Themes: Mythical Creatures, Miraculous Events, Mischievous Children
Main Cast: Florence Hoath, Elizabeth Earl, Paul McGann, Phoebe Nicholls, Peter O'Toole
Release Year: 1997
Country: US
Run Time: 99 minutes
MPAA Rating: PG
Plot
Two young girls who believe that fairies are real attempt to prove it to the world in this drama based on actual events. In 1917, there is little to be happy about in the Wright household in West Yorkshire, England. Polly (Phoebe Nicholls) and her 12-year-old daughter Elsie (Florence Hoath) are still grieving over the death of Elsie's younger brother, and Polly's niece Frances (Elizabeth Earl) has come to stay with them after her father was declared missing in action during World War I. Polly longs for some sort of proof that there is a life beyond our own, while the two girls ardently believe in fairies and enthusiastically study legend and lore. One day, Elsie and Frances produce photographs of fairies that they claim were playing in their garden; Polly believes that they are real, and soon the snapshots attract international attention. Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (Peter O'Toole), author of the Sherlock Holmes mysteries and a confirmed spiritualist, declares the photos "as genuine as the King's beard," while illusionist Harry Houdini (Harvey Keitel), who has devoted much time and energy to exposing phony mediums and psychics, takes a more skeptical view. While Fairy Tale: A True Story presents the appearance of the fairies as fact, analysis of the photographs proved them to be fakes (especially after the same fairies were discovered as illustrations in a children's book published before the photos were taken). The real-life Elsie Wright admitted late in life that the fairy photos were a hoax performed as a "little joke" and that she was always surprised that so many people believed them. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
Review
Fairy Tale: A True Story is a unique, charming tale about belief, imagination, and the magic of youth. The story -- which centers on two young girls' purported photos of fairies -- also touches on deeper themes of loss and mortality, and the desire to prove that there is something beyond mortal life. Florence Hoath and Elizabeth Earl are impressive as the film's impish young leads; of import to adult viewers are the performances of Peter O'Toole and Harvey Keitel as, respectively, Arthur Conan Doyle and Harry Houdini. It's fascinating to watch as the two little girls capture the fascination of two of the era's great personalities. Some older viewers may take issue with the story's factual treatment of the photos, since in reality, they were soon confirmed as hoaxes; and younger children may have little patience for the adult characters' ruminations. Nevertheless, like most good children's films, Fairy Tale will captivate the old and young alike. Mel Gibson's company produced the film; look for him in a tiny cameo. ~ Matthew Doberman, All Movie Guide
Margaret French Isaac - Associate Producer, Mary Selway - Casting, Tom McLoughlin - Co-producer, Albert Ash - Co-producer, Selwyn Roberts - Co-producer, Shirley Russell - Costume Designer, Micky Finch - First Assistant Director, Charles Sturridge - Director, Selwyn Roberts - Second Unit Director, Peter Coulson - Editor, Paul Tucker - Executive Producer, Zbigniew Preisner - Composer (Music Score), Michael Howells - Production Designer, Michael Coulter - Cinematographer, Wendy Finerman - Producer, Bruce Davey - Producer, John Midgley - Sound/Sound Designer, Tim Webber - Special Effects Supervisor, Tom McLoughlin - Screen Story, Albert Ash - Screen Story, Ernie Contreras - Screen Story, Ernie Contreras - Screenwriter, Graeme Purdy - Properties Master
