Madeline (1998)

Set in Paris in the 1950s, a precocious young orphan named Madeline (Hatty Jones) attends a Catholic boarding school run by a nun called Miss Clavell (Frances McDormand). Based on the series of children's books by Ludwig Bemelmans first published in 1939 and continuing through 1961 (his grandson took over at that point) and directed by Daisy Von Scherler Mayer. The film uses the plots of four of the books so the narrative is very episodic in nature: Madeline has her appendix removed, the school is to be sold and the girls turned out, she almost drowns, there's a lost dog to be found and a kidnapping. This being a kid friendly film, the kidnappers are cartoonish and there's no real threat felt. Unfortunately, the film's lack of cohesion works against it and it seems to meander to no purpose. Hatty Jones as Madeline lacks a distinctive presence that would make her stand out from the other girls at the boarding school. One just thinks, why her? There's a lovely underscore by Michel Legrand and Carly Simon wrote and sings the charming In Two Straight Lines over the end credits. With Nigel Hawthorne, Stephane Audran, Ben Daniels and Kristian De La Osa.