--- title: "A Little Princess: the reviews" canonical: "https://film.one/film/a-little-princess/reviews" title_page: "https://film.one/film/a-little-princess" critics_score: 86 critics_reviews: 8 licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL." --- # A Little Princess (1995): what the critics said Critics' score 86 from 8 reviews: 8 positive, 0 mixed, 0 negative. The reviews are unanimous in their approval, and unusually consistent about what earns it. Most critics single out Cuarón’s direction, which they credit with taking a child’s imagination seriously rather than talking down to it: the heightened fairy-tale sets, the live-action Ramayana sequences, the snow-shake moment and the rooftop escape are the details that keep recurring. Several note that the film works as well for adults as for children, and that its case for magic and dignity is made through pictures rather than speeches. Where they part is on the source. Empire and The New York Times both record that Cuarón takes liberties with Burnett’s novel, and both approve, the latter calling it reinvention rather than embalming. Nobody registers a genuine reservation; the spread runs from admiring to rapturous, with the 1995 notices warmest and the later reappraisals from Vulture, Time Out and IndieWire a shade cooler while still calling it the best version of the story. ## Variety — Todd McCarthy Fi1m's normalised score 95/100 (inferred from the text). 1 May 1995. An astonishing work of studio artifice, the film is a rare children's movie that plays equally well to kids and adults, stressing the importance of magic and imagination in life. Cuarón's Hollywood debut is dazzling, with a riot of cinematic imagination and a visual style that fully expresses the story's themes. [Read the review](https://variety.com/1995/film/reviews/a-little-princess-1200441773/) ## Los Angeles Times — Kenneth Turan Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 10 May 1995. The enchanting fantasy takes the philosophy that magic has to be believed to be real and casts the type of spell most family films can only dream about. Cuarón's direction, with simplicity and restraint, creates a sense of wonder through visual and emotional means. [Read the review](https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1995-05-10-ca-64317-story.html) ## RogerEbert.com — Roger Ebert Rating 3.5/4. 19 May 1995. The film is a magical family story based on Frances Hodgson Burnett that treats children's imaginations with respect and places them in wondrous, detailed settings. Cuarón's direction brings precise magic realism to the sets and situations, emphasizing wonder and pluck over action. [Read the review](https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/a-little-princess-1995) ## Empire — Caroline Westbrook Fi1m's normalised score 85/100 (inferred from the text). 1 January 2000. The critic finds the adaptation beautifully made and enjoyable with true universal appeal despite liberties taken with the source material. Cuarón's magical fairy-tale direction and the performances, especially by the young cast and the headmistress, are singled out for praise. [Read the review](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/little-princess-review/) ## The New York Times — Janet Maslin Fi1m's normalised score 85/100 (inferred from the text). 10 May 1995. The film achieves an irresistible bright, beautiful and enchantingly childlike vision that revels in exuberant play and a wittily heightened fairy-tale reality. Cuarón takes liberties to reinvent the story rather than embalm it, resulting in a spirited and pretty delight. [Read the review](https://www.nytimes.com/1995/05/10/movies/film-review-fairy-tale-doing-a-child-s-job-reveling-in-exuberant-play.html) ## Vulture Fi1m's normalised score 85/100 (inferred from the text). 14 October 2013. The critic highly appreciates Cuarón's 1995 adaptation as one of his best films, praising its magical yet grounded storytelling. They single out the inventive live-action Ramayana sequences and the emotional father-daughter reunion for particular praise. [Read the review](https://www.vulture.com/2013/10/alfonso-cuaron-a-little-princess-appreciation.html) ## IndieWire — Kate Erbland Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 3 August 2020. The critic calls Cuarón's film the best cinematic version of the story, commending how it richly bridges magic and reality. They highlight its enriching emotional and visual approach to the fairy tale. [Read the review](https://www.indiewire.com/features/general/watch-a-little-princess-hbo-max-stream-of-the-day-1234577655/) ## Time Out — WH Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 10 September 2012. The critic praises Cuarón's adaptation of the Burnett novel, updated to WWI, for transforming melodramatic elements into a humanist rites-of-passage story with skill and sensitivity. They single out the audacious Bollywood-style myth sequences, Lean-like rooftop escape, magical snow-shake moment, and Sara's defiant declaration as a defence of dignity and dreams. [Read the review](https://www.timeout.com/movies/a-little-princess) --- © Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Our review: https://film.one/film/a-little-princess.md