Studio: Peace Arch Home Entertain Release Date: 10/31/2006
The story of the woman who insisted she was Anastasia, the youngest daughter of the last czar of Russia, is complicated. This 1986 telefilm makes it even more so because it's one of those "fact-based" dramas. Its most annoying invention is Anastasia's romance with a prince who never actually existed. Fiction aside, the first two-thirds of the 210-minute movie are dramatic and captivating. The Romanov family is imprisoned and executed, yet Anastasia reappears years later in Berlin in 1923; Amy Irving becomes the iron-willed yet fragile Anna who battles to be recognized by the remaining Romanovs. Gently paced and beautifully shot and staged, the film only starts to lose steam when Anna comes to New York to make her case in the American press. It takes a bunch of Americans, including Susan Lucci as a stateside Romanov relative, to make the tale seem common. Back in London, Olivia de Havilland is a treasure as the dowager empress who won't recognize Anastasia, although there is much evidence in her favor. The film is a great introduction to the mystery, despite its fiction-augmented recounting of history. After watching the movie, get the book it was largely based on, Anastasia: The Riddle of Anna Anderson by Peter Kurth, for a gripping read that just might make you believe in this princess. --Valerie J. Nelson
Customer Reviews:
Avg. Customer Rating: 4.5 / 5.0
I good Begining:
I liked this movie at the begining. I thought the director did a good job with creating likeable charaters, however I was very disappointed with the ending. I wouldn't recommend this movie.
movie:
My order (movie) came very quickly and was in excellent condition!
The movie is true. It is long, but worth the time. Amy Irving is excellent as usual.
Great Movie!:
I just watched this on TV the other night and decided I "needed" it for my DVD collection. This movie will make you believe that Anna Anderson was, in fact, Anastasia Romanov. However, recent DNA evidence has proven that Anna Anderson was not a Romanov. In any case the acting is superb and the costuming is beautiful. It's a great story all by itself whether or not it was based on truth. It's right up there with Sidney Sheldon's "The Other Side of Midnight" and Danielle Steel's "Crossings".
Fascinating movie with a great cast:
Although we can now be almost certain, due to DNA tests, that Anna Anderson was not the real Anastasia, the story is still fascinating. And there is more to it than whether she was Anastasia or not. It's the story about a person looking for her identity (and I'm sure she believed she was Anastasia) and the story of how people react to her claims. 30 years before this TV movie was made, Ingrid Bergman won an Oscar playing the same character. It's beyond me how Amy Irving didn't win an Emmy for her... more info
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