best movie i've ever seen.

This is a coming of age storyline that you've seen in one form or another for decades. It takes a truly unique voice to make yet another one worth watching.

This is a gorgeous movie made by a gorgeous spirit.

This film is so real. It treats its characters with so much care and sensitivity.

That's the typical British movie which is very rare, hard to watch, such as the next Ronny Neane's feature: MISTER MOSES. Well, this one is purely English in the style. And I guess Deborah Kerr's performance four years earlier in Jack Clayton's THE INNOCENTS contributed for her to obtain this governess character again. One more time. I would not have imagined an American movie give such a story, at least in this period. I won't repeat the topic, this would be useless, but the characterization and directing are perfect and the teenager's play is awesome, terrific, although this kind of movie is not really my cup of tea. Yes, I am glad to have seen this movie.

Enid Bagnold's play, directed for the big screen by Ronald Neame in 1964, is a touching story about a mystery woman, Madrigal (Deborah Kerr) who answers an ad for a companion for a teenage girl. But this is no prim and proper young English lady - Laurel (Hayley Mills) is a troubled youth who resides with her wealthy grandmother (wonderfully portrayed by Dame Edith Evans, who plays a crusty aristocratic Briton like no one can), and who spins lies, sets fires and steals without a thought to consequences. Obsessed with murder and criminal cases, she is accustomed to having her own way, and sets out to expose her new governess as a madwoman or something worse. Despite the child's negative attitude, Kerr stays on, trying to reach out to Laurel, who in reality, feels so unloved and unworthy that her anger could get her into deep trouble later on. Miss Madrigal attempts to bring Laurel's mother, Olivia (Elizabeth Sellars) back into the picture, but this only adds to the tension within the household. Maitland (Sir John Mills), the butler, seems to have an uncanny understanding of all the goings on and a wry sense of humor that most likely keeps him from blowing a gasket.Laurel begins to unravel Madrigal's secret, which comes full circle when a distinguished judge and family friend comes for a visit. The realization of her conviction for murder (it is never really confirmed whether she was guilty of the crime or not), serves as a reason as to why she has been so determined to save Laurel - she fears that the girl will end up on the same path she did. Madrigal opens the eyes of all around her - "You should be frightened - you see before you the woman Laurel may yet become! The child who lied, cheated and hated, because she could not believe the simple fact that she was loved! You wanted the truth - and the truth may still save Laurel!" I cannot stress enough that the cast is uniformly excellent, bringing the film's message to the viewer's attention without bashing them on the head with it. Hayley and her late father act marvelously together, and Kerr embodies her role with such mystery, knowledge and concern that you never feel any malice for her, even after her past is revealed.An expressive musical score, lovely cinematography, both on location in England and at London's Pinewood Studios, as well as the intrigue surrounding Kerr's character make for a fantastically rich viewing experience.

It is a film about lies, stories untold, and murder. We enter seeing things one way and then at the end see it another. I am a MAJOR Hayley Mills fan and when I saw this on the AMC channel, I just had to see it. What a movie! It got drawn into it and was held to the end. Deborah Karr plays the role of a new/temp governess of a mean spirited child(Hayley) who can do nothing but lie. Something Deborah's character has in common. We watch as they both try to wear each other down. I was a little surprised to see Hayley bite into a role so unlike her others, and see how well she does. Deborah gives a great performance here as does John Mills(Hayley's real dad) as the caretaker. The one who really steals the show is (Dame)Edith Evans. She is fantastic. It's hard to believe that she is older than her character, yet they had to age her for the film so she would look old enough for the role!

This could be classified as soap opera, but compared to the standards being set by most of what's produced these days, it's practically King Lear. Deborah Kerr is the governess hired by John Mills to minister to his (real-life) daughter Hayley. This picture falls into the "young rapscallion set right by proper English governess" genre, but the story engenders genuine emotion, and all the actors, especially Kerr and young Hayley, play their parts earnestly and convincingly.