Heidi (2015) User Reviews

Beautifully cast, innocent and moved me to tears

[zengesther · 8/10 · 3 September 2016]

It's the first time for me to write a review. But I'm very much moved by this movie.

I haven't read the original book, and I read the previous review saying this is supposed to be a movie for children and she doesn't see her son/daughter laugh. I think this is too harsh for the movie.

The scenes are cast as beautiful as it can be, reflecting the pure innocence of the kids for sure. The pure affection among kids are well cast through their innocent smiles. What touched me the most was the nostalgia that Heidi had towards her mountains, and the soft bread that she saved for Peter's grandmother. I hated peter for a while, but the moment he helped Clara stand up. I can see the cute part of a child when he pushed down Clara's wheelchair.

If I have to pick some imperfections in this movie, it would be the quite abrupt ending. Suddenly, Clara can move perfectly, and Heiti got a blank notebook to fill her stories. This setting is diluting the innocence in the movie. Another part, is the relationship between Heiti and her grandfather was only emphasized in the very beginning and left unattended since Clara appears.

The sky is smiling

[zwt-91718 · 8/10 · 20 May 2019]

This moive came out in German in 2015, but I saw it in China's ciname just yesterday (2019). I think this is the first moive I have seen about Swiss and German.

I never knew Alps could be that beautiful. The story is plain. I just spended so much time enjoy the tremendous sceneries. They reminded me the beginning of The Sould of Music. I read an article about people struggling to climb the Alps. And now I know why they did.

love

[lengjing · 8/10 · 29 March 2020]

Goes back to the roots of the novel trying to correct previous mistakes like Heidi's hair being wild, like her spirit, and black instead of blonde.

good movie

[james_12345 · 9/10 · 29 March 2020]

You're not going to hear people talking plot twists or modern spins about this umpteenth take on Johanna Spyri's classic children's story. ... Handsomely crafted, if uncompromisingly old-fashioned.

You can call her the daughter of the Alps.

[Reno-Rangan · 9/10 · 4 August 2016]

Not everybody knows Heidi. People are taking about their favourite versions, but for me this is the first film and I loved it. Now I'm not going to watch the other versions, because I think nothing would surpass this one. I'll stand by my statement till someone convince me over. This is definitely the Swiss version of 'The Secret Garden', except the garden is so big and not a secret. Hailing from a Himalayan nation, I do love the Alps more for its beauty than the snowy and rocky Himalayas. Last month I saw another film theme related to the Alps called 'Brothers of Wind'. So lately I've been watching some fine films, pure children's films where adults too can have a great time.

I think the casting was good, especially the little girl in the title role. She has given her best despite no prior experience in the acting. So whenever I remember this film in the future, her trademark smile as Heidi is the image I'll be seeing. This is the best family film with an awesome story. It might not make sense compared to the real world, certainly not to be considered as a fairytale. Not just because it has no magics, but it is comparable to Disney films. Very cheerful narration with a steady pace. Blending background score and equally matched greenery locations to the story, overall everything worked in its favour.

The film was based on a century old Swiss children's book of the same name. The film runs for nearly a two hours. The story of a young girl named Heidi, who lost both her parents and now she is left in her grandfather's custody who lives high in the Alps. She finally finds a place where she can be happy, but not for a very long. One day her aunt comes back to take her to another house where she will be accompanying a wealthy girl, Klara. After sometimes, the time comes to choose between her new friend Klara and the happy life back in the Alps with her grandfather. How the rest of the story shapes up is the another excellent half with a beautiful conclusion.

"People like saying nasty things. You have to decide whether to trust your own eyes and ears or what other people say."

The film opens and ends with showing an eagle and we know that the Alps' magnificent creature which depicts the Heidi's life in the human form to go all the struggles to be free one day to soar high under the blue sky. But when she was refused by her aunt and followed by her grandfather, that is the moment anybody with the light heart would end up very sad for the inhumane treatment on a little innocent child. The adult might take it differently, but this film is for children and those who love children as the punchline says from the original book cover.

Felt like I knew the story, but not really, except I was familiar with similar themes. Even though, pretty predictable and I did not care, but just enjoyed it. Despite all the issues, Heidi was not portrayed in the very harsh conditions. There are some evil characters, but not so terrifying as one from 'Cinderella' story or any other similar. This screenplay might be altered, but I don't know the original material to confirm that. This is a film for families, so the contents from it was balanced to fit on that.

I think the director did his part so well and so the actors from the front of the camera. The cinematography was another highlight of the film. The camera angles totally caught my attention and I never stopped to admire the great Alps. The final scene in the film where Heidi runs by stretching her hands mimicking the eagle on the mountain along the goat herd, she stops suddenly and turns back to give a cute smile, you definitely don't want the film to end. But obviously you can re- watch like I did because it's well worth. I have not seen many Swiss films, but this is one of the best from that part and surely I won't end my review without recommending it to all.

9/10

Heidi - Bruno Ganz Anuk Steffen -Very Wonderful!

[patriciagoldsworthy · 21 October 2017]

When I rented this movie, I thought it could never be as wonderful as the 1930's version starring Shirley Temple. This was an amazing movie and pulls at your heart strings. Worth seeing for the beautiful visuals indoors and out. Heidi reminds us that the simple things in life are what make life worthwhile. Thank & Grow Rich Pam Grout

Potential for more, but still good

[Horst_In_Translation · 6/10 · 17 December 2015]

"Heidi" is a new German(-language) film that brings back Johanna Spyri's title character to the big screen, a little girl who discovers how much she loves live at the countryside/in the mountains. Unfortunately, her aunt(?) who took care of her after Heidi's mother's death is not exactly a great talent in terms of upbringing and literally sells her to a family in the city of Frankfurt, who are looking for a companion for her wheelchair-bound daughter. It certainly is a tough decision who's worse: Fräulein Rottenmeier or Dete? These two sure make Heidi suffer a lot. This movie here has quite a few big names in terms of German cinema: Schüttler, Haase, Mehmet, Lohmeyer are all well-known here and then of course there is Bruno Ganz, who is a big star abroad as well.

However, let's not forget the child actors. I thought the trio did a good job. They all showed that they have talent in terms of acting and that they were deserving to play major characters in such a big film. Nice choices by the casting directors. The story is good as well. I must say that the emotional moments could have needed better elaboration sometimes, like Öhi growing closer to Heidi or when Klara suddenly is able to walk at the end. Then again, this is all seen and displayed through the eyes of children and for them it's more about discovering something new than about feeling something. And it's certainly not that they were free of all emotion, just a case of "is good, but could have been great". There are also funny moments in there. More severe scenes like Peter beating the goats or destroying the wheelchair are mitigated by the "sharing cheese and ham" talk and the boy's guilty conscience.

The movie runs for roughly 105 minutes which is fairly long for a kids movie, but nothing that breaks records or anything. If your kids have the attention span, this film is certainly worth a watch. Maybe my lack of emotional response also has to do with me living in cities for my entire life. People who lived in the countryside or even in the mountains may respond even more positive to this film than I did. Of course, I still managed to enjoy the beautiful scenery and animals in here in the first and last chapters in the mountains. Good movie. Not among year-best for me, but I recommend it.

Heidi is Back

[westsideschl · 9/10 · 11 July 2017]

Yes, it does have German or English options as well as English subtitles. The best Heidi I've seen; did it cover all Heidi story aspects - probably not, but what it did cover was more than sufficient to keep the viewer engaged. Acting - superb; filming, editing - superb; authenticity and beauty of scenes - superb. Yes, it's hard to go wrong with this story and you already know how it turns out, but no matter it still felt suspenseful and warm and kindly and adventuresome.

Sweet just as I remember it

[Finfy · 7/10 · 14 March 2016]

I was skeptical when I first heard that Heidi would be adapted into a film because I grew up watching the animated series on television and still remember it fondly, but this film surprised me.

You can feel how much the movie team wanted to make a movie that people who knew the original would love.

Heidi's actress is a wonderful girl. I could barely imagine anyone who would fit the role better than her. Klara and every other actor fit their roles and played them with a lot of charm.

The pictures in the movie are beautiful. You can almost feel Heidi's love for them when she is in Frankfurt and how much she misses them. The movie is well shot and has a wonderful and catching score, which contributes to the overall positive mood of the movie.

I am glad they got to put every major plot point in the movie, especially Klara's arc later in the series. We get a wonderful ending, and, in the end, a wonderful movie for kids and fans of the originals.

Heartwarming

[mitsubishizero · 9/10 · 21 March 2020]

I never read the book but the movie was pretty good. I thought it was well acted, shot and directed. I thought the main actor was great in the title role. She really played up the cleverness yet innocence of a kid free to do whatever he/she wants even in the face of adversity such as being ditched in an unfamiliar place. While it's lighthearted when it gets dark it does it so well to where it's not overkill. Heidi sleepwalking due to being homesick was sad and well acted. I won't give away the ending but I will say it was very heartfelt and wraps up the film pretty well. With that being said i'd say check it out especially if you're learning german.

Decent adaptation

[chnutscher · 6/10 · 15 June 2016]

Decent adaptation

Overall quite well done. The costumes and settings are nicely done. And of course, the presence of the national hero among the local actors, Bruno Ganz, also contributed positively to this movie.

However, I think the filmmakers relied a bit much on the here so called Jöö effect (=cuteness factor) with the presence (alone) of the cute girl representing Heidi. I noticed also some unnecessary overuse of background music in some parts. The movie goes conform with the (overly?) "positive" basic mood of Disney movies. Not to criticize, given the targeted audience, youth and children. But often, as here, it does not add that much to the depth of the story. But the acting of the two youngsters representing Heidi and Geissenpeter is remarkable indeed, given that apparently they appeared on screen the first time.

Nevertheless, IMO a bit overrated with 7.5 at the moment.

Great movie

[EowynTheHunter · 10/10 · 8 September 2020]

Heidi is a great movie for all ages, I highly recommend to watch it for everyone! It has interesting story line, actors are great and it has some beautiful scenes! :)

this movie was a bit a disappointment

[elyrov · 6/10 · 6 January 2022]

I have to be honest: this film was a tremendous disappointment for me. Since I was little I have always watched all the episodes of Heidi assiduously and I knew each episode by heart and although this film has unlocked many good memories, it seemed to me that they did not value the story at all. Everything happened too quickly, many things were forgotten and others were too much summarized. I was sorry that she has been for such a short time in the mountains in the beginning and that the part where Clara goes to the mountains and starts walking is practically non-existent. Even if it was nice to remember this beautiful story from my childhood, this film is a no for me.

Not the Heidi known from the series

[michimoesenbacher · 5/10 · 2 January 2016]

Because of the excellent reviews, I have to admit my expectations for the movie were quite high. Yes it is beautifully filmed and overall enjoyable, but ...

It is supposed to be a children movie. I did not once during the entire movie hear either my son or one other child in the cinema laugh and for that the 100 mins are quite long. Of course, the story is not complete, you could not bring it all into a movie. But still, I left the cinema with the feeling, that I did see a cute girl (she could not have been cast better!) which is being pushed from here to there and she can not do much to influence her fate. Luckily it all turns out well in the end.

However, I did NOT see the stubborn little girl who is feeding the animals, talking to the trees, rescuing a baby bird, reading to grandmother, saving Schnucki by feeding her only the best mountain herbs and pushing not only Peter but also her own grandfather to be the best persons they can be. I missed Josef - the dog and the general good heartiness of various human characters. Overally they all seemed a little hollow to me. I have to admit, I never read the original book, but this is what I would have expected from my childhood memories about Heidi. I am sorry to say, the movie raised expectations that were not met as far as I am concerned. I am not sure that children will fall in love with that movie in the same way many children still do when they see the old TV series.

Very good adaption of a national epos

[dbudelsky · 9/10 · 7 February 2016]

Yesterday, i went to the Cinema to look Heidi with my wife to to please her. Besides of the good reviews and the participation of Bruno Ganz I didn't expect too much. But the film convinced me totally, especially emotional. The film is very faithful to the books of J. Spyri even to small details. They are used very good to compound the overall story. Therefore, the film lacks inventions for the story telling. Instead it is using a proper selection of the original material given. As J. Spyri defined the idealised view on Switzerland, this Swiss film showed it as the story was intended . The looks of the Dörfli, the mountain pasture and Frankfurt are really faithful and believable while idealised as it was intended. The Alps panorama was breathtaking as could be expected from a Swiss film. The casting was very good. The short scene of the Alp-Öhi with the Grandma Sesemann played by H. Hoger showed the great actors chosen. The children were very good, too. Anuk Steffen had to carry the complete weight of the story with leading adult actors and she really did. The facial expressions and the language with the mild Swiss dialect was perfect. The roles of Fräulein Rottenmeier and the teacher was laid out overacted. I think it was made to attract children for this film. For a film targeting only adults this was too much. The story is well known, I think and of course J. Spyris master work making it one of Swiss national epics (Quotation from B. Ganz why he took the role). The film follows this absolutely truthfully. For the content of both books, the time is too short so psychological developments could only be hinted at. Another half hour of an extended version concentrating on the development of personal relationships as Heidi <-> Alp-Öhi would make the film perfect. But then it may be too long for a young audience.

Enjoy the pure love

[Qian1010 · 9/10 · 11 February 2019]

Such a beautiful pure love movie. When I saw Heidi's smile, it shined my heart... best movie to relax, leave all your burdens away

Am A Naturalized Swiss, and Don't Know Heidi

[SerpentMage · 9/10 · 19 March 2016]

Born in Germany, grew up in North America, lived all over Europe, and am a Swiss (Naturalized) and did not know the story of Heidi. My wife said, "don't you remember the cartoons?" Answer: NO.

It is an excellent movie and being German (born near Frankfurt) / Swiss dual citizen, I actually truly appreciated its reality and adherence to the people and the land. While others may say, "oh where is this", this movie paid attention to how people were of that time. I was surprised by that.

The story itself might not be accurate the the cartoons, but as my wife says, "you know it is a story right?" Well, and here is the thing the movie is very true to the original story, and not the cartoons.

Swiss appreciated the movie because they did not use a German dialect throughout the entire movie. They used a true Swiss dialect when appropriate.

So does the movie skip? Sure, it does, but it only has 2 hours to cover a complicated story. They decided to focus on the main parts of the original story and did a very good job.

The three most attractive points in this film

[e-51445-71035 · 10/10 · 22 March 2020]

The three most attractive points in this film are: the beautiful scenery of the Alps, the relationship between Heidi and Grandpa, and the friendship between Heidi and Clara. Such an innocent, innocent, and flawless movie is worth watching for everyone, and it can arouse the beauty in our hearts. There is no doubt that Heidi is a very kind, intelligent, and cute child. When faced with malicious intentions, he will not think in the worst direction, but approach others with kindness and be kind. I think this is what the film wants to tell us.

Awesome movie!

[reggie13chip · 10/10 · 8 April 2017]

I could NOT WAIT to get this DVD! Being a huge fan of anything HEIDI I have several film versions in my collection. I first heard of this movie early last year (2016) when it was first released in Europe with the actors speaking German. Sadly, I don't speak German so I hoped it would come out in an English version. This is it (along with the same film dubbed in French)! It's one of the absolute best versions of HEIDI that's been made and really sticks close to the original tale by Johanna Spyri. There are some subtle changes to the story but nothing I found annoying. The little actress Anuk Steffen is absolutely perfect as the young heroine and Bruno Ganz is wonderful as Heidi's beloved Grandfather. One thing I loved was the addition of a small back story on Heidi's friend Klara, played by Isabelle Ottmann. The strict governess Fraulein Rottenmeier (Katharine Schuttler) was a delightfully comic character and I really enjoyed the performances of Peter Lohmeyer and Jella Haase as Sebastian the butler and Tinette the French maid! Young Quirin Agrippi rounds out the cast as Heidi's best friend Peter. I will be recommending this lovely film to my friends and family! Enjoy!

Disappointing, 100 Minutes is way too short

[diskutant · 3/10 · 6 June 2018]

As most germans at a certain age I grew up with the anime series, which I rewatched a few months ago. It's still great. This movie not so much though. Just 100 minutes are too short for the story. It starts with the Grandfather not wanting Heidi with him. But the next moment he wants her to stay. The development of the characters and their bonding is missing. It just happens out of the blue. The part in Frankfurt you get no idea how Heidi suffers because of Rottenmeier, or that Heidi is missing the hills so sadly. This happens with every other story element. The movie just starts one topic and finishes it in the next scene, but the viewer doesn't even know why.

The most baffling scene is at the end, when Klara suddenly starts to walk, before it wasn't even mentioned this could be something to hope for.

All this means the movie is missing all emotions the story has to offer. I think with like 30 minutes more, the movie could be so much better.

It's quite sad, because the scenery of the alps and the village are really beautiful and are done with attention to details. It's beautiful to watch.

Brilliant film

[dessi_jessi · 10/10 · 25 July 2017]

That film is one of the most amazing films I've ever watched. Brilliant acting, excellent script, beautiful locations, wonderful soundtrack. The plot is breath taking and I definitely recommend it to everyone! There aren't many films like this nowadays. It's a real gem. A film which is a feast for the soul.

Heidi rewards as a new family classic

[brookturnernz · 10/10 · 12 April 2019]

A review from my children: A great movie to watch when you are feeling down or sad. It has good humour and will leave you with a smile on your face. Wholesome family viewing.

The best movie I have ever watched - Lexie 7 years old.

Refreshingly perfect

[ambrosegreenfield · 10/10 · 27 October 2020]

A film to capture your heart. Once in a decade a really wonderful film comes out and this is it. Timeless classic perfect for the family or adults. My 6 year old daughter gave it two thumbs up! Describing it as a film about being free. See for yourself.

Perfect Christmas movie

[Lokman_Merican · 9/10 · 25 December 2020]

Perfect choice to watch on Christmas day today; it is that kind of movie.

Heal the heart

[wodexiaohaozi-56606 · 8/10 · 25 August 2020]

The story is tender, the scenery is pleasant, and the viewing process is intoxicating. Sometimes, I think I have seen thousands of movies, will be aesthetic fatigue, but when I encounter my favorite works, I can still see physical and mental pleasure.