Select language, opens an overlay

Comment

Mar 09, 2019Nursebob rated this title 3 out of 5 stars
Biopic of celebrated author Astrid Lindgren who, in a career spanning ninety-five years, became one of the world’s most beloved writers of children’s books especially the "Pippi Longstockings" series which exemplified female empowerment before the term was even coined. As an aging Astrid opens fan mail from schoolchildren, her mind drifts back to her teen years growing up in a rural farming community. Always wilful and headstrong, Astrid rebelled against the stifling rules imposed by parents upon daughters until an unwanted pregnancy at the age of sixteen (quite a scandal in 1923) turned her life completely inside out. Director Pernille Fischer Christensen avoids hysterical clichés—Astrid’s churchgoing parents are upset but don’t turn into ogres; the baby’s father doesn’t skip town; Astrid stands tall—but despite a fine cast which includes Danish treasure Trine Dyrholm and newcomer Alba August in the lead role, the story only spans four years and never touches on Astrid’s writing career at all except for a taped message sent by a classroom of adoring fans. Interesting enough but not very engaging.