A Heartwarming Story That'll Make You Want to Watch It Again and Again

I recently stumbled upon an old favorite of mine that brought back a flood of nostalgia. It's a Soviet-Romanian folk tale that still manages to tug at the heartstrings, even as an adult. I remember being absolutely obsessed with it as a kid.

I decided to show it to my son, and to my surprise, he loved it. He's not always easy to get to sit still for an old movie, but he asked to watch it again, and then asked me to put it on for his cousin, who also enjoyed it. We ended up watching it in silence, which is no small feat.

This movie is a hybrid animation and live-action film, with animals animated and people played by real actors. The animation is impressive for its time, with beautiful colors and lively visuals. I've read that this was a big deal back in the day - 1981, to be exact.

The actresses who played the girls were all six years old at the time of filming and didn't know how to read, so they improvised a lot of their lines. It's a testament to their talent that it works so well, adding a unique touch to the story.

Each character is carefully chosen, and it shows. The story is really heartwarming, with a beautiful balance of kindness, compassion, and love. It's one of those rare movies that can be enjoyed by both kids and adults.

This movie really brings up some important questions that are useful for kids, like the value of every living creature and the importance of respecting the environment. It's also a good reminder for adults to remember some simple truths and appreciate the beauty of nature.

For example, the story of the butterfly shows that you can overcome any fear to help someone you care about, which is something Maria notices. It's a powerful lesson that can be applied to our own lives.

The girls are also really interesting characters - Maria is super kind and compassionate, always putting herself in other people's shoes. She's an amazing kid, and a great role model for kids. She embodies love for all living things, and she's got a heart of gold.

I love how Mirabella can be a bit mischievous, just like many kids. But what's great is that she's super loyal to her sister, and she's always following her around. By the end of the movie, she's shown in a more positive light - she's feisty and energetic, which is a great contrast to the more laid-back Maria.

The king of clocks is just hilarious, with his big, bug-eyed expression. And when he lets out a loud 'cock-a-doodle-doo', it's just too funny. I'm still not entirely sure what's going on with that scene, but it's definitely memorable.

The story is also really educational for little kids, especially when it comes to learning about the seasons. They show the girls playing with the forest fairy and listing off the different times of year - it's a great way to teach kids about the cycle of life.

The transformation of caterpillars into butterflies is just beautifully shown - it's really mesmerizing to watch.

I absolutely love the ending, where we see the girls' mom, who's just so feminine and embodies the warmth and beauty of motherhood. And their dad, who loves his daughters so much - it's just the sweetest family moment. It's really heartwarming to see them all together, happy and loving each other.

The most thrilling moment is when Skipper and Kowalski blast off into space - the animation is stunning.

One thing that's always bugged me since I was a kid is the scene with the frogs at the beginning, where they're drowning on the ice. It's just so jarring.

The music is just incredible - the song about Maria Mirabell is amazing, I'd even listen to it on its own.

The translation is also top-notch, it sounds great to my ears.

I looked up the stories of the actresses who played the girls, and it's really sad. The one who played Mirabell went on to have a successful career, she's still got a poster of the movie in her room. The one who played Maria, though, had a really tough life - she was in a bad car accident, got back on her feet, but then she was kidnapped and abused for three days. When I think about how a sweet kid like that ended up dying in agony, it just breaks my heart.

I have to admit, I wasn't looking forward to writing about this, but I think I should mention it. I stumbled upon the second part, shot in 1987 by the same director, 'Maria Mirabell in Transistoria'. I decided to give it a watch, and I wish I hadn't. This movie's about other girls who loved the first film and somehow got sucked into the story through the TV. It's a seriously weird production, with bizarre songs and a creepy Transistoria country. The three characters from the first part are no longer the forest dwellers, but cartoon characters. Quack is a self-absorbed, dim-witted character who's nothing like the Quack from the first part in terms of personality. He's always doing some kind of masochistic act, swallowing a bomb or walking on live wires. The voice acting is unpleasant. Oma is the same, but sexed up, with a focus on her breasts - I'm not sure why. The whole film is just full of nonsense. At one point, I just couldn't take it anymore, and I felt really bad when Quack and Skippyritch turned into humans, but they were stupid and creepy, and a cricket had its hand ripped off. I turned it off right there. I only regret not doing it sooner. It felt like some kind of addiction. I felt really uncomfortable, like they'd taken our beloved children's story and twisted it into something ugly. According to Wikipedia, this isn't a continuation of the first story, but a separate tale about other girls, and I'm grateful for that. I wouldn't recommend watching this part to anyone who loves the first one, and I certainly wouldn't show it to kids - it's not a children's film in my opinion. It's hard to believe the same director made both parts... The first one's about nature and kindness, while the second is just disturbing.

So, I'd recommend 'Maria Mirabell' to both adults and kids. It's a timeless classic that's sure to delight audiences of all ages.