In this story, the Winter family moves from England to the US for six months so that the father can recover from an accident in the nice southern California weather. Coming from war-ravaged London where food is still rationed even though the war (WWII) has been over for a couple of years, the Winters bask in the sunshine and the unlimited fruit and butter.The eldest child, Rachel, is a ballet dancer (at Madame Fidolia's school, of course), and the youngest, Tim, is a talented pianist. Jane, the ornery middle child, has never shone at anything and is even the plainest of the three. When she gets the chance to play Mary in a movie of "The Secret Garden," she hopes that she will be the important Winter for once. But because the famous Posy Fossil arranges ballet lessons for Rachel and Tim finds a way to earn money playing the piano, Jane doesn't become quite the star of her family that she had hoped.[Author:Noel Streatfeild] has a keen perception of children (or at least it seems so to me, as I do not). She captures vividly their ambitions, their irritations, their varied relations with their families. Even if no one else understands the difficult Jane, Streatfeild does, and she makes her more likable.But of course she is known most for her focus on the performing arts. My first introduction to ballet was probably Ballet Shoes. And everything I know about "The Blue Bird" is definitely from that book. In addition to dance and theatre, Streatfeild incorporates literature into her books. Movie Shoes is all about The Secret Garden. Jane has read the book several times before being cast as Mary, and I agree with her ideas about Mary's character. It's great when the director tells her something he wants her to do, and she protests (futilely), "But Mary wouldn't do that!"How much I enjoy the Shoe books! Because only three (Ballet Shoes, Dancing Shoes and Theatre Shoes) are in print in the US, I've had to collect the others from used book sales and a trip to Scotland. Movie Shoes was a happy find at a book sale a couple of months ago.
This is one of those books that you need to read as a child to experience what the author intends.I am sure I'd have loved it if I'd read it at 10. A family in need of money given the chance to travel to Los Angeles, away from rationing and towards adventures in dancing, radio and Hollywood. It's wish-fulfilment at its peak. Eldest child Rachel wants to be a dancer, and meets Posy Fossil from previous book Ballet Shoes (to the delight of readers I would guess). Youngest Tim is talented on the piano and finds his own niche in their new home. It is middle child Jane, envious of her siblings' abilities and opportunities who is given the biggest chance of all... The story goes in the way you'd expect it, with just a few curveballs (the reason for Mr Winter's inability to work seems quite shocking, the relationship between Jane and Maurice not ending as you'd think). It's quite formulaic, plot wise, but enjoyable for a reader, as you yearn for certain things to happen, and lo and behold...As an adult, The Painted Garden is sweet, cloyingly so at times, the children actually pretty annoying. As a parent I'd be talking to my child if they spoke in the way the girls sometimes do. The entitlement they seem to feel that they deserve certain things really don't sit well with me. The awful stereotyping of Italian and 'coloured' accents also was though I suppose of its time, something I'd alter if I read it to my child. And I would also have to discuss the probably-inappropriate present of a cigarette case to an eight-year-old too! I know it would have not been unusual then.Overall, a great children's classic read and a trip down Of-Its-Time Lane for an adult reader.
What do You think about Movie Shoes (1984)?
The Winter family is spending the winter in California for Mr. Winter's health. Rachel, the eldest, is a promising ballet dancer; while Tim, the youngest, has considerable musical talent. But poor Jane in the middle not only lacks a visible talent, she is also not nearly as attractive as her siblings.Then an amazing thing happens -- because of her resemblance to Mary Lennox in The Secret Garden, she is offered the part in a movie. This is Jane's chance to prove that she too can do something -- but it turns out to be harder than she expects.
—Jane Irish Nelson
Reading the British version, The Painted Garden, which has some significant differences from Movie Shoes.So the major things cut out, from what I could see, were more detail about America and some key stuff about Bella the black servant and the Antonios. The dialogue for them was VERY stereotyped, and there were a few things about Aunt Cora not wanting the Antonios around her that I don't remember from Movie Shoes.It's funny to me that I love Jane so much in this book, since Rachel is the ballerina and I always like the ballerinas. But then I find Rachel insufferable, and Jane a grumpy delight.
—Jasmine
It was recommended to me by Goodreads as Movie shoes, then Marineke recommended this as a book by the same author, but it´s the same book! So now I want to read all the other `shoe` books as well. I think this is the series Meg Ryan is explaining about at the Fox bookstore in ´You´ve got mail`?
—Iris
