THE RAILWAY CHILDREN is the most famous film to have been based on a book by the great Victorian author Edith Nesbit, a woman who was equally happy writing ghost stories and stories for children. This 1905-set story see a trio of children with an unhappy background going to live in a run-down house in Yorkshire. They befriend a local station master and most of their adventures are centred around a local railway line and station. The attention to detail is spot on and there's instant nostalgia from the depiction of a long-forgotten world.
Lionel Jeffries was an expert at his craft and this was obviously a labour of love for him, given that he served as both writer and director. And THE RAILWAY CHILDREN is a classic for a reason: it's a pure feel-good film that manages to create a cheerful, joyous atmosphere without ever coming across as twee or schmaltzy. Jenny Agutter and the other children are the focus of the story, but it's Bernard Cribbins as the lovable Perks who really steals all of the scenes in which he appears.
What I particularly liked about this story is that it isn't sugar coated. Injustice, illness, and injury all play a big part here, and it's noticeable how all the best children's films deal with adult themes alongside the kiddie stuff. One scene, involving an injured boy on the line, is more than reminiscent of a public safety film from the 1970s. Overall THE RAILWAY CHILDREN is pure feel-good entertainment and a film it would be tough for anybody to dislike.
Lionel Jeffries was an expert at his craft and this was obviously a labour of love for him, given that he served as both writer and director. And THE RAILWAY CHILDREN is a classic for a reason: it's a pure feel-good film that manages to create a cheerful, joyous atmosphere without ever coming across as twee or schmaltzy. Jenny Agutter and the other children are the focus of the story, but it's Bernard Cribbins as the lovable Perks who really steals all of the scenes in which he appears.
What I particularly liked about this story is that it isn't sugar coated. Injustice, illness, and injury all play a big part here, and it's noticeable how all the best children's films deal with adult themes alongside the kiddie stuff. One scene, involving an injured boy on the line, is more than reminiscent of a public safety film from the 1970s. Overall THE RAILWAY CHILDREN is pure feel-good entertainment and a film it would be tough for anybody to dislike.