The Railway Children
First things first: anyone not moist-eyed at the: “Daddy; my daddy” moment could be a pod-person.
Director and scriptwriter Lionel Jeffries produced perfect British cinema with his adaptation of E. Nesbit ’s novel The Railway Children. The story is about decency and family without ever being po-faced – Bernard Cribbins ensures that – building real tension in two plotlines. The locations, particularly the bridge at Wycoller, Haworth Parsonage, and Keighley and Worth Valley Railway , give the piece both beauty and a sense of place. And it brought together a memorable cast including Iain Cuthbertson, Dinah Sheridan, Sally Thomsett and Jenny Agutter - Thomsett at 20 convincingly playing the then 18-year-old Agutter’s 11-year-old sister. Ageing Tiswas fans will spot Sally James as a maid too.
The Railway Children, though archetypally British, gained international recognition, both Cribbins and Thomsett Oscar nominated in 1971. The film is still shown regularly on TV.
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Current top 10
1: Oliver!
2: Zulu
3: The Railway Children
4: The Italian Job
5: Life of Brian
6: Trainspotting
7: The Third Man
8: The 39 Steps
9: The Cook, the Thief, His Wife and Her Lover
10: Local Hero
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