Periodically, a new film adaptation of this well-known children’s story appears. Mary Pickford presented it wordlessly back in 1920, Walt Disney brought in famous actors for their version in 1960, and now PBS Masterpiece Theater has offered their take. Both the Disney film and this one altered aspects of the original narrative, though they did so differently from each other, and the changes weren’t particularly upsetting. This adaptation feels less theatrical, which gives a chance for Georgina Terry, who is new to acting, to be as memorable as Hayley Mills was in her earlier role. Despite shifting the setting and time period away from New England, this version adheres more closely to the book than Disney's did; it captures what the author intended—to demonstrate how a child’s sense of hopefulness and love for life can spread throughout an entire community and lift everyone’s spirits. Ayn Rand likely wouldn’t have agreed with the characters’ generous nature. The conclusion is somewhat more definitive, and nearly all of the actors appear in a wedding scene that isn't actually detailed in the book—and it wasn’t the kind of wedding I anticipated. Overall, it’s an enjoyable film; sentimental, but not excessively so.

Source on TMDB