Heidi

SYNOPSIS

There's nothing ground-breaking about this latest version of Johanna Spyri's classic children's story, the tale of a young Swiss miss who pines for her grandfather and alpine home when she's sent to far-off Frankfurt. But traditional stories sometimes need a traditional telling. And, within those parameters, this is decent, wholesome stuff - good entertainment for the under-eights, and for less cynical accompanying adults. Emma Bolger - so good in Jim Sheridan's In America - is a cute and wide-eyed Heidi, Max von Sydow is a suitably grumpy grandpa, and there are starry support turns from Geraldine Chaplin (as a horrid housekeeper) and Diana Rigg (as a kindly grandmother). Sedate and rather old fashioned, this is children's entertainment as it used to be - there may be many who welcome its return.