Anne of Green Gables - The Complete Story, 1985

The 1985 adaptation of Anne of Green Gables was made for television and aired as a two part mini-series, documenting the life of Anne Shirley as she’s adopted by the Cuthbert siblings who were expecting a boy. Based on the 1908 novel by Lucy Maud Montgomery, it was a massive success in its home country and globally.
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I’d never seen this before or read the book when I picked it up in a Vinted bundle, but I love a period drama and I was familiar with the narrative through the more modern Netflix series. It’s my first double cassette VHS and I was so excited to watch it with my Nan who had seen it previously.
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It’s instantly clear why it was such a big hit upon release - Megan Follows completely embodies Anne in a way that is so endearing. Most people’s first impressions of the character are distasteful, but she has a way of winning their favour and Megan captures this charm so easily. The casting for the Cuthberts is absolutely perfect too; Colleen Dewhurst portrays the sternness of Marilla perfectly while making her so lovable, and Richard Farnsworth delivers a Matthew that feels like the softest, warmest hug.
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I can’t say how much it differs from the original text, but there were some variations compared to the latest adaptation. One of my favourite scenes was when Anne picks the wrong bottle of drink and unknowingly gets her school friend Diana drunk. Schuyler Grant’s acting makes this moment so hilarious and memorable. Anne’s ongoing rivalry with Gilbert Blythe is really fun too, and I loved it when she gave Rachel Lynde a taste of her own medicine.
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The series is a really cool study of history and how things have changed, like the use of ipecac in small doses as an expectorant, the price of produce and the social restraints placed on women, which is why Anne Shirley is an epic character because she often defies what a woman is expected to be in this time period. On the other hand, it’s also important to consider the gravity of a tale that is set on stolen land, especially because in many ways it acts to normalise this fact as if the landscape had never been any different.