The defence The Sentimental Softie
“Sincerity is not manipulation.”
The film risks embarrassment to make emotion communal, and that openness is harder than fashionable detachment.
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FairyTale: A True Story
Fantasy · Drama · Mystery · 1997
In 1917, two children take a photograph, which is soon believed by some to be the first scientific evidence of the existence of fairies. Based on the true story of the Cottingley Fairies.
Movie details
FairyTale: A True Story
“Believe.”
1997 Fantasy · Drama · Mystery 1h 39m
Critical arithmetic
The consensus, allegedly.
Scores change. Arguments endure.
IMDb
6.5 / 10
6.7K votes
Rotten Tomatoes
56 %
Tomatometer
TMDB
6.4 / 10
Community rating
External scores via OMDb · CC BY-NC 4.0. Values normalized for display; availability varies by title.
In 1917, two children take a photograph, which is soon believed by some to be the first scientific evidence of the existence of fairies. Based on the true story of the Cottingley Fairies.
CriticWise case file
What this film says about your taste.
Not a recommendation score. A measure of how closely the film’s taste signals resemble yours.
The archetype split
Who fights over FairyTale: A True Story?
For the defence
The Sentimental Softie
“You came to feel something, and you will.”
Read their case For the prosecution
The Adrenaline Seeker
“If it slows down, you check your phone.”
Read their objectionThe split comes from the same five-axis model used by the test, not audience ratings or review sentiment.
Taste neighbourhood
Nearby on the taste map.
TMDB supplies the candidates. CriticWise reorders them by craft, strangeness, prestige, emotion, and pace.
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The Good Witch's Gift
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Almost as soon as Jake and Cassie decide to get married on Christmas Eve, complications arise.
The Good Witch's Destiny
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As Cassie's birthday approaches, Lori discovers disturbing parallels between Cassie and her great aunt, who disappeared years before on her birthday. When signs of a curse appear, Cassie conjures up a little magic to make things right again.
A Tooth Fairy Tale
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Van, the brave son of a tooth fairy leader, meets the goblins girl Gemma on his first mission. Despite the myths about ancient disputes between fairies and goblins, they share common values. When the greedy Spider Queen threatens both tribes, they must work together.
Four Kids and It
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A group of kids on holiday in Cornwall meet a magical creature on the beach with the power to grant wishes.
Where it lives
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Names above the title
The people responsible.
Cast & crew
Directed by
Charles Sturridge
Written by
Albert Ash · Ernie Contreras · Tom McLoughlin
Florence Hoath
Elsie Wright
E
Elizabeth Earl
Frances Griffiths
Paul McGann
Arthur Wright
Peter O'Toole
Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
Harvey Keitel
Harry Houdini
Phoebe Nicholls
Polly Wright
Bill Nighy
Edward Gardner
Court is in session
Put FairyTale: A True Story on trial.
Two incompatible taste archetypes. One film. Read the arguments, then issue a completely binding cultural ruling.
The prosecution The Adrenaline Seeker
“The strings are showing.”
Every cue tells you exactly what to feel and when, leaving sentiment to do the work character should have done.