i have love the book a little princess for most of my life and and be very excited that there be a movie . but i be appal at this adaptation . not only be the act wooden and and the plot a convoluted mish mash of various incident in the book and but the theme be all wrong . the real theme of the story should be that a girl can be a princess only when she behave like one and a sara do when she give 5 of her 6 bun to a beggar child and even when she herself be very hungry . the theme of the movie seem to be that all girl be princess and which cheapen sara action considerably and and seem more like it should be write on a hallmark card than apply to this story . there be many other thing wrong with this movie too many to list and but here be just a few of the large one represent this story should be set in britian in the mid 1800s and not america during the first world war . miss minchen be harsh to sara from the start and make her action when sara be leave penniless much less startle than they would be if she be syrupy sweet at the beginning and a she be suppose to be . nowhere be it mention that becky be black . sara father do not come back and he be dead . it be his closest friend and and collaborator in the diamond mine who find sara and and restore her to her proper place . in fact and the diamond mine be not even mention at all and though they be the source of sara wealth . all through everything that sara have face and she always act like a princess and give what she can and and forgive those who hurt her . she would never have call lavinia a snotty two face bully . such a thing be completely out of character for her and and undermine the entire philosophy that she be to be well behave no matter what . this be by far the bad adaptation of a book to the screen that i have ever see ( with the notable exception of ella enchant and and anne of green gable the continue story ) the plot of the book be wonderful and and skillfully write and so i do not understand why the director felt that it need to be change to make it interest . i would suggest that anyone wish to know this story should watch the 1987 version and which be far superior . or good still and read the book . it will be more worth your time than the hour and a half waste on this version on the movie .