From Melissa Girimonte of The Televixen:

Sara Botsford: Marilla for a New Generation in Anne of Green Gables
“The style of this film is quite different. It’s much more realistic than idealistic, and it’s much more grounded. [Director] John Kent Harrison has a very clear idea. In his mind, the relationship for Marilla is with Matthew. It’s not with Anne. That’s a relationship that grows, but at the beginning of the film, it’s not about this orphan kid who showed up; it’s about Marilla’s brother and he’s not really going to do without this person to help us on the farm.” Continue reading.

From Melanie Fishbane of Cinefilles:

New ‘Anne of Green Gables’ TV movie highlights female relationships
There are many opinions online about how Breakthrough Entertainment should have adapted Anne of Green Gables, L.M. Montgomery’s classic novel about how Anne Shirley, an orphaned girl sent to Matthew and Marilla Cuthbert by mistake, wins everyone over with her imagination, cleverness and intelligence. These opinions range from those who are so loyal to Kevin Sullivan’s 1985 miniseries starring Megan Follows, Colleen Dewhurst, Richard Farnsworth and Jonathan Crombie that they cannot imagine a world where any other adaptation might exist. Others, like myself, grew up as fans of the miniseries (and the first two movies—we don’t talk about The Continuing Story, nor A New Beginning) and are hoping that after thirty years there is finally a new (and good) interpretation of our favourite novel. Continue reading.

From Bill Harris of Postmedia Network:

Ella Ballentine embraces the past in ‘Anne of Green Gables’
It might be the most mature response to any question I’ve ever posed.

Ella Ballentine is a 14-year-old actress who’s playing the most famous orphan in the world, Anne Shirley, in Lucy Maud Montgomery’s Anne of Green Gables. The new two-hour, made-for-TV movie debuts Monday, Feb. 15, on YTV. Continue reading.