.....this wonderful film. And I say that as a middle-aged man! Saw it as a child and parts as a young adult but having heard Bernard Cribbins on the radio, who is the main character in this film for me, looked up which films he had been in and thought, why not, haven't seen that in years! It indeed is not only suitable for families but to those of us with a playful imagination and some good character acting. The General Info tag pretty much has the basic plot so will not repeat it. So go ahead, book it out and light the log fire to watch this great film. Enjoy!!
Maybe the best film for children ever made in this country. Sure it's old fashioned and cosy and its assumptions about class are dated, but it hits a special sweet spot for British audiences of family films. This is the setting of the story in the early Edwardian period against the background of steam railways...
Add in the splendid locations in rural Yorkshire and this gentle drama attains a state of bliss. Like most films for children, it's a story about the family under threat. The kindly father is- wrongly- sent to prison for treason. So for financial reasons, the mother and three children relocate to the north where the youngsters must adapt and learn life lessons...
Sadly, these don't include not patronising the lowly station master (Bernard Cribbins). Jenny Agutter's performance as the eldest child on the threshold of womanhood is legendary. Twenty year old Sally Thomsett is remarkably convincing as the 11 year old middle child. And Dinah Sheridan is warm and comforting as the best possible mother.
The story is prefaced by an older Jenny Agutter looking back. And the film has the feel of an idealised memory.There is little realism here. It's an adventure, a daydream of a far away age when girls ran through the green fields in pinafores and old gentlemen were kindly and wise. When there were buns for tea. A long, long way from now.