The Railway Children (1970)
Average Rating: 8.5/10
Reviews Counted: 7
Fresh: 7 | Rotten: 0
No consensus yet.
Release Date: Jan 1, 1970 Wide
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Average Rating: 3.6/5
User Ratings: 4,021
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Movie Info
British character actor Lionel Jeffries both directed The Railway Children and adapted its screenplay from the novel by E. Nesbit. Dinah Sheridan plays the mother of three children who must live in reduced circumstances when her husband (Ian Cuthbertson), a government official, is arrested on a false charge of treason. The kids adapt rather well to their new environment, a community located on the edges of a railway. They befriend a kindly porter (Bernard Cribbins) and a wealthy gent (William
Jan 1, 1970 Wide
May 6, 2003
Cast
-
Dinah Sheridan
Mother -
Bernard Cribbins
Perks -
William Mervyn
Old Gentleman -
Iain Cuthbertson
Father -
Jenny Agutter
Bobbie -
Sally Thomsett
Phyllis -
Peter Bromilow
Doctor -
Ann Lancaster
Ruth -
Gary F. Warren
Peter -
Gordon Whiting
Russian -
Beatrix Mackey
Aunt Emma -
Deddie Davies
Mrs. Perks -
-
Brenda Cowling
Mrs. Viney -
Paddy Ward
Cartman -
Erik Chitty
Photographer -
Sally James
Maid -
Dominic Allen
C.I.D. Man -
David Lodge
Bandmaster
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All Critics (8) | Top Critics (1) | Fresh (7) | Rotten (0)
Great British family classic is rewarding for families.
Those of you coming to the film for the first time are in for a treat; those familiar with it will enjoy its sparkling restoration.
It all slips down very nicely; Bernard Cribbins is terrific as railwayman Perks, and Jeffries' final scene... is justly celebrated
Kids reared on the accelerated thrills of modern children's cinema might find the pacing a little lethargic but if you can persuade them to give it a chance, this sweet-natured family classic should work its magic.
Jeffries mounts the whole thing with charm, humour and subtle smarts. And, let's face it, our obsession with Jenny Agutter, 11 years before American Werewolf, started here.
Directed by Lionel Jeffries, this adaptation of E Nesbit's much-loved novel is simply the finest children's film ever made in this country.
An idyllic world that is entirely plausible
Audience Reviews for The Railway Children
Super Reviewer
Always an involving and clever novel, the characters are here brought to life under the perceptive direction of Lionel Jeffries (better known as a fine character actor). Jenny Agutter plays Bobbie, while Sally Thomsett and Gary Warren are her sister and brother. Their mother is Dinah Sheridan, while the other memorable characters are played by Bernard Cribbins (Perks the railway-man) and William Mervyn (the old gentleman on the train).
'The Railway Children' is gentle entertainment from another age, but does its job beautifully. As we watch Bobbie grow up with the worries of an absent parent jostling against her own needs both to be alone and to have fun, we can only rejoice when events come together at the close of the picture. Throughout we have a sense of time and place ? be it from the steam trains, the university paper chase, or the red flannelette petticoats worn by the girls (and used to avert disaster!).
Super Reviewer
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