The agony and joy of first love, not to mention dealing with a pretty eccentric family.

Astute fans will recognize Dodie Smith as the author of One Hundred and One Dalmatians, but this book is very different...I loved it as a young otter, it was one of my favorites, so of course I had to rent the movie when it came out.

And you know, when push came to shove, I couldn't remember A SINGLE THING about the story except that it was awfully romantic and I had loved it as a teen.

The movie is good...a British family in the 30s with very eccentric parents (writer father, artist mother) rent a castle and move in, and live there in abject poverty (writer's block) for 10 years, until the girls are growing up and a cutie-pie eligible bachelor inherits the property they are renting.

This was a really charming movie...the actors were good, and good for their parts, and it was both touching and funny. And Mr. Otter always enjoys hearing anything with British accents in it. Certainly one could empathize with the younger 'plain' daughter being forever in the shadow of the older, more flamboyant girl, as well as with the plight of the whole family, poor and with no prospects of ever having any money, all caught up in being supportive of the father, and all eventually breaking free from him and following their own hearts.

A good movie, not very demanding but worth the time spent.