Ballet Shoes (film)
| Ballet Shoes | |
|---|---|
 Ballet Shoes DVD cover | |
| Written by | Heidi Thomas Noel Streatfeild (novel) |
| Directed by | Sandra Goldbacher |
| Starring | Emma Watson Richard Griffiths Lucy Boynton Yasmin Paige Emilia Fox |
| Country of origin | United Kingdom |
| Original language | English |
| Production | |
| Producers | Piers Wenger Michele Buck Damien Timmer Patrick Spence Heidi Thomas |
| Running time | 85 minutes |
| Original release | |
| Network | BBC One |
| Release | 26 December 2007 |
Ballet Shoes is a 2007 British television film, adapted by Heidi Thomas from Noel Streatfeild's 1936 novel Ballet Shoes.[1] It was produced by Granada Productions and premiered on BBC One on 26 December 2007. It is directed by Sandra Goldbacher.[2]
A previous adaptation of Ballet Shoes was produced in serial format by the BBC in 1975 and directed by Timothy Combe.
Plot synopsis
The story revolves around three adopted sisters, Pauline, Petrova and Posy Fossil, who live in near poverty with Sylvia Brown. Sylvia is the niece of "Gum" (Great Uncle Matthew), a somewhat wealthy paleontologist who one day leaves for an expedition and does not return, leaving the girls to fend for themselves. The story eventually focuses on the various talents of the girls, namely acting, machinery and, of course, ballet.
Pauline has a talent for acting and auditions for the role of Alice in 'Alice in Wonderland'. After getting the part, she lets her acting get to her head and begins acting rudely and bossing around her sisters. Finally her pride and constant rule breaking ends with her losing the part, and thus learning an important lesson in humility. At the end of the movie she is offered a contract for a studio in the United States , but only decides to go after realizing how it can benefit her family to have the extra money.
Posy dreams about becoming a ballet dancer. After showcasing her natural talent for ballet to one of the boarders, also a dancer, she begins attending an art school to be taught ballet. The ballet school's mistress, Madame Fidolia, is able to see instantly that Posy possesses considerable talent, and begins to tutor her privately so that she may learn more advanced technique. When Madame Fidolia suddenly suffers a stroke while watching a ballet with Posy, Posy is upset more for her loss of lessons than for the death of her beloved teacher. Deciding that she cannot give up on her abilities, she sneaks into a practice of a famous Russian ballet. After being caught, and after the initial dislike from the teacher for not being Russian herself, she impresses him with her ability to dance and is offered a part in the company, though she must move to Prague to do so.
Petrova is Russian. Even though she does not speak any Russian at all, as she was brought up in England. She wants to work with mechanism, cars and motors. Her biggest wish is to fly. In the end of the movie the other sisters (Pauline and Posy) promise to make their sister go down in history and not them as they already got what they dreamed of.
In the very, very end Petrova flies off in an airplane above the space where Sylvia is getting married.
Cast
- Emma Watson as Pauline Fossil
- Yasmin Paige as Petrova Fossil
- Lucy Boynton as Posy Fossil
- Richard Griffiths as Great Uncle Matthew (Gum)
- Victoria Wood as Nana
- Emilia Fox as Sylvia Brown
- Eileen Atkins as Madame Fidolia
- Peter Bowles as Sir Donald Houghton
- Marc Warren as Mr John Simpson
- Harriet Walter as Dr Smith
- Gemma Jones as Dr Jakes
- Lucy Cohu as Theo Danes
- Heather Nicol as Winifred Bagnall
- Mary Stockley as Miss Jay
- Skye Bennett as Young Sylvia
- Don Gallagher as Mr French
- Nina and Lucy Watson as young Pauline Fossil
- Adrian Lester as Mr Sholsky, a film director[3]
Casting notes
- Emilia Fox plays the part of Sylvia Brown in this adaptation. Emilia's mother, Joanna David, played the part of Theo Danes in the 1975 BBC adaptation of the same story.
- Emma Watson, Richard Griffiths and Gemma Jones have all starred in films in the Harry Potter franchise, playing Hermione Granger, Uncle Vernon Dursley and Madam Poppy Pomfrey respectively.
- Outside of The Tale of Despereaux, this is Emma Watson's only other role in a movie besides Harry Potter.
- The identical twin girls, Lucy and Nina Watson, who play young Pauline, are Emma Watson's younger half-sisters and only appear in the uncut DVD version of the film.[4]
Broadcast and commercial releases
The film was released on DVD in Europe, Region 2, on 7 January 2008. [5] The film had a limited release in U.S. theaters on 26 August 2008. [6] Ballet Shoes was released on DVD in North America, Region 1, on 2 September 2008. [7] The film premiered on Christmas Eve on TV One in New Zealand. It will be broadcast in Canada on CBC.[8]
Notes
- ^ The Stage / News / Wood to star in a BBC1 adaptation of Ballet Shoes
- ^ BBC - Press Office - Ballet Shoes dances onto BBC One
- ^ the uk tv guide: BALLET SHOES
- ^ Emma Watson Official Website - Appearance of sisters in film
- ^ Emma Watson Official Website - Release in Europe on DVD
- ^ Variety - BBC's 'Ballet Shoes' takes U.S. spin
- ^ Emma Watson Official Website - Ballet Shoes USA
- ^ Emma Watson Official Website - TV One and CBC broadcasts Ballet Shoes
Ballet Shoes has also been aired in Australia, 7th June, 2009.