Heidi (2005 live-action film)

Last updated

Heidi
Heidi (2005 live-action).png
DVD cover
Directed by Paul Marcus
Written by Brian Finch [1]
Based on Heidi by Johanna Spyri
Produced by Christopher Figg
Martyn Auty
Starring Emma Bolger
Max von Sydow
Geraldine Chaplin
Diana Rigg
CinematographyPeter Sinclair
Edited byDavid Rees
Music by Jocelyn Pook
Production
companies
Piccadilly Pictures
Surefire Films
Storm Entertainment
Suitable Viewing
Lux Vide
Distributed byStorm Entertainment
Warner Bros. Pictures
Release date
  • 19 August 2005 (2005-08-19)
Running time
104 minutes
CountryUnited Kingdom
LanguageEnglish

Heidi is a 2005 British family film directed by Paul Marcus. It is based on the iconic 1881 novel Heidi by Johanna Spyri, and stars Irish child actress Emma Bolger in the title role, alongside Max Von Sydow and Diana Rigg.

Contents

Plot

Heidi, a cheerful girl, is taken to live with her grandfather in the Swiss Alps. She becomes close friends with Peter, a goatherd, and spends much of her time with the boy and his goats outdoors.

Heidi is sent to the wealthy Sesemann family in Frankfurt, to be the hired companion of Clara Sesemann, an invalid. The strict housekeeper, Fräulein Rottenmeier, views the household disruptions Heidi causes as her misbehavior and places Heidi under increasing restrictions. Heidi grows homesick and pale. Her one diversion is learning to read and write, motivated by the thought of going home and reading to Peter's blind grandmother. Clara's grandmother visits and becomes a friend to Heidi.

After Heidi becomes seriously ill, the adults allow her to return to her grandfather. Heidi and Clara stay in touch and exchange letters. Clara's doctor, believing the fresh mountain air and wholesome companionship will do her good, recommends that Clara visit Heidi. Clara visits again the following season and spends a wonderful summer with Heidi, growing stronger on goat milk and fresh air. Peter, jealous of Heidi and Clara's friendship, pushes Clara's empty wheelchair down the mountain. The wheelchair is destroyed. While retrieving the wheelchair for Clara, Heidi nearly falls into a ravine. Clara rushes to save her and finds herself able to walk. Her grandmother and father are overcome with joy, and the doctor promises to take care of Heidi when her grandfather's no longer able to do so.

Cast

Production

The soundtrack is composed by Jocelyn Pook. The mountain scenes were shot mostly in Julian Alps in Slovenia, scenes of Frankfurt in Ljubljana and village scenes in Neath, and Llanelli, Wales. The Sesemann house in Frankfurt was shot at Stradey Castle in Llanelli. [2]

Related Research Articles

<i>Heidi</i> Swiss novel by Johanna Spyri

Heidi is a work of children's fiction published between 1880 and 1881 by Swiss author Johanna Spyri, originally published in two parts as Heidi: Her Years of Wandering and Learning and Heidi: How She Used What She Learned. It is a novel about the events in the life of a 5-year-old girl in her paternal grandfather's care in the Swiss Alps. It was written as a book "for children and those who love children".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Johanna Spyri</span> Swiss novelist (1827–1901)

Johanna Louise Spyri was a Swiss author of novels, notably children's stories. She wrote the popular book Heidi. Born in Hirzel, a rural area in the canton of Zürich, as a child she spent several summers near Chur in Graubünden, the setting she later would use in her novels.

<i>Heidi, Girl of the Alps</i> 1974 Japanese animated TV series

Heidi, Girl of the Alps is an anime television series produced by Zuiyo Eizo and is based on the novel Heidi's Years of Wandering and Learning by Johanna Spyri (1880). It was directed by Isao Takahata and features contributions by numerous other anime filmmakers, including Yoichi Kotabe, Toyoo Ashida, Yoshiyuki Tomino, and Hayao Miyazaki.

<i>Heidis Song</i> 1982 film by Robert Taylor

Heidi's Song is a 1982 American animated musical film produced by Hanna-Barbera Productions and based on the 1881 novel Heidi by Johanna Spyri. The film was directed by Robert Taylor from a screenplay by Taylor, Joseph Barbera and Jameson Brewer, and stars Margery Gray as the title character, alongside the voices of Lorne Greene, Sammy Davis Jr. and Burr DeBenning It is one of only four films Hanna-Barbera ever made that did not feature their trademark characters.

<i>Heidi</i> (1937 film) 1937 film by Allan Dwan

Heidi is a 1937 American musical drama film directed by Allan Dwan and written by Julien Josephson and Walter Ferris, loosely based on Johanna Spyri's 1880 children's book of the same name. The film stars Shirley Temple as the titular orphan, who is taken from her grandfather to live as a companion to Klara, a spoiled, disabled girl. It was a success and Temple enjoyed her third consecutive year as number one box office draw.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Brian Finch</span>

Brian Finch was a British television scriptwriter and dramatist. His longest relationship was with the ITV1 soap opera, Coronation Street, for which he wrote 150 scripts between 1970 and 1989. He also helped the development of All Creatures Great and Small, The Tomorrow People, and Heartbeat. He contributed several episodes to the British detective programmes The Gentle Touch, Hetty Wainthropp Investigates, Bergerac and The Bill. It was for his work as a writer on Goodnight Mr Tom, a bittersweet drama starring John Thaw, for which he received a BAFTA.

<i>Heidi</i> (1968 film) 1968 American TV film by Delbert Mann

Heidi is a 1968 American made-for-TV film version of the 1880 novel of the same name by Johanna Spyri which debuted on November 17, 1968 on NBC. It starred actress Jennifer Edwards, stepdaughter of Julie Andrews and daughter of Blake Edwards, in the title role, alongside Maximilian Schell, Jean Simmons, and Michael Redgrave. The score was composed by John Williams. The film was sponsored by Timex.

<i>Courage Mountain</i> 1990 film

Courage Mountain is a 1990 adventure drama film and serves as a sequel to Johanna Spyri's 1881 novel Heidi. It was directed by Christopher Leitch and stars Charlie Sheen, Leslie Caron, Juliette Caton and Jan Rubeš. The film is set during the outbreak of World War I with Heidi as a teenager, despite the fact that the original novel was first published in 1881.

Heidi Grows Up also known as Heidi Grows Up: A Sequel to Heidi, is a 1936 novel and sequel to Johanna Spyri's 1881 novel Heidi, written by Spyri's French and English translator, Charles Tritten, after a three-decade-long period of pondering what to write, since Spyri's death gave no sequel of her own. It was originally published by Flammarion in Paris (1936), and in New York by Grosset & Dunlap (1938), illustrated by Jean Coquillot.

Heidi 4 Paws is a feature-length children's film that retells the classic story of Heidi using dogs in all the acting roles. Heidi 4 Paws was syndicated to public television stations in the United States through American Public Television and WTTW Chicago in November/December 2008.

<i>Heidi and Peter</i> 1955 Swiss film

Heidi and Peter is a 1955 Swiss family drama film directed by Franz Schnyder and starring Heinrich Gretler, Elsbeth Sigmund and Thomas Klameth. It was a sequel to the 1952 film Heidi, which was itself an adaptation of the 1880 novel Heidi by Johanna Spyri. It was the first Swiss film made in colour and was one of the biggest grossing films in Switzerland for the year.

<i>Heidi</i> (1952 film) 1952 Swiss film

Heidi is a 1952 Swiss family drama film directed by Luigi Comencini and starring Elsbeth Sigmund, Heinrich Gretler and Thomas Klameth. It is based on the 1880 novel Heidi by Johanna Spyri. It was followed by a 1955 sequel Heidi and Peter.

<i>Heidi</i> (miniseries) American TV series or program

Heidi is a 1993 American two-part, three-hour television miniseries based on the classic Swiss 1881 novel of the same name by Johanna Spyri, which has sold over 50 million copies and has been adapted for film and television nearly 20 times. Heidi originally aired on the Disney Channel on July 18 and 19, 1993, and stars Noley Thornton in the title role.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Princess Charlotte of Wales (born 2015)</span> Member of the British royal family

Princess Charlotte of Wales is a member of the British royal family. She is the second child and only daughter of William, Prince of Wales, and Catherine, Princess of Wales. A granddaughter of Charles III, she is third in the line of succession to the British throne.

<i>Do Phool</i> (1958 film) 1958 Indian film

Do Phool is a 1958 Indian Hindi-language family drama film directed by A. R. Kardar. Adapted from the 1881 children's novel Heidi by Johanna Spyri, it has Baby Naaz in the role of Poornima (Heidi). The film was produced by Akhtar Sultana Kadar, with dialogues written by Krishan Chander. The music director was Vasant Desai, and the lyrics were written by Hasrat Jaipuri. The film starred Romi, Baby Naaz, Vijaya Choudhary, Bipin Gupta, Ulhas, David, Agha, and Jeevan.

<i>Heidi</i> (1965 film) 1965 Austrian film

Heidi is a 1965 Austrian family film directed by Werner Jacobs and starring Eva Maria Singhammer, Michaela May and Jan Koester. It is an adaptation of Johanna Spyri's 1880 novel of the same title.

<i>Heidi</i> (2015 film) 2015 film

Heidi is a 2015 Swiss family film directed by Alain Gsponer and based on the 1881 novel of the same name by Johanna Spyri. It stars Anuk Steffen in the title role, alongside Bruno Ganz, Katharina Schüttler, Quirin Agrippi, Isabelle Ottmann and Anna Schinz.

Emma Bolger is an Irish actress who first gained notability as a child actress in the role of Ariel in the Jim Sheridan film In America.

<i>Heidi</i> (2015 TV series) 2015 Animated television series

Heidi is an animated children's television series, based indirectly on the 1881 novel Heidi by Johanna Spyri. The original 2007 television series was a Swiss-French-Italian-Australian co-production in 27 episodes of 26 minutes.

<i>Heidi, bienvenida a casa</i> Argentine TV series or program

Heidi, bienvenida a casa is a telenovela created and produced by Marcela Citterio for Nickelodeon Latin America. Based on the 1881 children's novel by Johanna Spyri, Heidi, it stars Chiara Francia as the titular character. The series was previewed digitally on Nick Play and MundoNick.com on March 10, 2017. Its official premiere was on March 13, 2017.

References

  1. Staff Reporter (2014). "Tribute to script writer (From The Bolton News)". theboltonnews.co.uk. Retrieved 5 December 2014.
  2. WalesOnline (13 August 2005). "'Heidi hi to the Welsh Alps' WalesOnline" . Retrieved 27 July 2018.