Overview
A young girl's resilience shines as she navigates the harsh realities of life and the power of imagination.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Measured
- Intensity
- Moderate
- Complexity
- Easy to follow
- Violence
- None
- whimsical
- wistful
- tender
- family movie night
- rainy day
What critics said
Critics broadly praised the film as a visually eloquent, emotionally stirring, and enchantingly childlike reinvention of a beloved children's novel.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Sara's storytelling and belief that every girl is a princess help her withstand institutional cruelty and sudden poverty.
The film uses elaborate compositions, the Indian deity setting, snowy attic imagery, and fairy-tale staging to externalize Sara's imagination.
Sara's treatment by Miss Minchin and her friendship with servant Becky place class inequality at the center of the boarding-school conflict.
Sara is separated from her enlisted father, and the reported loss of his fortune transforms her from privileged student into a servant.
Films like A Little Princess, and why
The Secret Garden
shared child-centered fantasy, emotional resilience, class conflict, and richly designed period atmosphere
Matilda
shared themes of orphanhood, imaginative escape, institutional hardship, and uplifting childhood adventure
Anne of Green Gables
shared turn-of-the-century setting, young heroine, fairy-tale sensibility, and warm family drama
Heidi
shared female friendship, boarding-school setting, moral courage, and heightened visual storytelling
Movie Details
- Director
- Alfonso Cuarón
- Release Date
- 1995-05-10
- Runtime
- 97 min
- Rating
- 7.6 / 10 (1074)
Cast
- Liesel Matthews
- Eleanor Bron
- Liam Cunningham
- Rusty Schwimmer
- Vanessa Lee Chester
- Rachael Bella
- Camilla Belle
- Kelsey Mulrooney
- Lauren Blumenfeld
- Vincent Schiavelli
Where to watch in United States
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is A Little Princess about?
- A fiercely imaginative girl turns wartime loss and boarding-school cruelty into a test of compassion, dignity, and inner royalty.
- What is A Little Princess like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of A Little Princess as measured, its intensity as moderate and its storytelling as easy to follow.
- Is A Little Princess violent?
- No — Ember's analysis finds no violence in A Little Princess.
- What did critics think of A Little Princess?
- Critics broadly praised the film as a visually eloquent, emotionally stirring, and enchantingly childlike reinvention of a beloved children's novel.
- Which films are like A Little Princess?
- Films with a similar feel include The Secret Garden, Matilda, Anne of Green Gables, and Heidi.
- How long is A Little Princess?
- A Little Princess runs 97 minutes.
- Where can I watch A Little Princess?
- In United States, A Little Princess is available to rent or buy from Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home.
