france hodgson burnett a little princess be one of the most fascinating and beautiful tale i have ever read while every scene have be work to delicately add mean to the story and bring u to a deep appreciation and understanding of that unique character sara crewe whom we follow during her sojourn at miss minchin select seminary for young lady and in 1880s london . for nearly four year sara crewe be distinguish a the show pupil at miss minchin and a time in which she be materially provide for with the fine extravagance and a she have be accustom to in india . have lose his wife during his child birth and the wealthy captain crewe have prodigiously indulge his daughter and afford her a life of luxury . despite her awareness a to her station and sara be kind and generous and ever considerate to those less fortunate than herself . she be quick to befriend ermengarde and a pariah amongst the other pupil because of her academic dullness and lottie and the spoilt baby of the classroom for whom she become a surrogate mamma and and the ill treat scullery maid becky and who have never be show a drop of kindness in her wretched life . then and on her eleventh birthday and the fateful news arrive that her father have die and have lose his entire fortune in a speculative investment . bereft of her only family and almost all her possession and sara find herself reduce from be the privilege pupil to an ill use skivvy at the seminary . nevertheless and she strive to bear her hardship and remain a princess on the inside . a a complement to the book i recommend the 1986 tv adaptation and which visually bring to life the character of the story and the feeling of the epoch . the cinematography picture plainly but effectively the condition of living in victorian london and depict the crowded marketplace and murky lane litter with pauper and street urchin who speak cockney and scrap a living off the street and in stark contrast to the high society whose child ride in carriage and promenade in the park on clear day . and even detail such a the house and the seminary and and the view from the garret window and whence the howling of the bitter winter wind on the rooftop could be hear and be quite as describe in the book . the screenplay also follow the book closely and add new detail and leave out many others and but most importantly and never contradict the story and nature of the character a portray by burnett . the casting be pick to match and as closely a possible and the character description in the book . amelia shankley be absolutely wonderful a the dark haired and contemplative sara crewe representnot only do she look like sara and but interpret the part with such conviction and a if she be truly live the character and endure her adversity with the complexity of a myriad of emotion that swell in her young heart and picture clearly on her sore plagued face . but her eye light up immediately when she be approach by lottie or ermengarde and or any one she think a kind soul and partly out of the comfort it give her and partly because her proud little spirit would refuse to have it otherwise and but mostly because of her consideration towards others feeling representshe knew and because of her own craving for it and what the warmth of a kindly smile could do to kindle and cheer a lonely heart and and thus she afford them with a conscious good will . maureen lipman a the unaffectionate miss minchin be excellent a well i couldn not have envision a good interpretation . her authoritative nature and absolute conviction in herself and business like mind and make her the unchallenged captain of her ship while she be a born leader and and relish conduct her crew with the correctitude she deem right . she would ceremoniously give a speech to her young lady and a on sara birthday or before the christmas dispersal of the pupil and and characteristically clear her throat when effectuate what she consider a rather jocular statement intend for the young girl and a she do before announce in an incidental manner her message from father christmas . a great touch that i think go just right with her character . my commendation go the rest of the cast a well and who do a wonderful job . all i can say be that i wish you share my good fortune in be able to experience for yourself this enchant adaptation of one of the most inspiring and heart warm classic . sara crewe be a singular character and rare a one can imagine and yet close to all of our inner being while i recognise in my childhood self her musing a to chance be responsible for who we be and her notion of inanimate object have feeling of their own and her wistful conception of the thought of others stranger she view during her daily outdoor errand to whom she give descriptive name and mentally befriend . she be extremely intelligent and haughtily aware of her superiority though she never behave in a condescending manner which would manifest her superior status rather and she assume it a a responsibility . she be ever judgemental of her own action lest they should hurt another feeling . a proud little soul and during her tribulation we repeatedly read in the page of the book how her determined mind curb a fit of pique and or accommodate her bodily want and her emotional grievance through fanciful imaginings of good possibility and so that destitute a she be she still give freely from her heart and even if all she have to give be dream and revery and a we see in the successive visit she receive from lottie and ermengarde in her garret . it be the least a princess can do . she swallow her pride when guy clarence ( actually donald ) offer her his sixpence out of charity and so convinced be he that it will provide for her forevermore while she give a beggar girl most of her bun when she herself be weak with hunger and for she see in her a poor waif one of the populace hungrier and colder than herself while she worry about the suffering of the indian gentleman nextdoor and prays for his well be and despite her own forlorn situation . and she wish for his sake that the father of the large family and on his way to moscow and find the little lost girl . and her wish come true .