Plot
Four children staying in their eccentric uncle's labyrinthine mansion for protection during World War I befriend a sand fairy who has the power to grant wishes.

Release Year: 2004

Rating: 5.6/10 (1,821 voted)

Director: John Stephenson

Stars: Tara Fitzgerald, Freddie Highmore, Alex Jennings

Storyline
'It' is a Psammead, an ancient, ugly and irritable sand fairy the children find one day on a secret beach at their uncle's mansion. It grants them one wish per day, lasting until sunset. But they soon learn it is very hard to think of really sensible wishes, and each one gets them into unexpected difficulties. Magic, the children find, can be as awkward as it is enticing.

Writers: David Solomons, E. Nesbit

Cast:
Tara Fitzgerald - Mother
Freddie Highmore - Robert
Alex Jennings - Father
Jonathan Bailey - Cyril
Jessica Claridge - Anthea
Poppy Rogers - Jane
Alec Muggleton - Lamb
Zak Muggleton - Lamb
Zoë Wanamaker - Martha
Kenneth Branagh - Uncle Albert
Alexander Pownall - Horace
Eddie Izzard - It (voice)
Georgio Serafini - Mr. Bialli
John Sessions - Peasemarsh
Kim Fenton - RFC Flier

Taglines: You are invited to discover the secret...

Release Date: 15 October 2004

Filming Locations: England, UK

Opening Weekend: €13,422 (Netherlands) (23 January 2005) (20 Screens)

Gross: £1,519,049 (UK) (14 November 2004)

Runtime: 89 min

Trivia:
Never released to theaters in the U.S., where it played only at film festivals before being shown on U.S. cable TV.

Goofs:
Anachronisms: Despite taking place in circa 1917, the children sing "Happy Birthday to You", which wasn't written until 1924, and didn't game popularity until around 1930.

Quotes:
[first lines]
Robert: It was the Summer of nineteen seventeen and the world was at war. Like lots of children, we had to leave our home. - Leave London. We didn't want to go, but Dad went to fly planes, and Mum went to look after the wounded, and we were stuck. They insisted we go to the country, to stay with mad Uncle Albert and our cousin Horace.

A really good family film

Rating:

I took my 7 and 9 year old daughters to see this and enjoyed it as much as them. It is set in the First World War and has the same sort of feel as the Railway Children but with some magic in. It was a really good family film with no f*rt jokes or rude bits that you have to explain later.

It has a sentimental theme to the story without drowning you in saccharine which made it much more genuine and affecting - cue me sniffing! At the same time it had a good line in comedy which was quite modern and stopped the film from being too dated. I'd recommend this to anyone who wants an really enjoyable film to take the kids to.

Lovely!

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