Character Bio: Anne Shirley

After two years of teaching at the Avonlea schoolhouse, eighteen-year-old Anne makes the decision to leave Avonlea to accept a teaching position at Kingsport Ladies’ College in New Brunswick.

She rejects a marriage proposal from childhood friend Gilbert Blythe, believing that she has not yet experienced true love. She becomes infatuated with Morgan Harris, the father of one of her students, but realizes he may not be the one after all.

When she learns of Gilbert becoming gravely ill, she begins to accept the fact that she cares deeply for him.

Actress Bio: Megan Follows

Megan Follows is the daughter of Ted Follows and Dawn Greenhalgh, who starred alongside Megan as "Mrs. Cadbury" in Kevin Sullivan's production of Anne of Green Gables. Megan's first break came with her role on the hit sitcom, The Facts of Life, which she starred in while living and attending school in Los Angeles. Follows was just 16 years old when she was chosen to play Anne, a role that earned her Gemini Awards for Best Performance by a Lead Actress in both 1986 and 1988. Megan Follows' many other credits include lead roles in the feature films Reluctant Angel, Deep Sleep and Silver Bullet. Her numerous television credits include guest appearances on CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, Cold Case, Robson Arms, Brothers & Sisters and Heartland. Her television movies include Kevin Sullivan's Under the Piano, which also stars Amanda Plummer, the Emmy Award-winning Inherit the Wind with Kirk Douglas, Clare's Wish, The Great Detective and a lead role in the mini-series Champagne Charlie. Follows' many stage credits include Stratford Festival's Romeo and Juliet and Amadeus, as well as Atlantic Theatre Festival's Uncle Vanya and A Doll's House. She had the leading role of May in a production of Fool for Love by Sam Shepard, mounted at Toronto's Soulpepper Theatre Company, of which she is still a member. Follows is married to fellow Canadian actor Stuart Hughes, and she divides her time between residences in Los Angeles and Toronto.

 

Character Bio: Marilla Cuthbert

After the death of her much-beloved brother, Matthew, Marilla relies heavily on her adopted daughter, Anne, to help her manage Green Gables. However, when Anne is offered a teaching position at the exclusive Kingsport Ladies’ College, Marilla encourages her to accept the opportunity. Despite Anne’s reservations about accepting the position, she follows Marilla’s counsel after she learns that neighbour Rachel Lynde will be moving in to help Marilla.

Actress Bio: Colleen Dewhurst

On August 22, 1991, Colleen Dewhurst, one of North American's finest and most beloved actresses, died of cancer at age sixty-seven. Active until the end, she was scheduled to do an episode of Road to Avonlea, the television series for which she reprised the role of Marilla Cuthbert. Born in Montreal on June 3, 1924, Colleen grew up in the United States and studied drama at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in New York City in 1946. She spent the next decade doing mostly regional theatre and summer stock. While acting in the play Children of Darkness in 1958, she met George C. Scott. They fell in love, acquired divorces from their respective spouses and married each other in 1959. Colleen became an "overnight success" in 1974 after 27 years in the business, due to her outstanding performance in the play Moon for the Misbegotten.

Although she became extremely successful in movies and television, her first love remained the stage, and she often returned to it, not only to perform, but to direct as well. She divorced George C. Scott in 1965, remarried him again, then obtained another divorce from him in 1972. As well as appearing regularly on Road to Avonlea as Marilla, Colleen also starred in Kevin Sullivan’s Lantern Hill, which was based on a novel by the author of Anne of Green Gables, L.M. Montgomery. Colleen had a recurring role as Candice Bergen's mother on the CBS series Murphy Brown, for which she won her third Emmy. Over the course of her 45 year career, Colleen won a total of four Emmys, two Tonys and two Gemini Awards. From 1985 to 1991, she served as president of Actor's Equity, the theatre union for actors in the United States. During the last years of her life, Ms. Dewhurst lived on a farm in South Salem, New York, and had a summer getaway on Prince Edward Island.

 

Character Bio: Diana Barry

Anne’s bosom friend, Diana Barry, has found love and is now set to marry Fred Wright. Anne becomes slightly concerned about Diana moving on with her life and worries whether she might be losing her best friend in the process. However, Anne eventually grows to be happy for Diana and acts as Maid of Honor on her big day.

Diana never doubts the talent of her friend, always encouraging Anne to pursue her love of writing. It is this confidence she has in Anne’s ability that prompts her to enter her story into a local contest without Anne’s knowledge.

Actress Bio: Schuyler Grant

Native Californian Schuyler Grant portrays "Diana", Anne's lifelong bosom friend. Grant's television credits also include the series Law & Order, the daytime drama All My Children and the TV movie Laura Lansing Slept Here, starring her great-aunt Katharine Hepburn. She also performed in the independent film Wrestling with Alligators, which was screened at the 1998 Sundance Film Festival.

On stage, Grant's numerous credits include Irish Rep productions of Major Barbara and The Importance of Being Earnest, Century's Pillars of Society, Western Union's Children of A Lesser God, Lemon Sky and Tribeca Lab's Macbeth. She has also toured Europe with the Art & Progress production of La Leçon. In 2000, Grant reprised the role of Diana Barry in Kevin Sullivan’s third installment in the Anne series, The Continuing Story.

Character Bio: Gilbert Blythe

As Anne’s number one rival since childhood, Gilbert Blythe continues to keep Anne on her toes, never backing down from her challenges. After giving up his teaching position to Anne at the Avonlea schoolhouse, Gilbert is now pursuing a career as a doctor.

His friendship with Anne soon becomes one of romance. But when he proposes marriage to Anne, she is reluctant to change their friendship and refuses his offer. Later, when Gilbert falls deathly ill, Anne must decide if it is Gilbert that she truly loves.

Actor Bio: Jonathan Crombie

Jonathan Crombie's best known role is as the “boy-next-door" who torments Anne with his playful teasing, but who ultimately becomes the man that wins her heart. Crombie also performed the role of "Gilbert" as a guest star in the Sullivan series Road to Avonlea. His additional television credits include the TV movies The Waiting Game, The Killing Fields and the series Earth: Final Conflict, Power Play, Matrix, 21 Jump Street and Alfred Hitchock Presents, among others. His feature film credits include Café Romeo, with Catherine Mary Stewart, and The Jeweller's Shop, with Burt Lancaster.

On stage, Combie's numerous performances at The Stratford Festival Theatre in Stratford, Canada include the roles of "Romeo" in Romeo & Juliet, "Lucentio" in The Taming of the Shrew, "Orlando" in As You Like It, "Bud" in Sweet. Bird of Youth, "Antipholus of Ephesue" in Comedy of Errors, "Bertram" in All's Well That Ends Well, and "Guildenstern" in Hamlet. His performance in the role of "Valentine Coverly" at the Canadian Stage Theatre's Acadia earned Crombie a 1997 Dora Mavor Moore Award nomination for Outstanding Performance.

 

Character Bio: Rachel Lynde

Known as the town gossip, Rachel Lynde’s blunt demeanor has a way of offending those she meets. However, after the death of her faithful husband, Thomas, she agrees to move into Green Gables farm with Marilla after Anne departs for a new teaching position. Rachel is outspoken on almost every topic and never holds back on dishing out advice, regardless if it is asked for or not. However, underneath it all she has a caring heart, and both Marilla and Anne share a real fondness for her.

Actress Bio: Patricia Hamilton

A dynamo with limitless energy, Patricia Hamilton created the role of the self-righteous Rachel Lynde in "Anne of Green Gables". She continued to delight audiences with this character in the long-running television series, Road to Avonlea, and recently in Kevin Sullivan's animated feature film Anne: Journey to Green Gables and Anne: The Animated Series on PBS. Over the course of her career she has worked with the Seattle Repertory Theatre, Circle in the Square, New York City; the American Shakespeare Festival, the National Shakespeare Festival, Neptune Theatre; Festival Lennoxville and the Stratford Festival.

Miss Hamilton's stage credits include the Canadian premiere of MOO with Factory Theatre; 1949 with Canadian Stage Company; Bordertown Café with Centaur Theatre Plus, and Albertine in Five Times with the Tarragon Theatre in Toronto. She was the recipient of a Dora Mavor Moore Award as Best Supporting Actress for her role in I Am Yours with the Tarragon Theatre.

Her film and television credits include appearances in Night Heat, A Bridge to Silence, Echoes in Darkness, Fight for Life, Skate, and The Last Detail. Her role in A Bird in the House garnered her a 1975 Canadian Film Award.
Hamilton has served as the Head of Drama at the Banff School of Fine Arts, which holds intensive professional workshops every summer. She is also the founder and producer of Masterclass Theatre, and was honoured with a Brenda Donohue Award for Distinguished Contribution to the Toronto Theatre in 1987.

 

Character Bio: Muriel Stacey

A mentor to Anne the moment she began teaching at the Avonlea schoolhouse, Ms. Stacey now has a position at Kingsport Ladies’ College in New Brunswick. After putting in a good word for her former pupil, she offers Anne a teaching position alongside her at the prestigious school. Despite the lack of support Anne receives from the community upon her arrival, Ms. Stacey always stands up for Anne and defends her to those who mistakenly doubt her abilities.

Actress Bio: Marilyn Lightstone

Muriel Stacey is a well-known name to anyone who is a devotee of Sullivan Entertainment's Anne of Green Gables mini-series. The effervescent Miss Stacey returns to Avonlea and purchases the General Store in the television series Road to Avonlea. As a two-time ETROG award winner as Best Supporting Actress for In Praise of Older Women, and as Best Actress for her superb performance in Lies My Father Told Me - films that were both critical and commercial successes - Miss Lightstone has gained recognition as an actress of international stature. Her film and television credits include the portrayal of a French Canadian working class mother in the television adaptation of Gabrielle Roy's The Tin Flute, as well as the her principal role in Sullivan’s The Wild Pony, as the shrewd and determined mother, Nora Fellows. Also notable are leading roles in NBC's Joseph and Mary and The Trojan Women, Blind Justice and Disaster in Time, with Jeff Daniels. She has also starred in such highly rated television series as The New Avengers, Witness To Yesterday and King of Kensington. Her most recent credits involve providing voices for the television series Madeline: My Fair Madeline and Dennis the Menace in Cruise Control.

 

Character Bio: Morgan Harris

Morgan Harris is a suave and debonair gentleman that tries to pursue Anne romantically. He is also the father of Anne’s student, Emmeline. A widow and busy workaholic, Morgan is constantly travelling and barely has any time to spend with his family. His love for Anne grows over time, to the point where he brings her along on a family trip to Boston. He eventually proposes to the young schoolteacher, only to be rejected by her in the end.

Actor Bio: Frank Converse

Born in St. Louis, Missouri, Converse’s ageless good looks have been seen throughout the years on American television. Frank is perhaps best known for his work in the 60’s and 70’s on such series as Coronet Blue, N.Y.P.D., Movin’ On, The Mod Squad, The Love Boat, Rhoda, Bionic Woman, Magnum P.I and One Life to Live. He also played the role of Joe DiMaggio in “Marilyn: The Untold Story”. In addition to film and television, Frank often returned to his roots on the stage and starred on Broadway in The Philadelphia Story, A Streetcar Named Desire, Design for Living, directed by George C. Scott, and Brothers. His more recent credits include Murder She Wrote, All My Children, The Practice, Law & Order: Criminal Intent and Lipstick Jungle. He is currently married with four children.

 

Character Bio: Margaret Harris

Margaret Harris is the elderly, often cantankerous and very wealthy, matriarch of the Harris clan. Mrs. Harris is extremely traditional and sees little value in creative and social pursuits. However, when her granddaughter, Emmeline, has the good fortune to have Anne Shirley as a teacher at Kingsport Ladies’ College, even Margaret Harris' stern facade starts to melt away. Eventually, Mrs. Harris and Anne become great friends, as the young schoolteacher helps restore light and laughter to the halls of the Harris Estate.

Actress Bio: Wendy Hiller

Wendy Hiller achieved international fame and recognition following her stage performance in "Love on the Dole" (1932). It was during the London phase of touring with this production that she was introduced to George Bernard Shaw, who invited her to star in two of his plays, "Saint Joan" and "Pygmalion," at the Malvern Festival in 1936. Quickly making the transition from stage to screen, Hiller starred in over 50 film productions over the course of her life. She was awarded the Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire in 1975 for her services to drama. Her death in 2003 marked the end of an era. She is survived by her two children.

 

 

Character Bio: Pauline Harris

Pauline Harris' lot in life was to lead a dreary, lonely existence under the constant scrutiny of her mother, Mrs. Margaret Harris. It wasn't until Anne Shirley arrived on the scene and convinced Mrs. Harris to relax her grip on Pauline's life that she had any hope for the future. With Anne's help, Pauline discovered a confidence in herself that she had never known...even to the point of entertaining the notion of having a beau!

Actress Bio: Kate Lynch

Kate Lynch is a Genie Award-winning actress who has appeared in several films and television series throughout the last four decades. She won a Genie Award for Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role for her portrayal of “Roxanne” in Meatballs (1979), directed by Ivan Reitman, and she was nominated once more in 1988 for her work in Taking Care. The actress has appeared in several different TV series, including The Twilight Zone, Street Legal, Ready or Not and Queer as Folk, to name just a few.

Appearing as Pauline Harris in Anne of Green Gables: The Sequel, Lynch also had a guest role in Kevin Sullivan’s other hit series, Road to Avonlea, in 1991. Besides performing and directing on stage, Lynch has taught acting at the University College Drama Program in Toronto, as well as Ryerson University, George Brown College and the Stratford and Shaw festivals.

 

Character Bio: Katherine Brooke

Katherine Brooke rules Kingsport Ladies College with military-like precision. Her serious and humourless approach to education, combined with her severe and stern appearance, strikes fear into the hearts of students and teachers alike. However, Anne Shirley could see right through Katherine's "prickles" to the kind heart she knew was there all along. In the end, Katherine returns to Green Gables with Anne and allows herself to embrace her dreams once again.

Actress Bio: Rosemary Dunsmore

Rosemary Dunsmore is a Canadian award-winning actress who has appeared in countless film, television and stage productions. Named by Maclean’s Magazine as a “Canadian who makes a difference” in 1990, Dunsmore, has also received awards for her acting ability. She won an ACTRA Toronto Award for Best Female Performance in The Baby Formula in 2009 and has been nominated twice for Gemini awards – once in 1988 for Best Performance by a Supporting Actress in Blades of Courage and then again in 2001 for Best Performance by an Actress in a Guest Role in a Dramatic Series for Blue Murder.

Dunsmore has directed and starred in several stage productions, including The Glass Menagerie, Wuthering Heights, The Attic, and the Montreal production of Wit, which earned her a Masque Award. She also teaches acting and has taught at the University of Toronto, the National Theatre School, the Canadian Film Centre, Equity Showcase and Shortworks Halifax.

In addition to starring in Kevin Sullivan’s Anne of Green Gables: The Sequel, Dunsmore also appeared as the character Janet King’s sister, Abigail, in several episodes of Road to Avonlea.

Kevin Sullivan: Executive Producer, Writer, Director

Kevin Sullivan is the President of Sullivan Entertainment Inc. which he and his partner, Trudy Grant, founded in 1979. Internationally recognized as one of the leading producers of high quality entertainment and renowned for his directorial ease with children and top performers, Mr. Sullivan has achieved myriad accolades and awards over the past two decades. His ability to consistently produce top-notch entertainment as well as to attract big name stars has enhanced the image of Sullivan Entertainment throughout the world.

Under Mr. Sullivan’s guidance Sullivan Entertainment has developed a distinctive brand of story-telling. Lavish productions that are emotionally compelling and entertaining have become the hallmark of the company Mr. Sullivan founded more than 20 years ago.

 

Trudy Grant: Co-Executive Producer

Trudy Grant is the President of Sullivan Entertainment International, which she founded in 1981. Through her leadership, the company has emerged as a major player in the world marketplace and particularly in the television arena.

Her involvement in distribution prompted her to form Sullivan Entertainment International to better administer the Sullivan product. The company’s penetration into many of the world’s less accessible markets makes it one of the few companies that can truly be considered international, having developed key relationships with buyers and financiers for various co-productions. One of Ms. Grant’s main achievements is the sale of the mini-series “Anne of Green Gables” to more than 120 countries around the globe.

Ms. Grant has evolved into the guiding light behind the company’s financial success. By strategically maximizing financial opportunities, Ms. Grant has built a very successful international business around the Sullivan brand.

 

Martha Mann: Costume Designer

A designer with over 40 years in the stage and film industry, Martha Mann first began designing as a student at the Art College. Director Kevin Sullivan has collaborated with Mann on numerous projects including Anne of Green Gables, Anne of Green Gables: The Sequel, Anne of Green Gables: A New Beginning, Lantern Hill, Wild Pony, Road to Avonlea and Looking for Miracles. She has also designed costumes for stage productions such as Aida (Boston Lyric Opera), Julius Caesar (Stratford Festival of Canada), and even the theatrical version of Anne of Green Gables in Calgary. Her work has also been recognized by critics and is the recipient of six Gemini awards for best Costume Design for Anne of Green Gables and Road to Avonlea.

Hagood Hardy: Composer

"I think in general we're all going too fast. It's time to slow down, re-examine, and reflect. If this is the message people get from my music, then I've succeeded." - Hagood Hardy

Hagood Hardy was truly one of Canada’s greatest composers and citizens. Hardy was born in Indiana, but taken to Oakville, Ontario as an infant where he would discover his love of music. As a child, Hagood studied piano and in the 1950’s he began playing the vibraphone while attending the University of Toronto. Hagood’s performing career began as a jazz vibist in New York City during the 1960's, playing with such greats as Herbie Mann (on "Comin' Home Baby"), Martin Denny and George Shearing. Hardy also toured with a pop group called the Montage until the early 1970’s. During this period, he began composing commercial jingles for companies such as Kelloggs, General Motors, London Life and Canadian Pacific. He also began to concentrate on composing and recording music for TV, radio and films. In 1975, Hardy released “The Homecoming”, a piece originally composed as a Salada Tea jingle, and it became an international hit.

“The Homecoming” would go on to sell over a million copies. Hardy composed many scores for Canadian and US television productions, most notably “Anne of Green Gables” (for which he won a Gemini Award for best musical score) and “Anne of Green Gables: The Sequel”. He also composed music for several episodes of “Road to Avonlea”. In addition to being a celebrated and successful musician, Hagood Hardy was a humanitarian, a politician and a proud Canadian. Hardy dedicated his time to many worthy causes and in 1992 he was awarded the Order of Canada, the greatest honour a Canadian citizen can receive. Hardy continued to compose and perform until the mid-nineties when he was stricken with stomach cancer. Sadly, after battling the disease for 18 months, Hagood Hardy passed away January 1st, 1997 at the age of 59.

 

Marc Champion: Director of Photography

 

Marc Champion has worked as a director and cinematographer in the entertainment industry for over 50 years. His credits include Une histoire d'amour (1951), Maigret et l'affaire Saint-Fiacre (1959), The Rideau: Colonel By's Peaceable Waterway (1974) and Anne of Green Gables: The Sequel (1987).

 

Susan Longmire: Production Designer

Susan Longmire’s artistic touch in the production design of Kevin Sullivan’s Anne of Green Gables: The Sequel earned her a Gemini award in 1987. Besides being an art director for shows such as “The Twilight Zone” and a production designer for the critically acclaimed “Monk”, Longmire has lent her artistic vision to several films and television shows over the years. In addition to her Gemini win for Anne of Green Gables: The Sequel, she also won best production design for “The Sound and the Silence” in 1993 and has been nominated on two other occasions.

 

Trivia

Cameo: Hagood Hardy plays the organ during Diana's wedding.

While shooting the scene where Anne says goodbye to Marilla and Rachel before she leaves for Kingsport, Colleen Dewhurst was wearing jeans under her dress because she had to catch a plane in an hour.

One of the first scenes shot with Dame Wendy Hiller was the picnic scene. She had just recently had an operation, and while climbing into the buggy for the scene, her hip was displaced. Everyone was confused and nervous, wondering if she had had a heart attack. When Sullivan got over to her, she said, "Get me a whiskey, dear boy." Unfortunately, her humorous mood was short-lived and she wanted to return to England at once, without finishing the film. Sullivan had to work hard to get her to stay.

It was Dame Wendy Hiller's idea to add the scenes concerning Mrs. Harris's death. She wanted a dénouement for her character. She and Sullivan discussed it and thought Mrs. Harris should "expire". Her death allowed Anne the opportunity to "free Pauline".

 

Quotes from Anne

Anne Shirley: I don't want diamond sunbursts, or marble halls. I just want you.

Anne Shirley: I suppose it would be impossible to keep house with only 36 doilies. But I assure you, Mr. Wright, Diana will be the sweetest little homemaker in the world... so long as you can afford to let her keep up with the Gillises.

Anne Shirley: You just think that you love me.
Gilbert Blythe: Anne, I've loved you as long as I can remember. I need you.

Marilla Cuthbert: You set your heart too much on frivolous things and then crash down into despair when you don't get them.
Anne Shirley: I know. I can't help flying up on the wings of anticipation. It's as glorious as soaring through a sunset... almost pays for the thud.
Marilla Cuthbert: Well, maybe it does. But I'd rather walk calmly along and do without flying AND thud.

Anne Shirley: I feel as though someone's handed me the moon... and I don't exactly know what to do with it.

[Anne is deeply depressed, and Marilla tries to cheer her up by offering her some homemade plum puffs]
Anne Shirley: Plum puffs won't minister to a mind diseased in a world that's crumbled into pieces.
Marilla Cuthbert: Well I'm glad to see that your dented spirits haven't injured your tongue.

Gilbert Blythe: What are you thinking?
Anne Shirley: I'm afraid to speak or move for fear that all this wonderful beauty will just vanish... like a broken silence.

Anne Shirley: The only thing you've ever had to wear twice is a sour expression.

Anne Shirley: Babies are never common. Each one is a miracle.
Mrs. Harris: Well I had two of them. I didn't see much that was miraculous about either of THEM.

[Anne has just invited Miss Brooke to Green Gables for the summer]
Katherine Brooke: Now you can go through the motions of telling me how delighted you are and how I'll have a wonderful time.
Anne Shirley: I AM delighted... but as to a wonderful time... that will depend entirely on YOU, Katherine.

Anne Shirley: There's a book of revelations in everyone's life.

Anne Shirley: Tell me, Mr. Allen, do you dance as well as you boast?
Lewis Allen: Better.

Anne Shirley: This has taught me a lesson not to stake my word of honor on cows.

Gilbert Blythe: Anne, there's not going to be any wedding anymore.
Anne Shirley: You're gonna get well, Gil. I know you are.
Gilbert Blythe: I called it off. It wouldn't be fair to Christine. There would never be anyone for me but you.

Anne Shirley: Why do people have to grow up and marry, change?
Gilbert Blythe: Oh, you'd change. If someone ever admitted that they were head over heels for you, you'd be swept off your feet in a moment.
Anne Shirley: I would not, and I defy anyone who would try and make me change.
Gilbert Blythe: You do?

Anne Shirley: I don't want any of it to change. I wish I could just hold on to those days forever. I have a feeling things will never be the same again, will they?
Gilbert Blythe: I won't change, that's the least I can promise you.

Gilbert Blythe: Maybe you don't think I'm good enough for you now, but I will be someday.
Anne Shirley: No, Gil you're a great deal too good for me. But you want someone who'll adore you. Someone who'll be happy just to hang on your arm and build a home for you. I wouldn't.
Gilbert Blythe: Anne, that's not what I'm looking for at all.
Anne Shirley: We'll end up like two old crows fighting all the time. I know I'd be unhappy and I'd wish we'd never done it.

Anne Shirley: I promise I'll always be here if you need me. Good friend are always together in spirit. Let's not change Gil, let's just go on being good friends.

Gilbert Blythe: Friends, huh? I thought we were kindred spirits. Please say yes.
Anne Shirley: I can't. Gil, I'm so desperately sorry.
[runs off while a heartbroken Gil looks after her]

Anne Shirley: [to the cow] Don't even think about Rachel's cabbages.

Anne Shirley: [making fun of the woman who will be singing at Diana's wedding] Can you just see the buttons popping off her corset!

Anne Shirley: [to Emmeline] It's high time someone reminded her what a piano sounds like.
[plays a wrong chord]
Anne Shirley: It shouldn't be me.

Anne Shirley: [to Katherine Brooke] You say you like people to be frank, we'll I'm going to be frank. It's your own fault that nobody likes you. Katherine Brooke, you are nothing but prickles and stings!

Anne Shirley: [to Gilbert] Good grief, you sure know how to try one's patience.

Anne Shirley: [to Gilbert about her book being published] It hasn't happened yet, you fool, and don't you dare tell anyone!

Anne Shirley: [about Diana becoming engaged] Of all the stupid, sentimental thinks for Diana to do.

Anne Shirley: [to Gilbert] Last one to the bridge is a stuffed goose!

Anne Shirley: [seeing the banner congratulating her on her story] Great Jehosophat!

Anne Shirley: [crying on her bed] Oh, Marilla, such a Jonah day.

Anne Shirley: I went looking for my dreams outside of myself and discovered, it's not what the world holds for you, it's what you bring to it.

 

Quotes from Marilla Cuthbert

Marilla Cuthbert: You set your heart too much on frivolous things and then crash down into despair when you don't get them.
Anne Shirley: I know. I can't help flying up on the wings of anticipation. It's as glorious as soaring through a sunset... almost pays for the thud.

[Anne is deeply depressed, and Marilla tries to cheer her up by offering her some homemade plum puffs]
Anne Shirley: Plum puffs won't minister to a mind diseased in a world that's crumbled into pieces.
Marilla Cuthbert: Well I'm glad to see that your dented spirits haven't injured your tongue.

[Rachel and Marilla discuss Anne]
Rachel Lynde: It's to your credit you changed her as much as you did.
Marilla Cuthbert: Ooo, she hasn't changed that much... not really. It's US that's changed, Rachel.

Marilla Cuthbert: Every baby is the sweetest and the best.

Anne Shirley: Fred is... extremely good.
Marilla Cuthbert: That is exactly what he should be! Would you want to marry a wicked man?
Anne Shirley: Well, I wouldn't marry anyone who was really wicked, but I think I'd like it if he could be wicked and wouldn't.
Marilla Cuthbert: You'll have better sense some day, I hope.

Anne Shirley: [holding the package Marilla has just handed her] My book! It's the book I published.
Marilla Cuthbert: Well, don't sit there shaking like a leaf. Open it!

Marilla Cuthbert: Anne Shirley, I wouldn't trade you for a dozen boys.

Mrs. Harris: Yes, he was the handsomest man in Kingsport. And he adored me. We consulted each other about absolutely everything. Mind you, we didn't always agree. No. He had his fits of temper. Oh, yes. And so did I.
[laughs]
Mrs. Harris: Do you know what he did when I bought a daycap he didn't like?
Anne Shirley: I can't imagine.
Mrs. Harris: He ate it. It gave him a terrible stomach pain. Yes, serves him right. He was so irked that I had neglected to consult him.
[laughs/cries]
Mrs. Harris: How could he go away and leave me alone and crippled like this? Dying was the only thing that he ever dared to do without consulting me. Won't be long before we're together again. There's no one - no man like him. No. This is a degenerate age, Miss Shirley.
Rachel Lynde: [about Anne not being married at her age] It's the over-particular ones that get left behind.
Marilla Cuthbert: And it's the over-opinionated ones that end up unhappy and meaner than second skimmings.

Anne Shirley: If Gil were to... not knowing how I really care.
Marilla Cuthbert: Oh, there, there.
Anne Shirley: What would I do without him?
Marilla Cuthbert: We can't change what God wills.

Marilla Cuthbert: [Anne never told Marilla about the book she published] Oh, you're a great one for secrets.

Anne Shirley: Our friendship, it won't ever be the same now. Why can't he just be sensible instead of acting like a sentimental schoolboy?
Marilla Cuthbert: Because he loves you.
Anne Shirley: He loves me? I can't know why.
Marilla Cuthbert: Because you made Josie Pye and Ruby Gillis and all of those wishy-washy young ladies who waltzed by him look like spineless nothings.
Anne Shirley: Marilla, he's hardly my idea of a romantic suitor.
Marilla Cuthbert: Anne, you have tricked something out of that imagination of yours that you call romance. Have you forgotten how he gave up the Avonlea school for you so that you could stay here with me? He picked you up everyday in his carriage so that you could study your courses together. Don't toss it away for some ridiculous ideal that doesn't exist. Hmm? Now, you come downstairs and see if a good cup of tea and some of those plum puffs I made today don't hearten you.

Marilla Cuthbert: [about Rachel Lynde's husband Thomas] It's a wonder he got sick at all without asking her permission.

 

Quotes from Gilbert Blythe

Gilbert Blythe: What are you thinking?
Anne Shirley: I'm afraid to speak or move for fear that all this wonderful beauty will just vanish... like a broken silence.

Gilbert Blythe: Anne, there's not going to be any wedding anymore.
Anne Shirley: You're gonna get well, Gil. I know you are.
Gilbert Blythe: I called it off. It wouldn't be fair to Christine. There would never be anyone for me but you.

Gilbert Blythe: All pioneers are considered to be afflicted with moonstruck madness.

Anne Shirley: Why do people have to grow up and marry, change?
Gilbert Blythe: Oh, you'd change. If someone ever admitted that they were head over heels for you, you'd be swept off your feet in a moment.
Anne Shirley: I would not, and I defy anyone who would try and make me change.
Gilbert Blythe: You do?

Gilbert Blythe: "Wilt thou give up thy garter, oh fairest of the fair"? Anne, nobody speaks that way. And look at that sap Percival who sits around mooning the entire time. He never lets a girl get a word in edgewise. In real life she'd have pitched him.

Anne Shirley: I don't want any of it to change. I wish I could just hold on to those days forever. I have a feeling things will never be the same again, will they?
Gilbert Blythe: I won't change, that's the least I can promise you.

Gilbert Blythe: Maybe you don't think I'm good enough for you now, but I will be someday.
Anne Shirley: No, Gil you're a great deal too good for me. But you want someone who'll adore you. Someone who'll be happy just to hang on your arm and build a home for you. I wouldn't.
Gilbert Blythe: Anne, that's not what I'm looking for at all.
Anne Shirley: We'll end up like two old crows fighting all the time. I know I'd be unhappy and I'd wish we'd never done it.

Gilbert Blythe: Friends, huh? I thought we were kindred spirits. Please say yes.
Anne Shirley: I can't. Gil, I'm so desperately sorry.
[runs off while a heartbroken Gil looks after her]

Gilbert Blythe: Don't get up on your high horse with me, Anne Shirley!

Gilbert Blythe: Well, the elegant and illustrious Miss Shirley. Relaxed while seeking out ideas for her next Rollings Reliable writing assignment, I presume.

Gilbert Blythe: Maybe if you just let your characters speak everyday English, instead of all that highfaluting mumbo jumbo.
Anne Shirley: [Gilbert has hit her with his riding crop] I am not your horse, Mr. Blythe!

Gilbert Blythe: [Gilbert has insulted Anne's writing] Listen, I'm sorry. What else can I do?
Anne Shirley: [She hits him with her basket of flowers] Let me get a word in edgewise once in a while, before I pitch you!