Heidi (Bolger) is a little orphan whose money-grubbing Aunt Detie (McLynn) dumps her with her grandfather (von Sydow), a cheesemaker living high in the Swiss Alps. Heidi loves mountain life, daily accompanying neighbour boy Peter (Friend) with the goats to the high pasture. Then Detie returns with a plan to sell Heidi to a German family as a playmate for their crippled daughter (Claridge). Heidi brings sweetness and light to everyone she meets in Frankfurt, while pining for mountain life.

Everyone say, "Awww!" Actually, the story isn't half bad, and a more confident filmmaker could do something interesting with it. But Marcus and Finch seem terrified of upsetting some imaginary rule of children's filmmaking; even the creepy characters (Detie, as well as Chaplin's cruel Rottenmeier) are portrayed as troubled and pathetic, rather than truly menacing. Everyone else is just so nice it hurts, although at least Rigg adds spark to the German family's Grandmamma. While Shirley and Synnott give their side characters a flicker of sassy attitude. At the centre, Bolger works like a trooper to hold the film together, smiling relentlessly and speaking earnestly.

The filmmaking itself benefits hugely from the picture-postcard Alpine beauty, although it's shot stiffly and weakened by dire editing, including lots of corny cross-fades. Not to mention the cheesy 1960s-style effects as Heidi and Grandfather sled down the mountain--a sequence that should have a whoosh of exhilaration but instead feels far too slow and, yes, smiley. The film just sags under the burden of a little girl spreading cheer throughout the mountains and cities of middle Europe. She's kind to servants, rescues the kitties and even heals the lame. Only pre-teen girls (and professional film critics) should ever see this; everyone else should run and hide.

themes, some suspense

3.Aug.05