Candleshoe (G)
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This is based on a book I've never read. The movie came out in 1977 (when I was two years old), but I first saw it sometime in the 80s, on The Wonderful World of Disney. I'm reviewing it after watching it again on Disney+ in 2024, and while I've always remembered the fact that I watched the movie as a kid, nothing about it was familiar to me beyond the basic premise. I do remember at some point in my life thinking that this story was basically the same as Anastasia (which came out 20 years later). I suppose I couldn't have seen this connection the first time I watched "Candleshoe", but probably years later, "Anastasia" reminded me of this movie, and I think the story of Anastasia predated it. But I could be wrong. Anyway, I thought the movie held up pretty well. It's not exactly great, but I definitely liked it.

Jodie Foster plays 14-year-old Casey Brown, a tomboy and petty criminal whose foster parents sell her to some guy, who hands her over to a con man named Harry Bundage. He wants Casey to pose as the long lost granddaughter, Margaret, of a woman named Lady Gwendolyn St. Edmund, who lives in a large estate called Candleshoe. She has a butler named Priory, who disguises himself as various other servants to keep Lady St. Edmund from realizing they can no longer afford more than one servant. The lady also has taken in some other orphans, who help with the housework because they love their adoptive "grandmother". When Casey comes to Candleshoe, after having been coached by Harry and his cousin Clara (who used to work for Lady St. Edmund, but was fired) on how to pass for Margaret, she soon proves that she remembers the place, only vaguely, since she'd been three years old when she was taken away. Lady St. Edmund is convinced of her identity.

The other children expect Casey to help out with the chores, but she's busy with a project of her own. The reason Harry wanted her living in Candleshoe was to follow a clue to find other clues that would ultimately lead to a treasure hidden on the estate by a late pirate named Captain Joshua St. Edmund. So, at first, Casey doesn't get along with the other children, especially a girl named Cluny. But eventually Casey comes to care about Lady St. Edmund, Priory, and the children, and uses her street smarts to help them out. But Harry is keeping tabs on Casey, and is impatient for her to find the treasure.

I don't want to spoil any more details of the plot, except to say there's ultimately a happy ending. I was a bit surprised that the movie never explicitly showed Casey to actually be Margaret; in my vague memory, I thought it had, but instead it leaves the truth uncertain. And... I don't know what else to say. It's just a fairly entertaining movie with some good characters (not Harry). I'm glad I've finally seen it again.