When her father is declared missing in action during World War I, Elsie Wrigth (Florence Hoath) goes to live in England with her cousin Frances Griffiths (Elizabeth Earl) for whom the topic of fairies is forbidden.

When her father is declared missing in action during World War I, Elsie Wrigth (Florence Hoath) goes to live in England with her cousin Frances Griffiths (Elizabeth Earl) for whom the topic of fairies is forbidden. Immediately, the girls discover the winged creatures in the garden and photograph them for Frances's startled parents. This leads to another kind of adventure for the girls. They become the toasts of London as Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (Peter O'Toole) and Harry Houdini (Harvey Keitel), who have seen the photographs, escort them around town. Mildly villainous reporters chase the girls and curious spectators invade their garden after the pictures are printed publicly.

Although fairies are the visible subjects, the enchanting video is really about faith. Frances's parents (Phoebe Nicholls and Paul McGann) recently lost their son, Joseph, who had originally discovered the fairies and would like to think he may be an angel. Sir Arthur also lost his son and is courted by clairvoyants who claim they can talk to the boy. Elsie waits patiently for her father to come home, although it appears hopeless that he will. Harry Houdini is an illusionist but acts against the fraudulent claims of greedy mediums and the like. They are all touched by a need to truly believe in what remains hidden. The story is very loosely based on an early 20th-century controversy involving the real Frances and Elsie who faked pictures of fairies similar to the ones in the video. The real girls never confessed, but the video suggests the manner in which the real life photos may have been produced. --Margaret Griffis

From Parents' Choice®
Believers, young and old, will revel in this magical film. Two young British girls take photos of fairies in the garden and the World War I-torn country is bewitched by the possibility. Well-done script, acting and special effects turn this into a family treasure worth repeated viewings! A 1999 Parents' Choice® Gold Award.

Fairy Tale - A True Story

Customer Reviews

Fairy Tale-A True Story is Fairly Thought Provoking
Cinemagraphically rich, good looking special effects. Story is kinder to the prospect of the legitimacy of the girls' claims, as internet news stories are less considerate. Whether the girls saw fairies or not, doesn't mean they don't exist! It captivated a lot of people in a time of need. The characters were all nicely portrayed. This is a time of discovery beyond the mundane.

Fairy Tale - A True Story
A heart-warming tale which at the end you will beleave there must be Fairies.

One of my favorite movies of all time
I've recently started to go through my video tapes and picking my favorites to get on DVD. Fairy Tale - A true story is one of only a handful that I've decided to repurchase. It is such a wonderful tale of innocence and wonder and hope. I never get tired of watching it. Even though the main story is about the events of the Cottingley Fairies and the two young girls who capture faeries in photographs, most of the drama is occurring in the adults surrounding this event. This movie is such a wonderful balance of the perspective of the girls and the hope and joy these photographs brought to the adults in the movie. On the surface it looks like a kids movie, and even though many kids do love it, it is much more than that. It's as much a faerie tale as it is about how we all grow up and stop believing in those things we cannot see and touch. But when we are little we have imaginary friends, and tea parties with dolls, and play with faeries in the back garden. This tale is about the deep hope many of us have that maybe those childhood fancies, that seemed so real when we 'didn't know better' may have actually been a lot more than we can rationally accept as adults. That is why this tale is so amazing. It isn't about little children believing in faeries, its about Sir Arther Conan Doyle, and publishers, and Kodak, and the world faced with the possibility that faeries might actually be real.

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Posted: 03/20/2007  Popularity: 224