In a departure from L.M. Montgomery's book series, this third TV movie jumps ahead to World War I and puts Anne and her beloved Gilbert smack in the middle of it. Instead of marrying Gilbert after her teaching days--as she does in the books--Anne spends a disillusioning year with him in New York City, and then the couple quickly marries before the good doctor ships out to France. (In the book Rilla of Ingleside, Anne's sons go to war and her youngest daughter is separated from her sweetheart.) Impetuous as ever, Anne joins the Red Cross and crosses the pond to track down her husband when his letters are returned unread. What follows is an adventure that takes her through battle zones--where the bodies pile up faster than you can say Saving Private Ryan--and on to London with a half-orphaned baby, her best friend's injured husband, and a tangle of international intrigue. Fans of the 10-book series may balk at the divergences and the fact that very little time is spent on Prince Edward Island. But the book's unrestrained romanticism and unapologetic sentimentality remain intact, as well as the surviving cast of the prior two movies, most notably Megan Follows as Anne and Jonathan Crombie as Gilbert. This movie, produced in 2000, clocks in at 185 minutes and is suitable for ages 9 and older. --Kimberly Heinrichs
