Better Late Then Never

Beautiful, moving film.

The film may be flawed, but its message is not.

While it doesn't offer any answers, it both thrills and makes you think.

The only thing I wasn't clear about in the film was whether Jodie Foster really remembered a loose brick in the fireplace (this was not in her initiation) or just got lucky making it up. She stares at the fireplace as though she really remembers. So little is made of this. And the ambiguity of whether she guessed the box was a musical box that played Greensleeves (a tune she'd been tipped off about) or also remembered the box for real... But then she ate a strawberry at the beginning and didn't like rice pudding, so .. maybe not.Maybe I'm analysing this too much as this scene is the only scene I remember as a 9year old - it really made an impact on me ... I have since watched the whole film again and loved it ... and if it is meant to be ambiguous as to whether she could be the long lost grand daughter, I suppose that's an unusual thing in a Disney film. The end is open, the grandmother says herself at the end that maybe she is the real granddaughter and we never really know.

Lately I have been watching some old Jodie Foster movies, and that brought me to this one, a Disney film make at Pinewood Studios in England. Here Jodie Foster is boyish street urchin Casey Brown.The premise, a con man Harry Bundage finds street-wise delinquent who looks like she could be the 14 year old version of a granddaughter that disappeared at age 4 from the British mansion Candleshoe. Her father and mother died, and her old grandmother, Helen Hayes as Lady St. Edmund, would love to find her again.Harry's angle is this, he found something which makes him believe a treasure of old Spanish gold doubloons is hidden somewhere on the Candleshoe property, and he rescues Casey from the cops, and makes a deal with her, he will give her 10% if she finds the treasure.So, much of the movie is Casey doing everything she can to keep her distance from Lady S Edmund, and the several orphans there, while trying to figure out where the treasure is. Then she eventually finds out that the property will be lost if they can't come up with money for taxes, and eventually Casey begins to understand what "family" means.David Niven is good in several roles, as Colonel Dennis, Mr. Gipping the gardener, and Mr. Priory the butler. Of course we know each is him, but he does that to make the old lady think she still has a staff.A nice, clean, funny movie which showcases Jodie Foster's considerable acting talents as a 14 year old.SPOILERS. In a madcap ending, while the crooks are trying to find the treasure in the old mansion, and the good guys fight them off, the gold is accidentally found inside a fake treasure chest upon which a statue rests his foot. The cops show up just in time to make sure that the treasure gets to the rightful owner. Casey tries to leave town quietly, but the old lady finds her and makes her realize that she really belongs at Candleshoe, even though she probably isn't really the granddaughter. But she might be!

I remember this film from its original airing, and while I have not watched it in years, I still list it in my favorites. This only shows the strength of the movie and its acting. I loved Jodie Foster after seeing her in it, and have enjoyed her acting ever since. I am on the hunt for it for my newborn son, for him to enjoy it like I did! My many thanks to Disney,Helen Hayes,Jodie Foster,Leo McKern and all of the rest of the crew for a wonderful story and great memories. I give the movie a 10 for any parent wanting a good clean movie for their young ones, and even for a young teenager to watch something other than the sex,drugs and violence that is so prevalent in today's movies.

I watched Candleshoe when ITV screened recently and enjoyed it very much.An American orphan girl is sent to England by a conman and goes to stay at Candleshoe Manor, where some other orphaned children live as well. She makes out to the owner, Lady St Edmond that she is a distant relative but she is really there to look for some treasure that the conman is after. After several adventures, Lady St Edmond finds out about this and the conman and some of his cronies manage to get into Candleshow and a big fight ensures and the police are called and the baddies are arrested. The orphan leaves for America but Lady St Edmond catches up with her at the railway station and makes her make Candleshoe her new home as they have grown rather close to one another.A lot of Candleshow was filmed on location in the Midlands: Warwickshire with the railway scenes being filmed on the Severn Valley Railway.Now to the excellent cast: a young Jodie Foster plays the orphan Casey Brown, David Nivern (who has four roles in this), Leo McKern as the conman and Helen Hayes as Lady St Edmond.Candleshow is a mixture of drama and comedy and is Disney at its best. Great fun.Rating: 3 and a half stars out of 5.