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      The Railway Children

      G Released Dec 21, 1970 1h 42m Comedy Drama List
      100% 16 Reviews Tomatometer 82% 2,500+ Ratings Audience Score After Charles Waterbury (Iain Cuthbertson) is imprisoned on false charges of selling state secrets, his wife (Dinah Sheridan) must move to a small house near a railway station. The Waterbury children -- Bobbie (Jenny Agutter), Phyllis (Sally Thomsett) and Peter (Gary Warren) -- occupy themselves watching the trains, even befriending a gentleman (William Mervyn) who frequents the station. When the children discover what has happened to their father, their new friend provides key assistance. Read More Read Less

      Audience Reviews

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      Clare O Sublime. This film is just sublime loveliness and makes me cry like a baby. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 12/23/23 Full Review Audience Member It was a classic film when it came out, and its a classic now. Such a lovely charming film that still holds up. Great cast, and a story of innocence, childhood, and that part of the world between childhood and adulthood. I havent seen any of the remakes of this film- I dont need t0. The 70s version is always my to go version of this story. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 01/15/23 Full Review Audience Member In a class of its own! What more can I say?! Rated 5 out of 5 stars 01/18/23 Full Review Audience Member Possibly the most delightful & enchanting film it has been my pleasure to watch & I have done so on many, many occasions. Quite brilliant! Rated 5 out of 5 stars 02/02/23 Full Review William L I must be one of about six people on the planet that don't like this movie. Maybe chalk it up to waiting too long past adolescence before first viewing, but the film feels too virtuous, cheesy, and sickly sweet to actually be good; it's a work of almost Victorian ideals, told episodically in a Sunday School format in which the three angelic children demonstrate whatever moral uprightness the author deems timely. It is well-made and wholesome as all get-out, sure, but also very childish even for a classic family film. I'm sure many will find the rolling hills of the English countryside and the simplicity to provide some sort of nostalic escape, but the sweetness approaches saccharine. (2.5/5) Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars 12/07/20 Full Review Audience Member It's strange. As someone who has found it hard to cry (in real situations or watching a film), I find myself welling up at the scene when "daddy" appears out of steam. I know it's coming - yet up come the tears It's a lovely film, though I can't resist a wry smile, at the supposed "tough" life they have to "endure" in their country dwelling while father is in prison. True deprivation this is not. ....but it's so well made, that u almost wish u could be transported to this place, only a few years before WW1......as long as you had your antibiotics and a smattering of servants! Rated 5 out of 5 stars 01/19/23 Full Review Read all reviews Post a rating

      Cast & Crew

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      The Railway Children

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      Critics Reviews

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      Myles Standish St. Louis Post-Dispatch It is charming, gentle and refreshing as it recalls the lost innocence and wholesomeness of a bygone era in films. May 16, 2023 Full Review Kevin Maher Times (UK) A marketing mood-setter for the forthcoming sequel The Railway Children Return, this big-screen rerelease is a chance to marvel at a children’s classic that champions sincerity and altruism instead of, well, superheroes. Rated: 3/5 Jul 1, 2022 Full Review Derek Malcolm Guardian A wonderful piece of family entertainment in the sense that nobody could possibly take offence at anything they see on the screen and many will obviously find it a blow struck for sanity in a wicked incomprehensible world. Dec 17, 2020 Full Review Rich Cline Shadows on the Wall It's packed with vivid characters and offbeat humour, and it tells an involving story about kindness and friendship. Rated: 4/5 Jul 12, 2022 Full Review Matt Brunson Film Frenzy A wondrous family film that should captivate the young'uns - or at least those capable of responding to a motion picture that doesn't move at the locomotive speed of a superhero saga. Rated: 3.5/4 Jun 26, 2021 Full Review Frank J. Avella Edge Media Network This enchanting, atmospheric film is part fairy tale, part morality lesson, and all heart. Rated: B Jun 15, 2021 Full Review Read all reviews

      Movie Info

      Synopsis After Charles Waterbury (Iain Cuthbertson) is imprisoned on false charges of selling state secrets, his wife (Dinah Sheridan) must move to a small house near a railway station. The Waterbury children -- Bobbie (Jenny Agutter), Phyllis (Sally Thomsett) and Peter (Gary Warren) -- occupy themselves watching the trains, even befriending a gentleman (William Mervyn) who frequents the station. When the children discover what has happened to their father, their new friend provides key assistance.
      Director
      Lionel Jeffries
      Screenwriter
      Lionel Jeffries, E. Nesbit
      Distributor
      Universal Pictures, MGM-EMI, MCA/Universal Pictures [us], Warner Home Vídeo
      Production Co
      EMI Films Ltd.
      Rating
      G
      Genre
      Comedy, Drama
      Original Language
      English
      Release Date (Theaters)
      Dec 21, 1970, Wide
      Runtime
      1h 42m
      Sound Mix
      Mono
      Aspect Ratio
      Flat (1.37:1)