Anne of Green Gables first aired on December 1st and 2nd 1985, right in the middle of the holiday season. It made its debut amongst the joyous Christmas fare that always accompanies each festive yuletide, and while it may not have been Christmas themed, it certainly stood out amongst the other TV offerings at the time.
“Anne of Green Gables opens a drawerful of romantic adventures for kids and rekindles old memories for adults,” wrote Debra Cummings of The Calgary Sun on the day the first two hours of Anne of Green Gables aired on CBC. “The four-hour production takes you to a never-never land you won’t want to leave.”
Christmas is a time to spend with those whom you love, to share kindness and to, for at least at little while bask in the feel of the season; that romantic, nostalgic, wistful feeling and fond memories of days past when things seemed magical. Anne of Green Gables is a film packed full of these traits, so it’s no wonder that it’s seemed to embed itself in our minds as a Christmas movie. It is a perfect movie to watch with your family after a holiday meal or on a quite December evening.
It may not be your typical Hallmarkesque holiday affair, but what it does have is a sense of community, a nostalgic and magical atmosphere and most importantly of all, when you watch Anne of Green Gables, you come away from the experience feeling good. Your emotions have been stirred, but your heart is gladdened to see Anne triumph from her days as a waif to her young adulthood full of confidence. Like characters in many Christmas movies, Anne was in search of that feeling of home and belonging and she found it at Green Gables with Matthew and Marilla.
The film is full of moments that could give the most festive of holiday films a run for their money. When Matthew gifts Anne the iconic Puff Sleeved Dress for Christmas, he fulfills one of her heart’s most cherished dreams. And he does so out of love and a desire to see her happy - what could possibly be more in keeping with the spirit of the holiday season? And when Anne and Marilla truly connect after Matthew’s passing, the emotional resonance of the scene provides a sense of raw catharsis as touching as any scene in a classic Christmas film.
This holiday season, take some time to sit back with your loved ones and share the experience of Anne’s coming to Green Gables and allow yourself to get swept into a “never-never land” that is full of the kind of feeling that epitomizes Christmas time.
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