After the enforced absence of their father, three children move with their mother to Yorkshire, where during their adventures they attempt to discover the reason for his disappearance. Based on a 1905 children’s book by E. Nesbit, it’s an old-fashioned entertainment with positive messages and role models.
The film – which sticks closely to E Nesbit’s original dialogue and glows with a rural, pre-World War One innocence – is a classic in its own right. -Daily Telegraph
Starring Dinah Sheridan, Bernard Cribbins, William Mervyn, Iain Cuthbertson and Jenny Agutter.
Parents need to know that The Railway Children is a classic of family cinema, especially in the UK where it was produced in 1970. Based on a 1905 children’s book by E. Nesbit, it’s an old-fashioned entertainment with positive messages and role models. The children behave bravely and responsibly in unfavorable circumstances. Eventually, after a few mild wrong turns, they begin to enjoy helping others and find that their rewards are tenfold. There’s some mild violence and scariness, notably a maid slapping a boy, and the disappearance of a father and illness of a mother. There are a few jokes around drinking, and one possible sex-related joke, though very, very subtle. This movie may be a tough sell to the internet/video game generation (not to mention difficult to find), but families who sit still for it will find it hugely entertaining and rewarding. – Common Sense Media