Avonlea Christmas - Spin-off from Anne of Green Gables and Road to Avonlea (1998)

This uplifting family drama set against the backdrop of World War I focuses on the King family and their efforts to stay together and support one another through difficult times. Addressing serious issues while remaining true to the spirit of Christmas this continuation of the ROAD TO AVONLEA series stars Jackie Burroughs Gema Zamprogna and Mag Ruffman.System Requirements:Running Time: 97 minutesFormat: DVD MOVIE Genre: CHILDREN/FAMILY Rating: NR UPC: 622237231424 Manufacturer No: SULDV23142 Product Description

wonderful programing for families

Our whole family (from oldest to youngest) love this movie and all the avonlea videos. June 28, 2008

Family movie

There are not enough family type movies out there in this day & time. This is a heart warming story that you can watch with your kids or grandkids and not be embaressed. I love the Avonlea families. August 9, 2007

Not like seasons 1-5

"Avonlea Christmas" is missing the wonderful charm of seasons 1-6 of "Road to Avonlea".

I highly recommend seasons 1-5 of "Road to Avonlea", season-6 is good, but does not reach the heights of the earlier seasons. The episodes are written by different writers. The focus of the "Avonlea Christmas" episode, is one dispute to the next, rather than predicaments for the characters to display their personalities, and their ultimate warmth. The little kids are grown, so the same arguments are no longer cute. This episode-writer was unfamiliar with the true personalities of the characters previously established in the mind of the audience. My favorite episode writers of the early seasons of "Avonlea", Heather Conkie, Suzette Couture, and Hart Hanson, who set a high standard for the series, did not write "Avonlea Christmas".

Has the same technical proficiency in costumes, lighting, and good morals; but something is missing. It is not the same. Likewise, the first two "Anne of Green Gables" movies were great, (with the script lifted from the books) but the third Anne movie, during World-War-I, was unsatisfying, as here, written by a different writer, taking us to a place we did not wish to go, with characters we do not know.

If you do not expect to continue "Road to Avonlea", and do not mind more conflict, then you may enjoy this. Will be as good as anything on TV, but with characters who are not their old selves.

Another good period series is "Christy the Complete Series".
July 8, 2007

A Family Friendly movie at a Great Price

I loved watching the Anne of Green Gables movies when they came out in the 80's.
When Road to Avonlea series aired on Australian TV in the 90's. I again loved watching the program. When I found out that the series was now on DVD. I purchased all the seasons.
I found Avonlea Christmas on Amazon at a very good price $9.99. I puchased it without a second thought.
I found the movie very enjoyable to watch. It is a clean family friendly movie with family values.
These days it is hard to find a movie that can actually be called a family movie.
I would recommend this DVD to anyone who loved watching Anne of Green Gables.
December 15, 2006

A rather disappointing reunion for the "Avonlea" cast

Think of having a "Friends" reunion with only four of the characters (your pick) and you get an idea of why fans of "Avonlea" (a.k.a. "Road to Avonlea") were less than thrilled with this 1998 television movie. The premise of "Happy Christmas, Miss King" is that the King family has gathered together during the First World War to celebrate Christmas, but word comes that Felix has been listed as missing in action in France. Other plot lines have Aunt Hetty (Jackie Burroughs) hurting her back, Aunt Olivia (Mag Ruffman) thinking of moving back to Avonlea, and Felicity (Gema Zamprogna) trying to find a new career. The problem is that which each of these last three plotlines each character is missing their key counterpart from the series: Sara Stanley, Jasper Dale, and Gus Pike respectively. The Story Girl and the two husbands appear in old footage, but that just emphasizes the fact that they should have been there.

The story is by Raymond Storey, although those who have read the entire Lucy Maud Montgomery canon will recognize the son missing in action bit from "Rilla of Ingleside," the last of the Anne of Green Gables books. In a sense, that novel becomes my basis for comparison as much as the original series, because that is the one book I have read that really gave me a sense for what the First World War was like for the people of Canada. The war went on for years before the United States entered and Montgomery really gave a sense of how long it was, whereas "Happy Christmas, Miss King" takes place during the holiday season. However, to be fair, this story is not as disappointing as the "Anne of Green Gables: The Continuing Story," which finds Anne Shirley and Gilbert Blythe still not married during the war years. Too bad, because "Rilla of Ingleside" was one of Montgomery's better novels because of its treatment of what happened during that time.

It was nice to see familiar faces, such as Cedric Smith as Alec King, and Patricia Hamilton as Mrs. Rachel Lynde, but if you are going to bring most of the cast back it should have been for something more special than this. Dealing with the war really should have been the dominant focus without the half-hearted efforts to get us up to date on some of the characters. Against the backdrop of a world war the petty marital squabbles of Olivia and Felicity seem rather childish. Besides, the television series ended with Felicity's marriage and it is just wrong to throw out that happy ending without serving some greater purpose than what we have here. "Happy Christmas, Miss King" will disappoint most viewers, simply because of the heightened expectations they will have based on their memories of the beloved series. Fans will want to see it, but they should do so with lowered expectations. January 22, 2004

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