Movies Main
Movies-to-View
Movie Database
Trailer Database
 Close Screen 

 Close Screen 

Playing Beatie Bow

Playing Beatie Bow (1986) Movie Poster
Australia / UK  •    •  93m  •    •  Directed by: Donald Crombie.  •  Starring: Imogen Annesley, Peter Phelps, Mouche Phillips, Nikki Coghill, Moya O'Sullivan, Don Barker, Lyndel Rowe, Barbara Stephens, Damian Janko, Phoebe Salter, Su Cruickshank, Henry Salter, Jo England.  •  Music by: Garry McDonald, Laurie Stone.
      A young girl nervously watched the kids playing in the park. She's dressed strangely, and she's acting very scared. When Abigail Kirk goes near her the young girl runs away but intrigued by her strangeness, Abigail follows. Suddenly, the once-familiar back streets are not so welcoming. Somehow there's been a shift in time and Abigail has arrived on hundred years ago. But to get back to today, Abigail has to first fulfil her destiny.

Review:

Image from: Playing Beatie Bow (1986)
Image from: Playing Beatie Bow (1986)
Image from: Playing Beatie Bow (1986)
Image from: Playing Beatie Bow (1986)
Image from: Playing Beatie Bow (1986)
Image from: Playing Beatie Bow (1986)
Image from: Playing Beatie Bow (1986)
It's Australia, today. (Well, the mid 80's... when the film is set you numskull.) A strangely dressed, barefoot little girl watches some kids playing a game outside, but doesn't join in herself. This attracts the attention of a teen called Abigail, who, being the good sort she is, decides to see if she can help her. Alas, one touch of this young lady's hand sends the two spiraling back in time to the 19th century... and that's when all the inanity starts.

Such a shame. Playing Beatie Bow has such a strong setup, and usually I LOVE time travel movies. But watching these costumed freaks chewing up the scenery with their awful dialogue, in what looks like a school play reproduction of the era is not compatible with my idea of fun. Not to mention the incoherent plot about mysticism. But the real kicker here is a love story between Abigail and a bland sideburned 'hunk'. This abrupt union is so arbitrary, so tacked-on that even Mills & Boon might hesitate is include it in one of their trashtastic seaside page-turners.

It gets more tedious and ridiculous by the second... So by the time Abigail decides to save a little baby bird and a chest full of clothes by throwing them out of the window of a burning house rather than escaping herself, you should be past caring.The germ of a good idea was here, but as long as you choose to cut back on the budget for historical accuracy, and make the decision to populate your motion picture with a bunch of old hams rather than anyone with any vestige of intelligence, you're going to fail. Miserably.


Review by Rich Wright from the Internet Movie Database.

 
Conventions & Events
All
Latest Teasers
Latest Trailers
Latest TV Spots