It is 1942, and World War 2 is in full swing. In Amsterdam, Neitherlands, in a factory's attic, The Frank family and the Van Pels family hide in fear of being found by the nazi's.
The Frank family has four members: father Otto (Joseph Schildkraut), mother Edith (Gusti Huber), sisters Margot (Diane Baker) and Anne (Millie Perkins).
The Van Pells have three members: father Hermann (Lou Jacobi), mother Auguste (Shelley Winters) and son Peter (Richard Beymer).
Every day, from 8:00 AM untill 5:00 P.M., both families must stay absolutly still and quiet so not one soul beneath them may hear that they are up there.
For two years both families live in the attic with limited rations and supplies, but they make do with anything and everything that they can get their hands on, even though it is nohing, really.
Anne has only one passion throughout her time in the attic: she writes all of her most deepest thought and dreams and desires in a red and white checkered diary. This Diary is her most prized posession, and she never lets it out of her sight for she would surely die if ever it was lost.
Anne frequently fights with her mother, sister, and the Van Pels. She is also secretly in love with Peter, but she would never, ever say that out load to anyone or even to herself.
The familes have a couple close calls when they are alost found out, but for two whole years the nazi's never find them.
Finally, one day, the Frank's and the Van Pels are rated out and the nazi's come to get them.
What is not revieled in the film is that sadly, in March of 1945, the families are discovered and they are all forced to go to concentration camps. The families are split up, and the only one that survives in Otto Frank. His daughters were sent to auschwitz in Poland for a time but went on to another camp in Germany where they both got sick and dies within a week of each other.
Otto Frank found Anne's old diary and published it in 1952. What we don't see in the film is that there was another version of the diary Anne had prepaired; a version to published when the war finally ended. The version was almagamated with the original diary into what we now know as the book The Diary of a Young Girl.
The Diary of Anne Frank is a highly "hollywoodized" verison of the best-selling book by Otto Frank. There are many errors (historically) in the film, but these are minor and can be overlooked.
Millie Perkins is the perfect Anne; she is sweet, lovable, ans has that wonderful child-like voice that brings Anne Frank back to life and truely does justice to a little girl killed for no good reason. The Diary of Anne Frank is an exceptional film not only because it was the first film to bring the book to life, but because it shows us what can happen to people and especially a young girl forced to live in secracy; forced toabandon all that they hold dear, forced to give up their lives for something so stupid. The Diary of Anne Frank is a masterpiece of filmaking that is as shocking and powerful today as it was in 1959, and should be seen by any all... not just by people who enjoy movies, but anyone with a heart and a conscience.
In short, The Diary of Anne Frank is a must see for eveyone.
Plot: 
You can't get much better than this.
Visual Effects: 
Sound:
Songs and sound effects are all excellent and work well together.
Character Development:
Another excellent example of character development at its finest.
Atmosphere:
Surprsingly easy to get into.
Realism:
One downside to the film is that it is heavily "Hollywoodized." Many historical points are innacurate, but we et the just of the book... and the life of the young girl who wrote the diary in the first place.
Warren’s Rating:
Movies it was nominated with for Best Picture:
Anatomy of a Murder; *Ben-Hur; The Nun's Story; Room at the Top
7.43/10 Is the movie worth your time to watch?
31-10-03
Age at win: 31
Nominated for: Best Actress in a Supporting Role, Auguste Van Pels, The Diary of Anne Frank
Nomination: 2/4 (acting), 2/4 (total); Win: 1st
Shelly Winters plays Auguste Van Pels very well. She is very close to what the real Auguste Van Pels looked like, and she acts like her, too.
Shelly does a good job acting in this big ensamble cast, and she is especially good with Anne. Their chemistry is very good,a nd it shows. Shelly Winters' best scene is the one in which her fur coat is ruined by spilled milk.
Shelly truely deserved the Oscar for The Diary of Anne Frank, despite her not having all that much screen time. It is not an easy role to take, anyway.
31-10-03
