A Little Princess (1995)

Liesel Matthews: Sara Crewe

Photos 

Quotes 

• Miss Minchin : [after ordering the girls out and punishing Becky, to Sara]  And you will perform all her chores in addition to your own without breakfast, lunch, OR dinner! It's time you learn, Sara Crewe, that real life has nothing to do with your little fantasy games. It's a cruel, nasty world out there, and it's our duty to make the best of it - not to indulge in ridiculous *dreams*, but to be productive and useful! Do you understand what I'm saying?

  Sara Crewe : [short pause]  Yes, ma'am.

  Miss Minchin : [short pause]  Good.

  [she leaves] 

  Sara Crewe : But I don't believe in it.

  [Miss Minchin stops, turns back to Sara, and goes awestruck] 

  Miss Minchin : Don't tell me you still fancy yourself a princess!

  [laughs] 

  Miss Minchin : Good God, child, look around you! Or better yet, look in the mirror!

  [after a long pause] 

  Sara Crewe : [confidently]  I am a princess.

  Miss Minchin : [in disbelief]  Oh!

  Sara Crewe : All girls are! Even if they live in tiny old attics, even if they dress in rags, even if they aren't pretty, or smart, or young, they're still princesses - *all* of us! Didn't *your* father ever tell you that? Didn't he?

  Miss Minchin : [furiously, in tears]  If I find you up here with any of the girls again, I WILL THROW YOU OUT INTO THE STREET!

• [Sara is tracing her father's face with her finger] 

  Capt. Crewe : What are you doing? Memorizing me by heart?

  Sara Crewe : No... I already know you by heart.

• Sara Crewe : Papa? Maya told me that all girls are princesses.

  Capt. Crewe : Maya... is a very wise woman.

  Sara Crewe : Then it's true?

  Capt. Crewe : You can be anything you want to be, my love, as long as you believe.

  Sara Crewe : What do you believe?

  Capt. Crewe : I believe that you are... and always will be... my little princess.

• [Sara just met her new doll, Emily] 

  Capt. Crewe : You know, dolls make the very best friends. Just because they can't speak doesn't mean they don't listen. And did you know that when we leave them alone in our room, they come to life?

  Sara Crewe : They do?

  Capt. Crewe : Yes! But before we walk in and catch them, they return to their place as quick as lightning!

  Sara Crewe : Why don't they come to life in front of us so we can see them?

  Capt. Crewe : Because it's magic. Magic has to be believed. It's the only way it's real.

• [the amnesiac Capt. Crewe comes across Sara crying in a corner of a darkened room in Randolph's house] 

  Capt. Crewe : What is it? Why are you crying? Please tell me. I won't hurt you. Won't you tell me your name?

  Sara Crewe : [sobbing]  Sara.

  Capt. Crewe : 'Sara'... that's such a pretty name. Sara...

  Sara Crewe : [there is a flash of lightening, and the lights suddenly come back on]  Papa...

  [she rises, and stares at Crewe in shock] 

  Sara Crewe : Papa...

  Capt. Crewe : What did you say?

  Sara Crewe : [she runs to him, and he tries to hold her away]  Papa...

  Capt. Crewe : I'm sorry...

  Sara Crewe : Papa, it's me! It's Sara!

  Capt. Crewe : Sara, do you know me?

  Sara Crewe : Oh, God, papa, don't you remember me?

  Miss Minchin : [faintly]  She must be in here!

  Sara Crewe : Papa, please! You've got to know me! It's Sara, remember? Remember India and Maya? Remember the Ramayana... and Emily? And the locket with Mama's picture in it?

  Capt. Crewe : [still struggling to push her away]  No...

  Sara Crewe : Oh, God, papa, please!

  Miss Minchin : [entering the room with the policemen and Randolph]  Sara!

  Sara Crewe : Papa, please!

  Charles Randolph : Do you know this man?

  Sara Crewe : Papa, tell them!

  Miss Minchin : [recognizes Captain Crewe]  This child has no father. Take her away!

  Sara Crewe : [a policeman tears Sara away and carries her, kicking and screaming, from the room]  No! No! Papa!

  Capt. Crewe : I'm so sorry...

• Sara Crewe : Don't cry, Becky.

  Becky : I'm scared. If Minchin throws me out, I got no place to go.

  Sara Crewe : That's not true. I'm here with you. I've always thought of us as sisters.

  Becky : You have?

  Sara Crewe : Let's make a promise right now: to always look out for each other.

  Becky : It's a promise.

  [they embrace] 

• [at Sara's birthday party, Sara blows out the candles on her cake] 

  Lottie : [happily jumping up and down as the others clap]  I want a big piece!

  Lavinia : [sarcastically]  Oh hush up, Lottie! I'm sure *Princess Sara* will give everyone a fair share. Right, Princess?

  Lottie : [to Sara]  I told her that's what you were.

  Sara Crewe : Well, not just me, *all* girls are princesses. Even snotty, two-face bullies like *you*, Lavinia!

• [the girls have awoken to find the attic beautifully redecorated and a breakfast of sausages, muffins, and fruit awaiting them] 

  Sara Crewe : Look! Just what we ordered!

  Becky : I'm a little scared about all of this.

  Sara Crewe : Me, too. Do you think we shouldn't eat it?

  Becky : I'm not that scared!

• Becky : Sara... why don't you tell your stories anymore?

  Sara Crewe : They're just make-believe. They don't mean anything.

  Becky : Oh, but they've always meant something to me. There were days I thought I would die, until I heard you talk about the magic.

  Sara Crewe : There is no magic, Becky.

• Sara Crewe : One knock means, "I'm here." Two knocks means, "All is well." Three knocks means, "The coast is clear - the demon Minchinweed is asleep."

• Sara Crewe : What are you doing here?

  Ermengarde : We brought you something.

  [the five girls stand in line, then curtsy one at a time] 

  Ermengarde : Princess Sara, we'd like to present you with something we rescued.

  Betsy : In a most dangerous adventure.

  Gertrude : Our very own crusade.

  Rosemary : Risking all our lives.

  Lottie : And mine, too.

  [Lottie hands her the locket Miss Minchin confiscated] 

  Sara Crewe : I - I don't know what to say. You all are the *best* friends anyone could ever ask for!

• [Captain Crewe has just presented his young daughter with a doll named Emily] 

  Capt. Crewe : Whenever you're afraid, or miss me terribly... just tell Emily. And she'll get the message to me, wherever I am. And I'll send one back right away... so that when you hug her... you'll really be getting a hug from me.

  Sara Crewe : ...It's alright, Papa. I'm going to be fine.

• Miss Minchin : Sara, this is Monsieur Dufarge. You will begin French lessons with him this afternoon.

  Sara Crewe : Do I have to?

  Miss Minchin : Sara! You most certainly do! Now apologize to Monsieur this instant for your rudeness!

  Sara Crewe : But I didn't mean to be rude.

  Miss Minchin : [shouts]  Now!

  [Sara says three sentences entirely in French. Monsieur Dufarge looks at her through his monicle impressed] 

  Monsieur Dufarge : This child doesn't need to learn French, she practically *is* French! Says she learned it from her father.

  Miss Minchin : I understood perfectly well what she said, Monsieur.

  Sara Crewe : I'm sorry, but we tried to tell you.

  Monsieur Dufarge : Well, perhaps she can tutor the younger children, and she might just be able to help you with your pronunciation, Miss Minchin.

  [sniffs deeply] 

  Monsieur Dufarge : Are those sausages I smell? Oh...

• Miss Minchin : [after Sara makes up her own ending for the class's bedtime story]  What are you doing?

  Sara Crewe : I couldn't bear to see Charlotte marry that awful man, so I imagined a different ending.

  Miss Minchin : You imagined it?

  Sara Crewe : [nodding]  Don't you ever do that, Miss Minchin? Believe in something just to make it seem real?

  Miss Minchin : I suppose that's rather easy for a child who has everything.

  [announcing to the rest of the class] 

  Miss Minchin : And now from now on, there will be no more 'make believe' at this school during reading hour or at any other time. Is that understood?

  Girls : [in unison]  Yes, Miss Minchin.

  Miss Minchin : Now all of you go to your beds this instant.

• Sara Crewe : [as Becky serves her breakfast]  Thank you.

  Miss Minchin : Sara, there's no talking at the table.

  Sara Crewe : Doesn't seem natural.

  [the other girls stare at her in shock] 

  Miss Minchin : [staring at Sara coldly]  I won't say it again.

• Becky : [after she and Sara place a board stretching across to Randolph's house]  Sara, you'll fall!

  Sara Crewe : I can do it. I'll come back for you. I promise.

  [they embrace] 

• Sara Crewe : I'm wearing a long, velvet cape with fur on the collar. How about you?

  Becky : Well, I've always liked diamonds myself. Rings and bracelets, and a whole dress just covered with them!

  [they both laugh] 

  Sara Crewe : [smelling imaginary sausages]  *Mmm*, smell those sausages!

  Becky : Oh, I *love* sausages!

  [they both laugh again]