Dark, intense Green Gables retelling not for all Anne fans.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 12+?
Any Positive Content?
Sex, Romance & Nudity
a little
There's a discussion about the facts of life using a mouse in a man's pocket as a metaphor that may be confusing for younger viewers. An episode is dedicated to Anne getting her first period.
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Conflict and some physical exchanges shown mostly in the context of flashbacks as Anne is haunted by her past. Adults verbally abuse her, calling her names and suggesting she's worthless. In some cases they also hit her, and it's implied that she suffers hunger in their care. In one brief scene, a man attempts to abduct her and then turns his attention on two young boys.
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As heroines go, Anne is one of the best. She's self-confident, resilient, and idealistic to a fault, which she sometimes takes too far in her expectations of others (re: her relationship with Gilbert). Despite being prone to mistakes, she strives to do the right thing and to learn from the errors she makes. Marilla and Matthew are nontraditional parents but do their very best by Anne.
Positive Messages
a lot
Anne challenges stereotypes of her time, both as a strong-minded young woman and someone who defies people who judge her by her past. She refuses to be defined by negative circumstances and so is an excellent example of perseverance and the power of positive thinking, which has surprising effects on others around her. This series doesn't shy away from the darker aspects of Anne's story and of the nature of the time, particularly in how adults relate to children. It's also a wonderful reminder of the true meaning of family.
Parents Need to Know
Parents need to know that Anne with an E is a reimagining of the classic coming-of-age story Anne of Green Gablesabout an imaginative orphan who's adopted by elderly siblings. This show's focus is less the lighthearted missteps L. M. Montgomery's impulsive young Anne and more how her circumstances continue to cause her grief among those she meets in her new hometown. Concerns common to the timing of this 19th-century story -- hunger, verbal abuse, financial strain, and even the farming culture -- may seem foreign to some kids who watch, but the issues that affect Anne most directly are relevant today. She's bullied, ignored, and underestimated because of people's first impressions of her orphan status, and she faces prejudice at every turn. This and other emotional matters are central to this unique interpretation of the Green Gables story, so it's not necessarily a great fit for young kids who have seen other productions about Anne. That said, she remains an exceptional role model for her ability to overcome adversity and remain true to her identity, and in this story she also emerges as a champion for the then-foreign cause of gender equality.
SPOILERS
Nope.
I have been a lover of Anne for over two decades and wrote/studied L.M. Montgomery extensively while pursuing my degrees. This is a gritty interpretation with the intent to appeal to an older audience and be "relevant" or create issues in the claim of causing discussion but really it feels like it's just to get publicity.
Dark twists and plot devices that are not only anachronistic but also completely unacceptable for smaller children have been added to give this more of an adult feel. I believe this is because the Anne book series is now recommended to 9-14 year olds- while when I was a child it was considered reading for 7-12 year olds- my 7 year old now reads it easily. This is possibly a symptom of dwindling reading ability- however that still does not explain why the creators of this show decided to make Anne more PTSD/psychotic with their strange adaptation.
Moments from the book (Anne yelling at Mrs. Lynde that she has never been more hurt) make absolutely no sense when juxtaposed against a new/edgier history in this series where Anne is beaten by a man who dies of a heart attack- or where girls almost force her to eat a dead mouse (which she then cuddles and pets...a horrific reimagining).
In the first 3.5 episodes alone Anne is returned to the orphanage, almost kidnapped by a man with clearly sinister motives (who we then see kidnap another child), lives outside, begs in train station, is bullied horrifically by her classmates and older women from her community, enters a burning building, loses her mind and starts screaming at Marilla multiple times, lies about going to school, is beaten by her foster family, witnesses her foster father's death, begs her foster mother to not leave her, is bullied by the children in the orphanage who attempt to force feed her a dead mouse, snuggles with said dead mouse while sobbing, and discusses sex in a confusing way (amongst other strange moments)- none of this happens in the book.
The real, imaginative and positive Anne is lost in this interpretations dark, horrifying, deeply negative and violent Anne who is constantly abused.
It all made me go- why? Why was this added, but the charm of the original removed? I can only assume it is as I stated above- to try to appeal to young adults/older teens which is ridiculous as that is not the target audience.
I would encourage parents to screen beforehand.
I grew up loving Anne. Read the books constantly and loved the 80s adaptation. But this show gets more and more political in a way that is just historically inaccurate not to mention storylines and characters completely changed or added. The political agenda is so obviously forced it just ruins the real story.
What's the Story?
ANNE WITH AN E opens with a fortuitous mistake that brings imaginative orphan Anne Shirley (AmyBeth McNulty) to Prince Edward Island and the care of middle-age siblings Matthew (R. H. Thomson) and Marilla Cuthbert (Geraldine James), who had intended to adopt a boy to help on the farm. Despite their inauspicious start and impulsive Anne's unfortunate penchant for trouble, this unlikely trio becomes a family, and Anne makes an indelible mark on the people in her new hometown. A spinner of tales and admirer of all things beautiful, Anne is nonetheless haunted by her tragic past and people who misjudged and mistreated her until her arrival at Green Gables, where she finds a longed-for kindred spirit in Diana Barry (Dalila Bela) and an unsuspecting adversary in the handsome Gilbert Blythe (Lucas Jade Zumann).
Much beloved among literature heroines, Anne once again shines in this exceptional -- but notably darker than most -- interpretation of L. M. Montgomery's celebrated stories. Whether you arrive at this series already in love with impetuous Anne from previous encounters or you're new to her tale altogether matters very little in how quickly you're absorbed into this story. She's immediately engaging, and as she brings her life's misfortunes to the steps of Green Gables, you can't help but cheer her unwillingness to fall victim to despair from years of torment explored in flashbacks that weigh on her mind in the early parts of the story. Each small victory (making her first real friend, attending school, and even being taken at her word) feels so much bigger for what Anne has overcome just to arrive at a place we often take for granted today.
But Anne with an E isn't content to show Anne getting the best of her past alone; instead the story emphasizes how the very nature of her history challenges her even in the supposed warmth of a small town. Rather than getting a fresh start at Green Gables, Anne faces bullying and prejudice at every turn in school and among those who haven't suffered the injustice of being orphaned. She's taunted, dismissed, and misjudged, but still she perseveres, never stooping to the lows of which she's accused. This unique twist on this timeless story certainly redirects the lighthearted, foible-filled Anne tale of productions past, but it's no less spectacular as a result.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about what accounts for Anne's indomitable spirit. Are people born with their personalities intact, or does a person's nature evolve through life experience? How does Anne's past teach her to treat others? Would you have a similar sense of perseverance if your past resembled Anne's? What are other character strengths that help Anne thrive?
Kids: Did anything about this story's setting in the 19th century surprise you? Were there any aspects to life then (no screens, no phones, a "simpler" time) that appeal to you? How do our modern conveniences enhance our lives? Are there ways in which they complicate them?
Which other book characters do you enjoy seeing on the screen? Are you ever disappointed in how writers and producers interpret literary characters and their stories? Which ones, in your opinion, deserve a jump to TV or movies?
Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by
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Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.
By Emily Ashby
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
