User reviews

This really seems to capture the spirit of pre war Yorkshire. It really feels as if they were back in the thirties with little of the outside world impinging on them.By the way this was shown in cinemas in the UK.Definitely not a tv movie.

This was a light-hearted, sometimes moving, quaint little period piece. Based explicitly on Herriot's surprise bestselling autobiography of the same name, All Creatures Great and Small is a wholesome family film. The book is a collection of stories about Herriot's beginning years as an assistant vet, and the movie is basically the same. Very pure, and very enjoyable. I recommend it for families, and especially for animal-loving families. This movie won't change your life, but it will entertain you. (Watch for a great performance by a younger Anthony Hopkins, who plays the quirky Veterinary Surgeon that Harriot goes to work for)

I thoroughly enjoyed this film, at great surprise. I would not recommend it to fans of the action genre but everyone else should take a look, especially animal lovers, don't think for a second you need to have read Herriot's book. The actors themselves provide all the entertainment with their dialogue (except the bits with the animals and farmers). It is actually an emotional film and makes you involved with the characters. A word of warning, since it covers a significant amount of time without making it that clear don't leave the room. I haven't made this film sound as good as it is but believe me it's great. Simon Ward and Brian Stirner are very good as James Herriot and Tristan respectively but Anthony Hopkins steals every scene he's in (as always) as Siegfried, who constantly confuses Herriot by changing what he said the night before and manages to insult all the women. The scene where he is chatting up his girlfriend is a classic example of how NVC can be better than actually saying something. So long as you know what you are expecting this film is excellent.

A great British classic, watch it.

Being a fan of the series I found a copy of this extremely difficult to find film while I was watching the series and was very happy that I was able to watch it.

I would have liked to see is that it was a bit longer and covered a bit more of the life of James Harriot. A very young Anthony Hopkins was superb as Siegfried and Simon Ward and Lisa Harrow as James and Helen made the movie very entertaining. I would have loved to see Simon Ward as James in the series, nothing against Christopher Timothy.

The series features Tristan much more than the movie and this would be the only drawback I could find about it. Tristan is one of my favourite characters in the series.

The movie is nice, not world class, but shows you a splendid young Anthony Hopkins as Sigfried Farnon.

This movie never reaches the level of the series (which were started after, because of(?) this movie) It was a bit too hasty, no real depth in the characters, most things you have to deduct from conversation. The real Herriot lovers are waiting for the explosions of Sigfried, especially if you ever saw Anthony Hopkins in action, but he is surprisingly sedate almost throughout this movie.

I would recommend the books, and the series, but this is an enjoyable movie non the less.

This television movie was very much the precursor to the very successful BBC television series.

Simon Ward plays young James Herriot as he begins a job in the Yorkshire countryside in the veterinary practice of the irascible Siegfried Farnon (Anthony Hopkins.)

Siegfried tends to give him conflicting advice as James tackles household pets and farm animals. Some of them are not happy with the young and inexperienced upstart.

James also finds romance with Helen as he tries to woo her, unsuccessfully at first.

It is an episodic film and condensed. Some of the characters are underused. Tristan Farnon is very much relegated to the background.

Simon Ward does well as the nice enough vet but Hopkins steals the film.

It is an appealing movie but nowhere near as good as the television series which was outstanding.

This film version of James Herriot`s series of novels isn`t much cop compared to the television show of the same . This movie is the prior piece but there`s nothing very memorable about . The plot is more or less composed of " Will young James get married to his girlfriend or not ? " , hardly the most original or compelling premise for a movie , and we`re treated to little in the way of these blackly comical scenes of animals and their owners having mishaps that made the TV show enjoyable . Perhaps the worst problem is that Tristan ( Played by boyish mischief in the show by Peter Davison ) is more or less a peripheral character in this movie

The cast are passable ( Simon West was rather famous when this was produced while Anthony Hopkins was almost totally unknown ) but they seem to lack the flair that Christopher Timothy , Robert Hardy and Peter Davison brought to the long running series

... mainly due to the casting, and the 'posh English gent' version of James (and Tristan). Simon Ward dreadfully miscast and actually quite unlikeable. Helen wasn't portrayed as a real Farmer either. The only one that carries it is Anthony Hopkins. Honestly the tv series, and especially the new 2020 version is so much better. They don't even make as much out of the fabulous Yorkshire Countryside. All in all a poor attempt - not a great reflection of the brilliant Books, paying very little attention to the characters as portrayed by the real 'James Herriot....

Compared to the latest TV adaptation this is absolute rubbish. James Herriot was a Scot who spoke with a soft Scottish burr not a posh bloke from London. Avoid at all costs! And what part of Yorkshire does Helen come from? I can't think why the original James Herriot put his name to it! It lacks the charm and good feeling of even the first series with Christopher Timothy. Anthony Hopkins is miscast as Siegfried Farnon - even the accomplished actor that he is can't save this complete car crash of a film adaptation. Bland, boring and shockingly bad. Give it a wide berth and do yourself a favour!