The film deviates from L.M. Montgomery’s novel, notably portraying Anne Shirley as considerably older than she was in the book, but this doesn't detract significantly from the narrative. The story follows Anne as she is taken in by the benevolent Matthew (O.P. Heggie) and his sister Marilla (Helen Westley), who had initially hoped to adopt a boy. We witness her journey through adolescence toward adulthood, including her developing feelings for Gilbert Blythe (Tom Brown). While the screenplay can feel verbose at times, with moments of awkward phrasing, Shirley and Westley provide consistently strong performances that are full of personality and often humorous, contributing to this heartwarming story about personal growth for both young people and adults. It's a straightforward tale told effectively, and it’s certainly worth seeing if you need reassurance about the goodness of humanity.

Source on TMDB