In 1979, I reviewed the original movie starring Judy Davis and much of that still works:
“Turn of the Century Australia finds our young author (Philippa Northeast) struggling with her farm family, while she dreams of greater things…a life in the arts. She spends a few months in country society and captures a handsome man’s heart. This gentle story of an early free-thinking female is beautifully rendered, a delight to the eye and heart.”
Northeast gamely embodies the character’s spunky appeal. There are several subplots that with enjoyable characters that add to the richness. This feels a bit more like a Jane Austen version of the story with the “will she or won’t she” romantic entanglements and a touch of Dickens in the struggling poverty angle, but this version is still a charmer. 4.0 out of 5.0 stars
