I have seen many of the Anne Frank movies and yet - none has ever felt as right as this one! Whoever reads Anne's diary will have the impression that she was - for her age - a normal, sometimes troubled teenager, full of dreams and ideas about her future. Anne never hesitated to note down her fears and frustrations in her diary. "Anne Frank: The Whole Story" shows this specific trade of her personality and differs - especially by this fact - from all prior movies on the subject who often idealized her. The actress portraying her demonstrates this ambiguity in Anne's character in a wonderful, natural way without making the girl seem dull or flat. The same is also true with the rest of the cast who do not only look much like the historical people but who also create the tone that can be found in Anne's diary. To me as a historian it is the small details that count: By shooting this film in and around the original Amsterdam house and sights, not only the "annex" seems realistic but also the whole film itself reaches a never-before-seen level of authenticity and gives the story a whole new quality. Last, and most important of all it seems, is the fact that the plot of this movie begins long before the Franks hid in the annex and ends with Anne's father Otto as the family's only concentration camp survivor who eventually decides to publish his daughter's diary. This has been left out by all the films before and is a good proof that the movie makers did their homework by going beyond the story portrayed in the book! Therefore the title "The whole story" is well chosen. I recommend this film to all people who have read the diary and who were disappointed by the other films. This is a must-see for all students and teachers of history!

Very rairly will a 'flawless' film be released. A movie so perfect, no amount of nit-picking can destroy it. Unlike it's predecessor, Anne Frank: The Whole Story goes out of it's way to be as accurate to the true story as possible, and the cast is physically reminiscent of their true-life counterparts. The sad thing is, no amount of praise on these boards can give this film the recognition it deserves. It should be #1 on the top #100, it should be shown regularly on television. More people should know about it! In short, this made-for-television movie is 10x better than anything I've ever seen in a cinema. Do yourself a favor. When feeling down, rent this movie, and see how much you take for granted. For three hours, you will be magically transported to the 1940's. You will become Anne Frank. You'll live with her, love with her, and cry with her.10/10 stars.

A beautiful story about bravery love and history.A definite film to see .It made me cry cause of all the pain she went through .And the other 7 residents.10 out of 10 it is a beautiful film .It makes me sad even writing this piece.she is a lovely independent writer and girl.I'm after reading her diary it is brilliant.I think shes the best writer in the world and girl.I'm going to see the secret annexe this summer .I cant wait any longer. My favourite person in the film is of course Anne.My second is the gorgeous Peter Van Pel.I love this film so much id love to play Anne in maybe the next film yeah right like thats going to happen oh well.

This well-made TV movie is a very moving experience. Seeing in graphic detail how a well-adjusted and endearing teenage girl deals with the horrors of persecution as her family is forced into hiding to avoid the Nazi terror cannot fail to engage the heart and mind. It shows Anne before the Nazi invasion of Holland as a bubbling girl eager for education and socialisation. Her indomitable spirit is well portrayed during her family's long months of hiding in the back of a factory in Amsterdam. Her physical deterioration after her capture is shown graphically, as is her will to survive to make her mark upon the world. Ironically, she did make her mark upon the world posthumously through her diary, the most-widely read work of non-fiction in the world after the Bible.For me, the virtual incarceration of her family in the factory was very sad and thought-provoking. Taken from their normal lives and stripped of all those things they held dear, Anne's family strives to remain positive of better times ahead. How would we fare if required to give up all that we possessed and go into hiding for fear of our lives? A totally depressing thought, and yet that is what happened to Anne and her family.The later scenes, after the family was captured, humiliated, separated and sent to concentration camps, is simply tragic.The fine performances of Hannah Taylor-Gordon in the title role and Ben Kingsley as her father, Otto Frank, deserve special mention, although the entire cast was believable. Hannah Taylor-Gordon's performance was a revelation - she conveyed a range of emotions that superbly captured Anne's spirit and also her human weaknesses.The movie is not without its weaknesses. It is slow at times and could perhaps been improved by tighter editing, although this may have detracted from the accurate portrayal of the tediousness of living concealed behind closed doors for so long a period.The concentration camp scenes are disturbing and Anne's gradual physical deterioration is depressing. It is not a movie to entertain but one to stir the emotions and the resolve to ensure that this sort of persecution and genocide is never again allowed to happen.It is also a depressing reminder that it still is happening in various parts of the world.