A New and Wonderful "Lassie"

We watched a new version of Lassie last night. That's the title, just "Lassie.' Filmed last year in England, Scotland and on the Isle of Man, this movie includes gorgeously photographed countryside and wonderful performances by everyone in the cast. There's a darling little boy in it who looks a lot like our Ben, only he's about nine. Peter O'Toole plays the local lord who forces the boy's unemployed father to sell the dog. Lassie is whisked off to Scotland, 500 miles from her home in Yorkshire. Lassie's adventures on her way home involve several escapes from mean people, but one of the best episodes is when she meets a gypsy caravan drawn by a beautiful old horse and home to a warmhearted traveling player and his little Border Terrier. The player, who speaks beautifully poetic lines, earns his living giving puppet shows to children.. He's marvelously played by the dwarf actor, Peter Drinklage. At one point Lassie encounters Loch Ness and briefly glimpses the monster. Other familiar actors pop in and out. Dear old Robert Hardy, so wonderful in All Creatures Great and Small appears as a judge when Lassie somehow manages to appear in a courtroom witness box. And Edward Fox, so much older but still recognizable in face and voice--as a sports enthusiast. (Unforgettable as the depressed actor in The Dresser years ago) Many other cameo roles by well known actors. The time period is the 1930s just before WWII. One thing, though-- a few scenes involve cruelty and some viewers may think them unsuitable for children. Thanks Netflix, for making this movie available.