I don't remember reading the book to know if this adaptation was faithful but it wouldn't have mattered. I watched this on YouTube ,and quite honestly found it to be way too long and rather boring- did it really need to be a miniseries?. I mean the scenery was beautiful and I had actually visited the areas a few years before it was filmed but besides that it had little too offer. Noley Thornton as Heidi was cute and a decent actress but she just didn't move me into caring about her.She just seemed as if she was sleepwalking through her lines half the time. Lexi Randall as Klara was not my cup of tea much either, she came across a bit too whiny in her acting and dull.
Jane Seymour basically phones her role in, overacting badly and the kid who played Peter was awful - He looked as if he was bored and couldn't wait to finish his scenes so he could go play video games or something. Now my biggest disappointment is the way the grandfather's part was portrayed. I love Jason Robards and always found him handsome and wonderful to watch even in his twilight years however this was not one of those times. His grandfather is totally uninteresting and has nothing to offer, the synopsis says Heidi charms him too but she really doesn't. Most of the movie he is frowning or scowling at her and just plain mean ,she never charms him. If anything his guilt prevents that and his cowardice too,he even admits it. I was really disappointed as I think Robards should have had something more to work with instead of a one note script that basically had him scowling and walking away. The Shirley Temple version to me seemed much better and vastly different with the grandfather really loving her and going after her whereas Robards character didn't seem to care that she was leaving and even at the end he asks her why shed wanna live with him "she responds ,because i love you grandfather " and while he hugs her ,he doesn't say it back. I just cant see how she could love him when he never really acts as if he truly cares about her. 5/10 mostly for the scenery
Jane Seymour basically phones her role in, overacting badly and the kid who played Peter was awful - He looked as if he was bored and couldn't wait to finish his scenes so he could go play video games or something. Now my biggest disappointment is the way the grandfather's part was portrayed. I love Jason Robards and always found him handsome and wonderful to watch even in his twilight years however this was not one of those times. His grandfather is totally uninteresting and has nothing to offer, the synopsis says Heidi charms him too but she really doesn't. Most of the movie he is frowning or scowling at her and just plain mean ,she never charms him. If anything his guilt prevents that and his cowardice too,he even admits it. I was really disappointed as I think Robards should have had something more to work with instead of a one note script that basically had him scowling and walking away. The Shirley Temple version to me seemed much better and vastly different with the grandfather really loving her and going after her whereas Robards character didn't seem to care that she was leaving and even at the end he asks her why shed wanna live with him "she responds ,because i love you grandfather " and while he hugs her ,he doesn't say it back. I just cant see how she could love him when he never really acts as if he truly cares about her. 5/10 mostly for the scenery