Anne Of — Green Gables - 1985 - 2 Parts ((free))

Here is the complete, detailed breakdown of the 1985 television mini-series Anne of Green Gables, originally broadcast in two parts.

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Part 1: The Red-Headed Orphan

The first part covers roughly the first 16 chapters of the novel. It opens in the fictional town of Avonlea, Prince Edward Island. We meet elderly siblings Marilla (Colleen Dewhurst) and Matthew Cuthbert (Richard Farnsworth), who live at their picturesque farm, Green Gables.

They intended to adopt a boy to help Matthew with the farm work. But a mix-up at the train station delivers a scrawny, talkative, imaginative girl instead.

This first half is the "education" of Anne—and the Cuthberts. We watch the iconic scenes unfold with pitch-perfect fidelity:

• The Meeting at Bright River Station: Anne’s trembling arrival, her immediate declaration that life is “the most forlorn and hopeless place” until she sees Matthew’s kind eyes.
• The Ride to Green Gables: The “Avenue of Poplars” becoming the “White Way of Delight,” and Barry’s Pond becoming the “Lake of Shining Waters.”
• The Carrot Incident: Anne’s dramatic fury when Marilla calls her hair “carrot red.”
• The Raspberry Cordial: Anne accidentally getting Diana Barry drunk on currant wine.
• The Broken Slate: Anne smashing a slate over Gilbert Blythe’s head after he calls her “Carrots” and tugs her braid.

Part One ends on a cliffhanger of emotional devastation: Anne, accused of losing Diana’s younger sister Minnie May (a scene of dramatic croup that features a surprisingly tense, race-against-time drive for medicine), has proven her worth. But the true heartbreak comes when Matthew, sensing his own mortality, gives Anne the "puffed sleeves" dress she always dreamed of. Part One closes with Anne declaring Gilbert her “enemy for life” and focusing solely on winning the Avery scholarship to Queens Academy. Anne of Green Gables - 1985 - 2 Parts

The Legacy

The 1985 Anne of Green Gables was a ratings smash. It won the Emmy for Outstanding Children's Program, a Peabody Award, and the George Foster Peabody Award. It turned Prince Edward Island into a tourist mecca (visitation to the island surged over 300% after the broadcast).

It spawned a sequel (Anne of Green Gables: The Sequel, 1987, often shown as "Part Three") and a prequel (Anne of Green Gables: The Continuing Story, 2000), but neither captured the raw purity of the original two parts.

Sadly, for fans in recent years, the film has become entangled in complex rights disputes. Kevin Sullivan retains control, and for a decade, the 1985 version was notoriously difficult to find on streaming services or DVD (often replaced by the inferior 2016 "remastered" cut, which changed the soundtrack and color timing). However, the original 2-part broadcast version remains a holy grail for collectors.

3. Structure: The Two-Part Format

The miniseries is divided logically along major narrative arcs from Montgomery’s novel: Here is the complete, detailed breakdown of the

| Part | Primary Plot Focus | Key Emotional Beats | | :--- | :--- | :--- | | Part One | Anne’s arrival at Green Gables; her childhood struggles and triumphs; rivalry with Gilbert Blythe; academic success. | The slate-breaking incident; Anne’s apology to Mrs. Lynde; the "raspberry cordial" mistake; the Diana Barry friendship oath. | | Part Two | Adolescence, tragedy, and maturity; Anne’s growth into a young woman; the Queen’s Academy years; Matthew’s death; reconciliation with Gilbert. | The "haunted wood" incident; the lily maid for the concert; the scholarship and Matthew’s heart attack; the final scene at Green Gables. |

Why the “1985” Version Beats All Others

There have been numerous adaptations: the 1934 silent film, the 1972 British series, the 2017 Netflix series Anne with an E, and the 2022 animated films. Yet, the Anne of Green Gables – 1985 – 2 Parts version remains supreme. Why?

1. Pacing of the Two-Part Format: Anne with an E was serialized over 27 episodes, stretching the story too thin and inserting dark, modern trauma narratives. The 1985 version—exactly two parts—is economical but not rushed. It respects the original plot structure of Montgomery’s first two books perfectly.

2. Megan Follows: Simply put, she is Anne. She captures the gawkiness, the verbal diarrhea, the volcanic temper, but also the deep vulnerability. Her Anne grows up on screen. By Part Two, she has lost the frantic edge of childhood and gained a quiet confidence. No other actress has managed that physical and emotional transformation so convincingly. Part 1: The Red-Headed Orphan The first part

3. The Supporting Cast: Richard Farnsworth (Oscar-nominated for The Straight Story) plays Matthew with a gentle dignity that makes his death traumatic. Colleen Dewhurst’s Marilla is a revelation—she does not soften into a sweet old lady; she remains sharp and stern, but the love slowly cracks through her granite exterior. And Jonathan Crombie, who sadly passed away in 2015, created a Gilbert Blythe who is charming, patient, and swoon-worthy without being saccharine.

4. The Prince Edward Island of It All: The cinematography captures the red roads, the white farmhouses, the "Lake of Shining Waters" (which was, in reality, a pond on a local farm). The landscape is not just a backdrop; it is a character. The 1985 version used natural light and practical locations, giving it a timeless, documentary-like feel.

4. Cast and Performances

| Actor | Role | Significance | | :--- | :--- | :--- | | Megan Follows | Anne Shirley | Follows delivers a breakout performance, balancing Anne’s loquaciousness, temper, romanticism, and depth. She remains the benchmark for the character. | | Colleen Dewhurst | Marilla Cuthbert | Dewhurst brings a stern yet deeply moving interior warmth. Her transformation from rigid spinster to loving mother figure is the emotional anchor of the series. | | Richard Farnsworth | Matthew Cuthbert | Farnsworth’s shy, gentle portrayal is heartbreakingly authentic. His late-career performance earned him a CableACE Award nomination. | | Jonathan Crombie | Gilbert Blythe | Crombie makes Gilbert charming, mischievous, and genuinely honorable. His chemistry with Follows defines the “carrots” to reconciliation arc perfectly. | | Schuyler Grant | Diana Barry | A faithful and warm interpretation of Anne’s “bosom friend.” | | Patricia Hamilton | Rachel Lynde | Perfectly cast as the nosy but good-hearted neighbor. |

Key Scenes That Define Part One

• The Train Station: The first time we see Megan Follows as Anne is a masterclass in acting. Her wide eyes, her chapped lips moving a mile a minute, and the desperate plea, "But if you won’t take me back, what will I do?" are heartbreaking. This scene establishes the central conflict: imagination vs. stark reality.
• The Slate Incident: The iconic "Carrots" insult hurled by Gilbert Blythe (Jonathan Crombie) leads to the fateful slate breaking over his head. In the 1985 version, the chemistry between Follows and Crombie is instantaneous—a perfect mix of loathing and latent attraction.
• The Raspberry Cordial: In one of the most purely comedic sequences of Part One, Anne accidentally gets her friend Diana Barry drunk on what she thought was raspberry cordial (but was actually currant wine). The frantic apologies, the horrified Marilla, and Anne’s subsequent banishment from Diana’s house are played for both laughs and pathos.
• The Puffed Sleeves: Perhaps the most emotionally resonant moment in Part One is not a tragedy, but a triumph. When Matthew secretly buys Anne the dress with puffed sleeves he knows she has always wanted, the silent actor Richard Farnsworth communicates more with a crooked smile and a brown paper parcel than a page of dialogue could. For a child who has never owned anything beautiful, that dress is freedom.

Part One ends on a high note. Anne wins the Avery scholarship, earning her way to college. But she stays home to care for Marilla after Matthew dies of a heart attack. The final shot is not despair, but quiet resolve. It is a complete arc: an orphan becoming a beloved daughter.