Poor adaptation of Paul Gallico's novel Flowers for Mrs. Harris this movie lacks all the charm and beauty that its 1992 predecessor Mrs. 'Arris goes to Paris starring Angela Lansbury and Omar Shariff had.
Not only the script omits all the enchanting facts in the novel but also adds some ugly and utterly annoying touches -like the garbage collectors strike (!?) and the cabaret scene - that seem to be added on purpose to ruin the fairytale atmosphere and frustrate the viewer. No opportunity to disappoint the viewer is wasted here. The novel main "character" - Dior dress- is minimized to an uninspired and trivial one and by no means a matter of main importance for Mrs. Harris. Her friendship with the marquis is changed into a frustrated love story instead, not to mention Mrs. Harris' cook friend conversion into a totally different character. Mrs. Harris herself becomes more interested - and angered by - social differences than in her dreamed gown. Even at the Dior fashion show dresses can not be properly seen.
In the novel everybody wants to help her to thank her for changing their lives for good but here one wonders why.
Under the premise of adapting a fairytale style book this movie desguises a totally different, irritating and disappointing message and what's worst, it makes it in a subterfuge way that annoys much more than the film itself.
Do you a favor and watch much better and true to the novel spirit 1992 Mrs. 'Arris goes to Paris instead, a lovely sweet fairytale with solid authentic performances and full of kind-hearted characters.
Not only the script omits all the enchanting facts in the novel but also adds some ugly and utterly annoying touches -like the garbage collectors strike (!?) and the cabaret scene - that seem to be added on purpose to ruin the fairytale atmosphere and frustrate the viewer. No opportunity to disappoint the viewer is wasted here. The novel main "character" - Dior dress- is minimized to an uninspired and trivial one and by no means a matter of main importance for Mrs. Harris. Her friendship with the marquis is changed into a frustrated love story instead, not to mention Mrs. Harris' cook friend conversion into a totally different character. Mrs. Harris herself becomes more interested - and angered by - social differences than in her dreamed gown. Even at the Dior fashion show dresses can not be properly seen.
In the novel everybody wants to help her to thank her for changing their lives for good but here one wonders why.
Under the premise of adapting a fairytale style book this movie desguises a totally different, irritating and disappointing message and what's worst, it makes it in a subterfuge way that annoys much more than the film itself.
Do you a favor and watch much better and true to the novel spirit 1992 Mrs. 'Arris goes to Paris instead, a lovely sweet fairytale with solid authentic performances and full of kind-hearted characters.