Fairy Tale: A True Story

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Fairy Tale: A True Story

PG

1997

1h 39m

Kids & Family

Fantasy

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

56%

Tomatometer

32 Reviews

66%

Popcornmeter

10,000+ Ratings

After enduring family tragedies, young cousins Elsie (Florence Hoath) and Frances (Elizabeth Earl) spend time in rural Yorkshire, England, where they see fairies in a nearby meadow. They then snap pictures of the fairies, which suddenly gain international notoriety. Author Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (Peter O'Toole) announces he's a believer. Magician Harry Houdini (Harvey Keitel), however, is a skeptic. Both join a media circus to see if the pictures indeed are genuine and if fairies are real.

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Critics Consensus

Believe -- Fairy Tale: A True Story's sense of wonder and magic may help overlook the science behind the film's flaws.

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Derek Elley

Variety

Fairy Tale: A True Story is as light — and centerless — as a marshmallow.

Mar 26, 2009

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Nick Bradshaw

Time Out

It's a respectable tale, but there's too much baggage for the fancy fully to take flight.

Aug 16, 2007

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Nell Minow

Movie Mom

Charming special effects and appealing heroines, and truly an ambitious meditation on the nature of fantasy and reality and growing up.

Rated: 4/5

May 22, 2003

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Dan DiNicola

The Daily Gazette (Schenectady, NY)

Trying to entertain adults and kids, this work falls through the cracks.

Rated: C

Jan 10, 2023

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Edward Porter

Sunday Times (UK)

A sugared but poignant account...

Nov 7, 2022

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David Sterritt

Christian Science Monitor

Charles Sturridge's fantasy is too slow and complicated for very young viewers, but others will enjoy its wholesome story and detailed depiction of the World War I era, not to mention the fairyland scenes, which are truly magical.

Rated: 3/4

Mar 28, 2019

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andy h

It's got some boring grown up parts, but the kids moments are very cute.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

03/31/23

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sean g

Great story, great Sunday movie

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

03/31/23

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steve d

Not true and not at all interesting.

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

03/30/23

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Audience Member

This is a fun movie with lovely scenery. I really enjoyed it.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

01/26/23

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Audience Member

As recently as the late 1960's, I had an actress friend in Hollywood who believed these famous "photographs" of fairies in Yorkshire were real, and she was truly annoyed by those who did not share her belief. The subject of this historic hoax might have made a charming movie, but this one is too heavy handed and slowly paced. The small matter is treated in epic proportions, and too much spiritual significance is stuffed into the screenplay, which is filled with unspoken things, hints and hesitations. The fairies are presented here as "real," but a hoax is intimated, which turns out, of course, to have been the case, since the girls confessed later in life. The evidence of the existence of fairies is presumed to give hope and faith to the population of England during World War I, though why that should be so is never made clear. As we all know, it is Guardian Angels who look after us, not fairies. The real star of this film is the English countryside, which has rarely looked so lush, lovely and green, with or without its fairies.

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

01/12/23

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Audience Member

not quite as magical as I had hoped like with 'A Little Princess' it has a lot of promising ideas and ambition but falls short of being the perfect family film these little girls make the movie soar though challenging our belief systems as kids and adults and giving hope theres a sweet cameo at the end that will make you smile and how can I forget the fairies themselves.....easily because they're hardly in it but they look very enchanting Harvey Keitel as Harry Houdini sheds some interesting light about magic and illusion; without the explaining whats the point of a trick? and Bill Nighy is classy as always wanting to prove to the world that fairies exist and what they could represent to the population a good eye of a film for the child at heart but needs more

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

01/22/23

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Charles Sturridge

Director

Florence Hoath

Elsie Wright

Elizabeth Earl

Frances Griffiths

Paul McGann

Arthur Wright

Phoebe Nicholls

Polly Wright

Peter O'Toole

Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

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Synopsis

After enduring family tragedies, young cousins Elsie (Florence Hoath) and Frances (Elizabeth Earl) spend time in rural Yorkshire, England, where they see fairies in a nearby meadow. They then snap pictures of the fairies, which suddenly gain international notoriety. Author Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (Peter O'Toole) announces he's a believer. Magician Harry Houdini (Harvey Keitel), however, is a skeptic. Both join a media circus to see if the pictures indeed are genuine and if fairies are real.

Director: Charles Sturridge
Producer: Wendy Finerman, Bruce Davey
Screenwriter: Albert Ash, Tom McLoughlin, Ernie Contreras
Production Co: Icon Entertainment International
Rating: PG
Genre: Kids & Family, Fantasy
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Oct 24, 1997, Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Jun 15, 2011
Box Office (Gross USA): $14.1M
Runtime: 1h 39m
Sound Mix: Dolby, Surround
Aspect Ratio: 35mm

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