FairyTale: A True Story.

Name: FairyTale: A True Story
Genre: Fantasy, Drama, Family
Released: 1997-10-24
Duration: 99 min
Cast: Florence Hoath, Elizabeth Earl, Paul McGann, Phoebe Nicholls, Peter O'Toole

A tiny photograph starts a very big argument.

Two girls photograph what they say are fairies in an English garden during World War I. Their pictures attract famous believers and skeptics, including Arthur Conan Doyle and Harry Houdini, as public attention intrudes on their families.

56%Tomatometer32 critics · Rotten Tomatoes

Checked Oct 20, 2026. About these scores

Why it’s a little special

Period detail and delicate fantasy invite conversations about photographs, belief and the comfort of a good story.

BEFORE YOU PRESS PLAY

Know the story.
Know your little people.

Parental guidance suggested

US film rating

Bereavement, wartime separation, illness and spiritualist themes. This fanciful account takes substantial liberties with the real Cottingley photographs.

Our notes are a starting point, not an age recommendation. G and PG films can still include intense moments. You know your family best.

BEHIND THE SCENES

The little details.

Directed by: Charles Sturridge
Starring: Florence Hoath, Elizabeth Earl, Paul McGann, Phoebe Nicholls, Peter O'Toole, Harvey Keitel, Bill Nighy, Bob Peck, Tim McInnerny, Mel Gibson, David Calder
Written by: Albert Ash, Tom McLoughlin, Ernie Contreras
Produced by: Paul Tucker, Wendy Finerman, Bruce Davey
Release date: October 24, 1997
Runtime: 99 minutes
Genre: Fantasy, Drama, Family
Studio: Paramount Pictures
Language: English