black in the 1995 movie allowed the screenwriter, director, etc not to have to do all that.
Exactly!
As a half black man, I'm glad you see the elephant in the room too.
The part where it sticks out the worst is at the end where the girls are dressed the same, yet everyone is hugging Sarah goodbye and Becky is just standing to the sideline with no one even acknowledging her. So, even though they are both implied to be the same status now, Becky is still NOT the same and NOT well regarded like Sarah, and that hurt my feelings for Becky so much. 😥
Girl... if you read the book it would solve like 90% of the story problems you're seeing.
Also in terms of the decision to make Becky black in this film adaptation - there's a small moment that I think is brilliant. To paraphrase, Lottie essentially tells Sarah that Becky's not supposed to talk to them because her skin is dark, to which Sarah says "So?". Lottie then looks confused and asks "Well, doesn't that mean something?". The girls at the school do not have a full grasp of race. They are trusting the adults around them that there is a "reason" for the abuse that Becky suffers. I think it's a fairly effective demonstration of how classism and racism are justified and taught to children.
This and the secret garden are still some of my favorites.
I love that movie. I do wish they had more character development for Becky.
I'm sure for the mid-90s the team working on this movie thought it was boldly inclusive, but, in 2021, it kind of looks like a bunch of white people were nodding and patting themselves on the back without realizing how awkward some of these moments are. Like, even when Sarah and Becky are leaving - the other girls are HUGGING all over Sarah, while Becky is just standing to the side, not even getting so much as a "goodbye." Yet, no one watching that scene play out on set thought it felt odd?
um I think they show in detail visually what Becky goes through. Also Sarah adapted maybe a bit too quickly to her new life conditions but its expressed in the movie the loss of her father outweighed any of the devastating changes in her position she was more heartbroken over not seeing her father. plus the whole point of the movie is to have the spirit that never stops even when facing adversity.
I also think you are dismissive and wrong to say the rest of the girls are were empty in the movie cause they weren't. the portrayal of Ermengarde was good they even took the time of describing not just her stereotype of being 'bigger" but being behind in school. When i was young i distinctly remeber that because there are not a lot of films that portray that struggle so accurately and also how it bled into her fathers expectations...they even showed that. also I thought your video was on racial criticism not a crit as a whole on even small details that i think overlook a lot of elements.
I always wanted Becky to be the princess.
By the things Sara said, they all were princesses.
@@TheFangirlWatches yeah but I think Becky could have discovered she was actually a princess and not just a feel good metaphor.
I can’t argue with your analysis at all, totally agree about the treatment of Becky. I think for me a lot of the other issues with characterisation and plotting are helped massively by exceptional direction from Alfonso Cuaron and performances from the cast. One of the most glaring issues with the movie is the character of Ram Dass, the Indian manservant for the neighbour of the school. He’s the epitome of the magical person of colour trope, every time he’s on screen you get this mystical Sitar riffs and he’s implied to be at the centre of the more magical moments of the film. It’s very 90’s and very cringe nowadays.
I love this movie, have since I was a child. I actually found so much depth in miss Michion. She has so much daddy issues, that’s why she did want to to let her reunite with her father, out of spite . It was clear she was terribly jealous of Sarah’s happiness, the fact she could have whatever she wanted. I reckon it made her feel great to kick Sarah right upstairs during the party. I think the whole being called a princess thing has a real trigger for Miss M. Maybe her father wasn’t nice?
Ermengards part I thought was nice she lacked in confidence because she was “different” (fat) and had a big want to make her family proud. Through Sarah’s support, she found that confidence she discovered she was capable of learning French and having friends.
I thought the hug at the end was beautiful because he was giving comfort to a child in a bad situation that was likely Sarah’s friend. She was getting arrested too. Plus he saw Sarah encouraging it, so Becky was clearly important to her.
I imagine in India Sarah was used to people of color, after all she read books books and saw art in the country. There was likely poc at the manor right? I think that’s why Sarah just considered her another girl in a bad situation because she’d grown up around poc and knew they were just people too.
The situation regarding just slumming it. I think Sarah continues to have hope in her heart for a better future. And even so at least she can communicate with her friend while in the attic, despite living a life of luxury I don’t think she “needed” all of the stuff and fancy clothes to be happy. Sure they’re nice but, I think as long as she’s around those she loves she can survive.
Poor Becky has such a strong spirit and survives, she’s been through a lot of crap leading up to her point as a servant. If she’s had the same confidence as Sarah she might’ve had all the friends and the same support. Unfortunately it seems like she was shy and found it easy to become part of the wallpaper to the other kids. Sarah brought out her true brighter personality I think.
Unfortunately I think not knowing much about Becky or her past is down to it being a children’s book, that’s just really focused on it’s main protagonist. I’m sure in India or whoever they moved to Sarah continues to learn about her or will learn all about her.
The moment where Dad remembers makes me cry every time. The way I see it is there love and bond is strong it broke through his amnesia at the last moment. Which, thank good ness 😂
Poor Becky being pushed into a puddle, it may or may not have been to do with her skin. Perhaps he just was an asshole and disliked kids lol
I took the servitude not as easy but hard and sad work actually. I thought that Sarah was really suffering at first before she remembered she’s still cared for.
OoooOOOooohhhh, I haven't really stopped to think deeply about Miss Minchin yet, but those are very interesting ideas about her backstory!
With the rest of the girls, it was like, as Dr. Phil would call it, "20 minute miracles." It took one little nudge from Sarah to "fix" most of the girls problems, and I understand they're mostly used as extras, but the movie keeps the school girls so distant from Sarah that I could not tell you if she had any type of best friend or favorites among them. It was almost like Sarah was a goddess wandering around in their precess, but that she was never fully one of them. And even Lavinia was friendly by the end, even though she had no motivation to change her behaviors - she had "won" and Sarah was leaving - so this magnetic power that Sarah had was really strange for a girl her age.
And, I'm sure Sarah had nannies or servants around her house growing up that were not old British white ladies, we see one person like that in the opening of the film. But, it seems odd that India has such a culture around skin tone and that being part of you value, and none of that seeping in to how Sarah understands the world. Quite the opposite, she seems oblivious to race, which feels so off for being raising in India. But, I suppose the Crewe family had a big estate that Sarah could have been extremely sheltered, so maybe she is oblivious to all of that? Also, for that matter, what is Becky going to do if she goes to a country with a caste system? T_T
When the dad suddenly remembers Sarah, I always took that as "India's magic" because that buttler-type fellow seemed to be staring Papa down, and having that Indian-style music playing, when he suddenly had his memory return. Plus, the Indian man with the monkey was the one who insisted that they take Papa home and try to help him, so it seems like he knew more than he ever let on. The part that always kills me though is when Sarah draws the protection circle and curls up into with her doll, calling out to her dad, because he told her the doll could take messages and hugs straight to him. T_T T_T T_T
@@TheFangirlWatches I can totally agree about the 20 minute miracles but maybe you’re looking at it through an adult lense. It was a story for kids, it wasn’t meant to be overly complicated how they help the others or anything. Oh and yeah the circle scene with the doll kills me, I had lost my father not long before so that scene was always so emotional! And oh yeah the Indian man totally helped the dad remember, or maybe even just gave the last kick dad needed to remember. For a story for kids, I think it’s great. For an adult to look at it yeah it has alot of flaws and empty spots?
@@OmgPandamonium I lost my dad when I was a kid too and this movie triggers me 😂 I still love it though but as an adult it actually effects me more than it did when I was a kid
I mainly clicked because this looked interesting. Now I think I remember this, because I read the book with my mother.
Aww that's so sweet! I never had the chance to read this book, but I used to read Narnia with my mom - she was weirdly obsessed with it for some reason.
@@TheFangirlWatches I think as I recall the book she did become a servant, but the other servant was not stated by skin color. Plus the other servant wasn't a kid. It was an adult.
In the book, Becky is a Cockney girl about 14ish. Also Sarah's father does die in the book, but his business partner and friend finds Sarah and adopts her and Becky as his daughters.
I was in a youth community theater that did A Little Princess the musical. Actually was really fun to be a part of as a 10 year old. Had to be around 2004ish.
I’ve always wanted to watch this movie, guess I really should now!!!
It is on HBO Max if you don't want to hunt down the DVD. Like I say in the video, the movie has some really striking writing issues when you watch it now, but it's a really charming movie overall.
@@TheFangirlWatches thank you!
you totally should well worth it
I would like to say that even though I'm a boy I watched this with my sister and cousins and I think I enjoyed it even more than They did. so that 90's tv movie reviewers
I remember seeing it in cinemas as a kid with my mother and sister and liked it
This was my favorite movie as a kid, and I brushed my hair obsessively because I thought it was cool how much power the bad girl had =P
In the book this is based off of, Becky is adopted by Sarah's father.
Unfortunately, no (though this did happen in the earlier famous film adaptation)-in the book, Sara’s father dies. Eventually his best friend does find Sara and adopt her, and they do take Becky with them…to be Sara’s maid, not to be adopted. 😣 The book definitely reflected the less savory aspects of its time.
Her father owned a diamond mine in the book. And in the book her father dies no amneisa and she comes into her inhertaince when she comes of age and is stuck in servitude for years. The 1939 adaption they changed it up to her father being alive and the the 1995 one followed the same. The 1917 adaption I believe followed the book. 1939 starred Shirley Temple as Sara.
I haven’t seen this movie since the 90s, like when it was relatively new on HBO. I actually saw Shirley Temple’s version before this “new” version. I need to go back and watch this again.
I had it on VHS and I watched it on Netflix in 2020 and then I bought it on DVD
there is a cartoon version of this that i watched a few years ago and it goes a little bit into to Becky's life and how she ended up at the school it was one of those like cheap straight to tv or DVD films from what i remember of it it was actually quite a good film
Me and my sisters loved this moive when we were children and still do as adults
I haven't thought about this movie in years but I loved it when I like 11. I had a DVD that had both "The Little Princess" and "The Secret Garden" on it and I watched them both _all the time_ on our portable DVD player. Gosh, things change so fast. I haven't used a DVD in years.
I remember what I think was the original A Little Princess (from 1939 starring Shirley Temple as the main character) I watched it over and over with my grandmother when I was a child back in the early 90's. Then about 10 yrs ago I stumpled upon this 'remake' the 'tone' of this version is very different from the original, but honestly it would also be strange if it wasn't different, some of the characters from the 1995 version are easier to relate to, because there are more 'layers' to them then just the theatrical good vs evil (This comment possibly doesn't have anything to do with your review, but I just wanted to share what was at the top of my mind as soon as i saw what movie you where gonna talk about) Your videoes are always very entertaining for me to watch, I discovered you when you did all of your 'Coraline' videoes. Anywho I hope you are well ^^
I'm so glad you found me through Coraline (like 99% of viewers did, lol), but my mother-in-law is a big Shirley Temple fan, so I need to see if she has the original movie that I could borrow. I'm curious how different they are, but I imagine the differences are HUGE. The 1995 film uses a lot of nuances, and the cinematography is awesome. I imagine the 1939 adaptation was probably more like a fairy tale meets a musical.
@@TheFangirlWatches (Hehe yeah Coraline is going like fresh baked goods even now) ^^ Oh she is? that is so wonderful, (by the way when you said - Sarah in the 1995 movie is the nicest girl that ever niced, she's so bland, I was like yes I agree. Shirley Temple's Sarah Crewe is sweet and nice too, BUT she definitely has some spice mixed in that 'packs a punch' if you will, there is a fighter in her and in the 1995 version it's more 'meh' (same thing can be said about Disney's Cinderella 1950, when the evil stepmother locks her in she yells out and yanks at the door. Cinderella 2015 kinda accepted being locked away without any objections. I really hope that your mother-in-law have the original A Little Princess. and then I hope that you will make a review on that one aswell
I don't have a good comment yet, so this might be edited, but I've been subscribed for a couple years now, and your vids make my day, so yeah. You rock. Hope you and your loved ones are having a fantastic summer 💖
Thank you so much, these kinds of comments make my day (and I recognize your profile pic so you must have made my day more than once!). 💕
I believe in the book he owned a diamond mine and that’s why he died, a collapse in the new diamond mine and the headmistress realized that she wouldn’t be getting anymore money from him and demoted Sarah to servant. She was also rescued by another family who called her “the little beggar girl who didn’t beg” when she didn’t beg or ask for money when she really needed it, I think she was taking the money for herself when she realized she wasn’t going to be getting the extra money for letting Sarah getting away with whatever she wants, but I don’t remember if that was stated in the book. I think Becky had more agency in the book too but I’m not completely sure. I also think she was Irish, but I could be wrong
This movie was based on a book…the movie was true to the book, including the characters.
we love to see the pink and blue hair again
I never watched little princess but all this stuff about Becky reminds me of two of my favorite historical movies Glory and The Last Samurai which now looking back both count as "could have been great but Hollywood thinks people will see the movie unless the POV is a white guy"
they really could have made a backstory where Becky was an actual princess who perhaps ended up there due to her family being killed or for any other reasons. That would make an interesting story
Being a book purist, I didn't care much for this movie despite the book being a problematic fave that got me through a really rough part of my childhood.
Still, I do appreciate that Becky is treated as an equal adoptee, as well as Captain Crewe not really knowing who Becky was at that point, but he didn't care and hugged her too.
I remember watching this as an kid and being very bewildered by the changes from book to movie, which is probably why I preferred the more accurate Secret Garden (also that amazing score).
The Secret Garden was such a good movie for the 90s too! The recent remake was pretty well done as well, even though the timeline was changed around. But, the issues with Mary's mother and uncle made a lot more since in the newer movie - yet they took away a lot of the charming things from the 90s movie, like the bird and the India magic and all that. T_T
Love your derps!
Loved this movie 💙
🙌🏿Breathtakingly beautiful analysis/&dissection📽👑
Hello I saw one of your old Coraline theories and I didn’t want to comment on it since it was like 3 years ago- and I know I didn’t look for one but have you done a Alice and Wonderland theory?
I also wonder how hard we shoukd critique a movie & book regarding simple characters that's designed for children. And also an old book. Maybe these trope characters were new back then?
I Just love it, when a WHITE girl talks racism when there isn't in a movie. Quite the spectacle.
I do agree about the comments about Becky. I'm trying to wonder if anything is mentioned in the book. It's been a while since I read it.
Can you do a review on the book? It's actually quite different
Because I grew up with THE Little Princess. Not just A Little Princess, but THE Little Princess.
That's the Shirley Temple one, right?
@@TheFangirlWatches yes
@TheFangirl Do you think that the Evil Queen from Snow White could have been a Princess from another kingdom?
It's very likely, but it also sounds like Snow isn't her biological daughter, which would make her a 2nd wife. And, she didn't have any children of her own in the movie, so it's a weird set of logic that she uses overall. She's a hard villain to love because we get so little to understand about her life.
@@TheFangirlWatches I highly recommend watching Snow White: A Tale Of Terror which offers a more sympathetic treatment of the stepmother.
I just watched the movie this week. I still love it. It's so beautiful with the costumes, and backgrounds, and the actors give it there all with this movie, that I can still adore to this day. So much so I wanted to see if it was free domain, because it's based on a book. In about 5 or so years it will be, and that makes me happy knowing this fact! That means any problems in the book (If there are any? I have not read it, but if they are like the problems in the movie then still on point.) can be fixed by other people telling the tell or making there own spin on it. The only thing I know about the book is that the girl who got the Cinnamon roll dose go to the all girl's school in the end, and that's it.
But yeah when I did watch it I wondered a lot of the same things too. With how Becky is treated, the fat shaming (But the movie was made in 90's. So it was always going to be there.), If how Becky is treated lined into the setting (which is world war 1), and what was Becky's life like, since the movie never goes into it. Also with the ending in how Becky was adopted I feel the movie tries to justify it, because Sarah says she saw Becky as a sister. So seeing as a sister equals adoption. I really should read the book one day to know what was cut out and if the book goes into Becky a bit more.
Last thing. I know this might be a negative with the movie, but I like it for this detail, but when you are informed that no one is allowed to talk to Becky, because of her skin. The youngest child is telling Sarah this detail. Meaning the children are growing up with that mind set from other people around her and the other adults. Thing is Sarah is pretty much braking down these ideas, but I wish they showed more of that in the movie rather, then the girls being around her only with Sarah telling stories in her room.
I feel like you sld watch the 1986 version since it's more accurate to the book and make all the characters served a purpose in the story. It was well done. I highly recommend it. I think you'll like it as adult but warning it'll be hard to watch.
Your so right lol that’s crazy cause I really loved this movie as a young girl wow
Same! It felt like such a cute, sweet movie as a kid that let you have a good cry in the middle of it, but it is really strange looking at it in modern times and going "oh wow, we just decided that a LOT was okay to ignore back in the 90s..."
I always thought Sarah boarding school was in England not New York
Omg Yes
I always did too until I rewatched it and noticed they very specifically say it's New York! It makes sense too, because none of the girls or the headmistresses have an accent, but that detail never caught my attention as a kid, lol.
The original book and the 1930 Sherly Temple Film is London but must of been changed for the 90 film
I saw this movie way back when I was little! Then I read the book by Francis H. Burnett and it’s more less the same story, still I love them both.
The only differences in the book; Sara’s dad is a rich solider who invested his money in the 💎 mines, sadly there were no diamonds. Becky is a lower-class white girl, and Sara does lose her dad. When Sara’s dad dies, she goes through good days and bad, ones too. Still reminds herself “I am Princess” and that helps her get through her new life.
Meanwhile her father’s best friend has been looking for Sara since her father died, but hasn’t been able to find her. Until finally he found her and told her that she is an heiress again! The best friend adopts her, and makes Becky Sara’s maid.
And they all lived happily ever after‼️
Oh wow that is quite a bit different! Thanks for the summary!
Aside from the things you’ve mentioned, the real big difference between the novel and the film is the character of Sara.
In the book, she comes off as a saint and has and incredible sense of patience and honour.
The Sara from the book would never do half of the things that she does in the 1995 film which made her more relatable in terms of how a child would react in that situation.
However, I still like the new version better as she fights back when she needs to but still comes off as mature and compassionate.
Thanks!
Now that I remember there’s a web series on A Little Princess set in modern day.
Here’s a link
m.ua-cam.com/play/PLitsvD0o4VT5KaVAeIcxaUuqDJMy4JutM.html
Made it to the end😊
Correct me if I'm wrong but didn't this come out as a Novel prior to the movies release I remember the book didn't give Becky much either
I agree.
That's because I wasn't writing the stuff. Becky would have been done something.
I remember the movie and book but I never saw the movie though. Or maybe I always fell asleep every time my friends pulled it out. 😅🤦♀️
_could you just pluck up a child back then and give them to your child as a toy?_
Unfortunately, yes you could (if said child was a street urchin/servant with no family like Becky. And even if she had family, I'm afraid them asking the police for help when you're of the servant class and getting any would pretty much be a roll of the dice)
And btw, in the book, the mild reaction and perfect adjustment after losing everything was considered a huge virtue for her. It made all the sense to 9 year old me bc Cinderella ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Nice video by the way could you do it Theory on paranormal activity and a paranormal activity 7 plot discussion
Ooooh, I'm not sure if I have those movies or not, but I know they scared the bajezus out of me! I'll have to check my shelf, but that's definitely one I'd like to work on eventually.
@@TheFangirlWatches Re-watch all six movies and do a theory on the film series and do a paranormal activity 7 plot discussion since they announced it back in 2019 and it won’t be released till next year
As usual the film is very diffrent from the book . The book was set in india and England at the time when the British ruled india and had an empire . Sadly this meant that indian people were looked down on and worked as servants . What is rightly now judged ss horrifically racist wasn't seen as racist when Francis Hodgson Burnett wrote the book . She was born in Manchester England in 1849 . Like it or not things were diffrent then .
My take on the movie was just because your different you shouldn't treat people badly....
Color of skin how rich or poor fat or skinny you should treat them how you would want to be treated
I just watch this movie for the first time, but I do agree with you a lot it just felt cheap to me. but that was what the 90s was like.
I love A Little Princess! The book is also wonderful. It was one of my 1st exposures of Indian culture & a Black person who was a mostly main character & just a regular girl like Sarah.
I never thought about it until I watched this video. But what if miss michen was her mother? Think about it if she had a baby with a black man out of wedlock that would be a big deal since interracial couples were ground upon in those days. If would make sense that a wealthy white lady like michen would want to cover up the birth. Rasing Becky as a servant is perfect for that because she could just say that something similar to Sarah happened to the girl. No one would question it since orphans expcially little black orphans were probably common in those days too. Then once Becky was old enough miss michon would have free help for as long as she kept Becky. That’s why there was no legal repercussions and she didn’t have to pay her it’s her daughter. If this theory is true than handing her off the police can be seen as her giving up her parental rights leaving the door open for Sarah’s father to adopt her.
I think you’re missing a bit of the point of the original novel. Victorian literature for girls at the time was not the socially conscious type we would expect of today. Becky was not Black in the novel which was set in England, but of cockney decent which was in a way not dissimilar class wise, but this movie tried to draw a parallel to in a very awkward way by setting it in America. Product of its time.
This version is swallow, for not only the reasons you mentioned, but it also only implies Miss Minchin is starving Sara until A Little Princess (7/10) Movie CLIP - All Girls Are Princesses (1995) HD ua-cam.com/video/fWPRhRM1V7I/v-deo.htmlsi=Hw_tAjv2J6ZjFs9S near the end of the movie! There's the scene with a pie, which is zoomed in on I guess Sara is staring at it? There's the scene in the bakery, with no dialogue, unlike in the book. I agree with your analysis.
I clicked cause I enjoy knowing pop culture history. Vids like this contain a lot of it in an entertaining way
Well, I am so glad you feel that way, even if you didn’t know about the movie before. I try to make it easy to follow if it’s new or not in the current zeitgeist!
@@TheFangirlWatches you do well hon 🥰🤘 entertaining af. You put a lot of work into yer theories and vids. It shows. Continue thusly!
Yes. A lot of 90's black family sitcoms did kinda show a more better off family in a fun light but they did have episodes or conversations about experiences that did egsist. They may not have had it ingrained into every episodes and at times laugh tracks did play over a serious situation. But they did have episodes that expressed struggles. Including variations of rejection inside their communities. Their are also some dark jokes lightly said. That people wouldn't know, unless they genuinely knew the context.
This is also a last momment add on. I know where you are coming from a current time perspective. But in that point of time, it was a very important type of family representation that wasn't out their.
I didn’t see the movie but I had the book ( not sure who bought it) and I loved it
Lucky you! I hope to read the book someday!
I made it to the end!😄
Thank you thank you!
🙄 And here I thought Sarah's father adopting Becky was a good thing,silly me for thinking that
And it would have taken 1 line in the movie to say that, and that the girls were going to live as equals, but that's not what the final scene implies.
I just watched this movie again and loved it as a kid. Watching it again, while enjoyable, I def. see all the issues now with race, class, exoticism, etc. Wanted to see reviews about it and glad i came across this video.
Never saw this version just the one with Shirley temple it sounds like the older one has more emotion in the characters though
Omg I've been looking for the title of the this movie! I remember watching it in elementary during the last of school movie day. All I remembered from it was when Sarah was on the roof part because we never got to finish the movie.
WHAT?! You never got to finish and they stopped it at that huge cliffhanger?! That's criminal! Shouldn't a teach know how to calculate the time of a movie versus the time left in the school day? 😂
The Fangirl I know right!! But now that I've got the name now I can hopefully find and watch the movie.
I never watched the movie but I really reading the book at least once and I remember Becky was black in the book too but that is all I remember
Oh that’s interesting, I wonder if there are different versions of the book then. I believe a few people have mentioned in the comments that Becky was white, and just poor, in the book.
Wait, I thought the movie was about Sarah?
Also, trying to find happiness and fun in terrible conditions is normal.
Also, I'm pretty sure black comedy shows in the 90s were more focused on comedy rather than stoking racial division.
I remember being oddly uncomfortable of how the movie made another culture magical. It just always felt so I don't know...wrong. I guess I didn't think about Becky's backstory too hard since my mind filled in the blanks with an idea of what it was like for POC back then. So to me, Becky was abandoned, orphaned, or sold into that life. I also guessed at the end that the father used his money to force through an adoption quickly and took her too at his daughter's discussion of the mistreatment. In a lot of ways, I think the harshness of Secret Garden (which was not perfect as well) better portrayed the experience Sarah would have likely had in India. She very likely would not have been quite so kind to Becky or any other POC. But hey, maybe she just had the best family ever that was kind and wonderful to everyone even though they were of a higher class.
My wife loves Noom. She lost about 80 pounds and has kept it off for a while now. You really have to stick to it, but if you're the right kind of person, it's great. I'm pretty sure it would not help me, based on what I know of how it works. I don't respond well to nagging, it just makes me shut down. But if that works for you, its a great system.
I think Becky is a product of their time type of character oTL
Dammit, there goes the neighborhood. Now, imagine if Vanessa Lee Chester, the actress who played Becky, saw this video.
Wait, what?! Did I miss something?!
@@TheFangirlWatches No, it's just a sad realization that came up from watching this.
I dunno... Not that I don't think the point about race is valid here, but... I feel like you could argue that Sarah had a completely different attitude to servitude precisely because she'd well-off and loved. Not only that, she grew up in India and... Apparently her dad was real fucking liberal, because she didn't seem to think differently of Indian people, either. In any case... I loved this movie as a kid, but it took on a different meaning for me after my own dad died and I became a YA orphan. Despite being poor and having some really shitty things happen to me even after that... I'm a happy person? Like, I would say happier than a lot of the people around me. A lot of it does have to do with my imagination, and also... My dad thought I was just the best, so I grew up with a strong sense of self-esteem. That part of the movie, the part about strength in the face of adversity, rings very true to me.
I'm uncomfortable with the film's treatment of India, though... I think they tried? At least, I thought it was interesting that it was her experience in India that made Sarah different; on that level, there is a positive portrayal of like Indian mythology. But it is heavily romanticized, and... They kinda skim over trauma of colonialism, don't they? Like, the Indian characters seem happy to serve the White people who colonized them. Although I will say that Ram Dass feels a little more ambiguous than Maya; he at least gives me the impression that he thinks the White people around him need to get their shit together, lol.
In any event. Seeing the movie at 7 convinced me that India was some kind of fantasy land; I wanted to be Indian for years after that!
I have a theory about the detective Pikachu movie about about how tims mother could have passed away it's possible she could have been poisoned by a poison type Pokemon or drowned by a water type
So I only saw this version of the film once, but I watched the 1939 Shirley Temple version all the time. My mom loved old movies so I was allowed to stay up late if I watched a movie that was more than 50 years old.
how do you know to do all my beloved moves its like your in my head or something
lol, I'm secretly a psychic! 😂
I came in ready to disagree since I loved this movie as a kid but damn...all you had were valid points.
New subscriber here
Hey! Howdy! Hey!
Congrats on your progress :) But OMG!! I loved this movie! I used a cover of "kindle my heart" in my wedding!!! I think all little girls need to watch this movie (the princess speech scene is beautiful!!!) followed by a dialogue with their parents about social implications. But can we also talk about the film's exoticism of the Indian man-servant (and "servitude is wonderful" parallel). As a kid his character confused me. Like is he a mystic or not? Like the movie works really hard for you to see him as a stereotype of the other worldly wiseman of the east. Even as child I felt uneasy about it.
Might check out the novel. Btw, papa really is dead.
I liked the Shirley Temple version too and I like it a little more.
I clicked because I've seen the old Shirley Temple version. When this came out, I was in college (yep. I'm an old nerd). I remember regarding it as a remake for remake sake. Therefore I skipped it. This sounds SO different from the older version, and both are based on the book (haven't read it, sorry). I can't help but wonder what was changed from what to what. There is also a Veggie Tales version (this was after creators of VT lost most of the control over what used to be their own IP. So not as high quality as older VT.) I'm not sure if the VT version was borrowing more from the book or the Shirley Temple version, but both of those were set in England, not New York. And in the two versions I saw Becky was Cockney, not black.
If I wasn't working 68 hours a week, I'd be tempted to read the book,. and watch/rewatch the various versions of the story to compare and contrast. I know it's often mind boggling what changes movie studios make to existing stories. It almost never improves anything.
I haven't read the book either, but some commenters have left a summary. I guess Sarah's dad really does pass away in the book, but his friend adopts her and she becomes an heiress. I did suspect that Becky was no black in the other two versions of the movie I've seen floating around, but I hadn't seen either to know for certain. So, I'm assuming that they wanted to up the diversity for the 1995 movie, but they really didn't know how to process what kind of changes they might need to handle Becky with two targets on her back (being a person of color and poor). Although, there are some scenes, like the end when they girls are leaving the school, but no one is hugging or saying goodbye to Becky, only Sarah - and you would THINK that someone on set watching that unfold would speak up and point out how off putting that all feels on camera. 💁
@@TheFangirlWatches
I can actually understand no one speaking up on set. One story Butch Hartman has often told, is how when he worked on the G1 My Little Pony, he commented how it didn't make sense to have a Pegasus pony about to fall off a cliff. "Couldn't she just fly?" For questioning the writers, he was fired on the spot. So I can definitely see anyone there just washing their hands of the situation. Keep quiet, get your paycheck, work another day.
Minchin was heartless and Soulless
the real institutional rac'ism lies within the actress who plays Sara Crewe. She's a pritzker lmao
Have yall seen the one with Shirley temple in it?
I haven't but I'm trying to see if my Mother-in-Law has a copy I can borrow.
achuly pokemon choses the trainer basied on whether or not they think your a good enuf mentor
U a big kid inside
You should watch the original movie with Shirley Temple. Becky was White. Black servants in Victorian England would've been quite rare. There were enough poor Whites to fill those roles.
as a kid i didn't see the problem and haven't seen the movie since but now that you bring this all up it all clicks and is just odd.
They don't do their history research for the movie and the characters
I fell in love with a Shirley Temple version. I was a little bit disappointing in this one to be honest
I would love to see the other two versions of this movie and compare, but I always loved the 1995 film myself.
@@TheFangirlWatches you should also read the book at some point it’s quite different from both movies. I will warn you it’s quite a bit sadder
Well Someone Didnt read the book... Clearly
Book doesn’t matter. Book is worthless when analyzing a movie because they’re alternate universes at best.
@@TheFangirlWatches no it isnt . And your Review is a lot If whattaboutism missing the Key elements of the story. There are Also a lot Éléments taken from the original Shirley Temple Adaptation
This is me while reading the Wizard of Oz. Ive recently read it and found myself saying why the fuck.
I hated this movie is a kid, what it has to say about growing up poor is awful. My midclass cousine loved it.... She really identified with Sarah the "little princess".
I think you're being too harsh on the characters.
For example, Sarah is the sort of hero we are suppose to want to emulate & try to be (aka, better & nice to everyone despite our circumstances.) But also to show no matter how bad things get, you can find wonderful things or imagine them. She does have a break down about her new situation & grieves her father.
Also, I necer found Sarah boring, even as an adult. She helped me develop my own determined optimistic outlook, & my imagination & love for stories.
The whole movie has the feeling of a fairy tale, that was my read of it anyway, you are overthinking this movie too much.
Besides race does come into play, you see she is invisible to other children because of her skin color, it is even adressed in the movie, I never thought the situation was underplayed regarding her becoming a servant, the moment another white girl falls into that situation Becky is seen by others, that's the point.
Also the mistress is obviously just a mean person to children, it is reinforced by the chimenee cleaning scene, yes greed is her main motive but she thrives on having power over others, that's why she pretends to not recognize the dad.