Enid Blyton Biopic on BBC 4 - 'Enid'

Discuss the television and film adaptations of Enid Blyton's stories.
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Re: Enid Blyton Biopic on BBC 4 - 'Enid'

Post by Francis »

What the film lacked was any warmth that Enid must have had to connect with children she read to throughout her life. This Enid was cold and heartless and would have repelled children.
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Re: Enid Blyton Biopic on BBC 4 - 'Enid'

Post by Eddie Muir »

I agree with you about the lack of warmth, Francis. This was exactly my feeling when I watched it.
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ENID (TV film) 2009

Post by floragord »

I noticed the above was on TV a couple of nights ago, was planning to watch it until I read the content which sounded extremely negative and critical. Considering the author's work captivates children of all ages and the delight with which we all read the books every day I gave the film a miss, would rather enjoy the positive input in the forums!
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Re: ENID (TV film) 2009

Post by Poppy »

Yes, there's a full discussion thread in Blyton On TV. Here is the link: http://www.enidblytonsociety.co.uk/foru ... 67&start=0" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

- The two threads have now been merged.
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Re: ENID (TV film) 2009

Post by Julie2owlsdene »

Well done, Poppy, I was just wondering where the thread would be. :)

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Re: ENID (TV film) 2009

Post by Moonraker »

floragord wrote:I noticed the above was on TV a couple of nights ago, was planning to watch it until I read the content which sounded extremely negative and critical.
Always make your own mind up, and don't be influenced by others. You have missed a very good drama/adaptation. If it is repeated (as I'm sure it will be) make sure you watch it. I will look forward to your comments on it!
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Re: ENID (TV film) 2009

Post by floragord »

Thanks Moonraker, interested to hear your thoughts on the excellence of the adaptation. The synopsis about the film portrayal of EB was what rather put me off, its so easy to deride those who can't answer back - of the two options I'd rather hear of the amazing things someone like the author did in their lives rather than concentrate on the downside. No doubt like most things on TV it will be repeated!
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Re: Enid Blyton Biopic on BBC 4 - 'Enid'

Post by floragord »

Poppy wrote:Yes, there's a full discussion thread in Blyton On TV.
Thanks Poppy, hadn't seen that, I'll be interested to follow up on the discussion!

- The two threads have now been merged.
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Re: Enid Blyton Biopic on BBC 4 - 'Enid'

Post by Moonraker »

All this merging, it feels like Clapham Junction! :D
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Enid - BBC Movie

Post by eunsilver »

Merged with an older thread

In the movie,
Enid was a bad mother, she only cares about her children that were her fans and called them her friends.. She even ignored her daughters, ignoring her husband too. She only lived in her imagination..

were all that true?
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Re: Enid Blyton Biopic on BBC 4 - 'Enid'

Post by Poppy »

The film is very bias, eunsilver. I wouldn't be surprised if a majority of the aspects of the film have been exaggerated. I don't know very much about Enid's life; I don't believe in a persons life having no privacy because they're name is famous. I love to find interesting things about about Enid, but when it comes to personal life: frankly that has nothing to do with us.
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Re: Enid Blyton Biopic on BBC 4 - 'Enid'

Post by eunsilver »

I can't believe she was a bad mother either...
If she was, Gillian and Imogen wouldn't want to meet her fans until now. (example in Enid Blyton Day)
Enid in photo looked so warm and she didn't like a bad mother.. very different with the movie and I think the actress who played her really not fit for her character..
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Re: Enid Blyton Biopic on BBC 4 - 'Enid'

Post by Anita Bensoussane »

Don't forget that the film-makers made use of younger daughter Imogen Smallwood's own book, A Childhood at Green Hedges, in which Imogen relates what it was like growing up at Green Hedges. Her mother was distant and engrossed in her writing, so Imogen had a succession of nannies and was then sent to boarding-school (which was not unusual for people of that social class). It seems that Imogen was lonely at times, especially when her sister Gillian (more than four years older) went off to boarding-school ahead of her. However, A Childhood at Green Hedges also shows Imogen struggling to understand Enid, having some sympathy for her and admiring her writing, so it's not all negative.

Barbara Stoney (Enid Blyton's biographer, who unearthed a lot of information Gillian and Imogen weren't aware of, and who became a good friend of theirs) was also consulted about the film-script before her death, and had some input.

Some of the more unpalatable things, such as Enid cutting Hugh Pollock out of his daughters' lives or refusing to visit her dying mother, are facts. In reality, Gillian and Imogen only found out in their teens that Enid's mother had been alive all those years, whereas the film showed Imogen learning about that as a little girl (probably because it was more dramatic that way, and saved having to employ a second actor to represent an older Imogen!)

Enid Blyton wasn't like a mother from one of her storybooks but she was capable of warmth and enthusiasm, e.g. in her teaching days (sadly not shown in the drama) and in her communication with fans.

I think most fans can accept that Enid Blyton wasn't perfect and the film captured certain aspects of her life well in my opinion - though we didn't see much of Enid's early adulthood, and her later years weren't covered. Still, if we want to see the best of her we only have to turn to her books!
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Re: Enid Blyton Biopic on BBC 4 - 'Enid'

Post by eunsilver »

It's so sad Enid and her daughters didn't have much time to spent their time together...
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Re: Enid Blyton Biopic on BBC 4 - 'Enid'

Post by Fab5 »

Merged with an older topic. For discussion of the Independent article, see pages 2, 3, 10 and 11 of this topic.

I guess its probably been discussed here, but i cant find it and I'm new....if anyone wants to point me in the correct discussion that'd be great...but on the of chance its not.
What do you guys make of the article on Enid published in the Independant quite some time ago?

http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-enter ... 44921.html
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