The railway, the children... and the wonderful secret they'll share with you!
At the dawn of the 20th century, following their father's arrest on suspicion of betraying state secrets, the three Waterbury children—Bobbie, Phyllis and Peter—move with their mother to Yorkshire, where they find themselves involved in unexpected dramas along the railway by their new home.
Log it
Sign in to log this.
Character
Earnest, classical in form, resolved and nostalgic.
- earnestironic
- classical in formformally daring
- resolvedopen-ended
- contemporarynostalgic
- effortlessdemanding
Who loves it, who doesn't
No profiled raters yet.
Where do you stand?
Answer first; then see how everyone, and your circle, split.
“Is the nostalgia doing the heavy lifting?”
Sign in to answer.
Be the first to answer.
“Would The Railway Children hit harder if it came out today rather than in 1970?”
Sign in to answer.
Be the first to answer.
Ask the title
A yes-or-no question, answered from what people wrote here, on TMDB and on Wikipedia. Never made up.
Reviews
No reviews yet.
Reviews on TMDB
Written by TMDB members; each links to the original. Not part of Tastebuds's numbers.
- CinemaSerfon TMDB · Jun 20237/10
A well-to-do suburban family suddenly get a visitor one evening; their father is taken away and their lives turned topsy-turvy. They relocate to "Three Chimneys" a ramshackle house beside a railway line in Yorkshire where they slowly settle into a new life making friends as they go. Bernard Cribbins steals this as the permanently chirpy station porter “Mr. Perks" (and Deddie Davies as his long-suffering wife); William Mervyn as the kindly "old gentleman" whom the children wave to every morning as he passes on his train and Peter Bromilow as the doctor all help us to feel a part of this story as the children have some adventures and mishaps en route to an entirely satisfactory conclusion. Beautifully adapted from E. Nesbit's book, this is another of the films we just couldn't make as good now.
Read the whole review on TMDB - John Chardon TMDB · Jan 20209/10
It's like we're in a besieged castle, the arrows of the foe striking against the battlements. Adapted from E. Nesbit's much adored novel, this filmic version is directed by Lionel Jeffries and stars Dinah Sheridan, Bernard Cribbins, William Mervyn, Iain Cuthbertson, Jenny Agutter, Sally Thomsett and Gary Warren. Music is by Johnny Douglas and cinematography by Arthur Ibbetson. Rightly thought of as a British classic, story finds three children relocating to Yorkshire after their father has wrongly been imprisoned for treason. Trying to go about their fatherless life in this small Yorkshire village, they find solace in the happenings of the local railway station, and from there action, drama and pending adulthood does beckon. Picture comes with splendid Edwardian detail, of a time long since lost to Britain. Jeffries never once over eggs the Yorkshire pudding, filling out his pic with great dramatic sequences and wonderful coming of age literacy. Boosted by a scintillating turn from a then 18 year old Agutter as the eldest Waterbury sibling holding things together during a one parent crisis, this is a beautiful picture that reminds us of better times. 9/10
Read the whole review on TMDB - Peter McGinnon TMDB · Mar 20228/10
A film version of another one of those children's classic novels from the early 20th century. The younger actors from necessity need to carry a movie like this, and I thought they did a grand job. They don’t overact much at all, and are sometimes subtle with a witty line or childlike observation. I also thought Bernard Cribbins did a wonderful job as Perks, crusty on the surface, but only on the surface, and full of energy and enthusiasm bringing the role to life. The rest of the ensemble cast were fine also. It was well worth watching. There are other versions, though the only one that intrigues me is the mini-series version as it will have more time to include additional scenes from the book.
Read the whole review on TMDB
Cast
- Dinah SheridanMrs. Waterbury
- Bernard CribbinsAlbert Perks
- William MervynOld Gentleman
- Iain CuthbertsonCharles Waterbury
- Jenny AgutterRoberta 'Bobbie' Waterbury
- Sally ThomsettPhyllis Waterbury
- Gary WarrenPeter Waterbury
- Peter BromilowDoctor
- Ann LancasterRuth
- Gordon WhitingRussian
Crew
- Lionel JeffriesDirector
- Robert LynnScreenplay
- Lionel JeffriesWriter
- Edith NesbitNovel
- Arthur IbbetsonDirector of Photography
- Johnny DouglasOriginal Music Composer
- Teddy DarvasEditor
- Robert LynnProducer
Where to watch
Checking availability…
Similar in taste
Closest on the same fourteen dimensions, from everything scored on Tastebuds Other media included when they land close.
The Sound of Music 196580% alikeBoth earnest, classical in form, resolved.
Scrooge 195180% alikeBoth classical in form, earnest, resolved.
Little Women 199478% alikeBoth earnest, classical in form, resolved.
The Karate Kid 198477% alikeBoth classical in form, earnest, resolved.
Rob Roy 199577% alikeBoth classical in form, earnest, resolved.
Open Range 200377% alikeBoth classical in form, earnest, resolved.
From Up on Poppy Hill 201176% alikeBoth earnest, classical in form, nostalgic.
True Grit 196976% alikeBoth classical in form, earnest, resolved.
Little House on the Prairie 197476% alikeTelevision · Both earnest, classical in form, resolved.
Anne with an E 201776% alikeTelevision · Both earnest, classical in form, resolved.
Often watched with
Recommendations from TMDB. Opening one adds it to Tastebuds
