This is just an attempted copy of the 1970 film. It largely tries to only mimic the original film. That film was a masterpiece and so this film is quite simply an embarrassment. Had this film been its own interpretation of the story then it might have been a worthwhile remake. For example Gregor Fisher is simply acting Bernard Cribbins character rather than playing the role of the character in the story. There are many other ridiculous parallels. Jenny Agutter is of course just wonderful as the mother. This adds a cheesy twist but that is hardly a reason for a remake, or rather re-hashing, of the film. Having the 1970 film ingrained so much in my mind, I found this film to be a toe-curling embarrassment. A 'meddlement'. What was the point of it?

This (perhaps superfluous) version of the Edith Nesbit novel was made for TV and, in an interesting piece of casting, had Jenny Agutter as the mother – she had been eldest daughter Bobbie thirty years earlier. Some changes to the fabric of the story were inevitable: more screen time is given to the events which cause the children's father to be arrested; the paper chase is no longer linked to the family of the old gentleman; and some of the characters are more sharply drawn than before.As Bobbie, Jemima Rooper, is very good, but the other children Phyllis and Peter are just OK (played by Clare Thomas and Jack Blumenau). Agutter is perfect as their careworn mother, while Michael Kitchen makes an impact as their wronged father. Gregor Fisher plays Perks the railway-man with a good combination of jollity and righteous indignation; and Richard Attenborough is an inspired choice for the old gentleman (who is not as mysterious as he had been in the 1970s version; we guess he's a high-up in the civil service or the government in this one).The great strength of the TV version is the attention to detail - we can feel the smoky fog from the 30s steam train as it rushes through the countryside.An enjoyable TV film, but a complement to the classic one, not a replacement.

I very much enjoyed this latest version of The Railway Children, yet I felt it left out a very important part by not including the relationship between the injured hound, Jim, and the children's "Old Gentleman," and by adding a romantic sub-text between Bobbie and Jim not found in the book. I was also disappointed in the portrayal of the bargee, (and the elimination of his wife and baby son), and the elimination of the scene where Peter and Phyl wake the signalman up. Petty grievances, yes, but I'm so fond of the book that I want any movie to include all my favorite bits. The performances were wonderful; Jack Blumenau as Peter was especially effective at capturing the wistfulness of a boy in the company of too many women. Jenny Agutter as the mother was a nice touch, and Jemima Rooper as Bobbie and Clare Thomas as Phyl were spot on. It's such a delightful story, and it's not as sickly sweet as much of the so-called "family fare" being offered up these days. Even though the story is almost a hundred years old, its freshness and message are still relevant, and it allows a child to imagine being as resourceful as the protagonists. Well done indeed, and if I do prefer the earlier movie, it's not by much!

What a sheer delight this TV film was. I saw it last night (Sunday, 23 April 2000) as it premiered on TV, and really enjoyed it. Jenny Agutter, as Mother (originally oldest daughter in the 1970 version) took a bit of a back seat, but I thought the young actors who played her children did a splendid job. This was particularly so for the oldest daughter (Bobbie, played by Jemima Rooper) who was very convincing in her roll. The young lad (Peter, played by Jack Blumenau) was a real natural as well. Hard to fault, but I was not sure of Gregor Fisher's roll as the Station Keeper, Perks. He tends to be too typecast in the UK, as an underclass Scotsman, to carry the roll off very well. I highly recommend this film - it really is a breath of fresh air, when we suffer so much from films which show much bleak dystopia, or over-sugary romantic mush. Well done to all involved - including the first class (pun!) actors, like the "Old Gentleman". A real treat.