Sabrina: friends forever [DVD]

Feature length animated TV movie version of “Sabrina” the animated series, based on the live-action sitcom. Sabrina, a teenage witch, prepares for boarding school and attends witch academy, to learn about potions and spells, but Sabrina’s secret origins (half-human, half-witch), set her apart from her peers, from whom she fears ostracizing. Overwhelmed by her new environment, Sabrina is impressed by the snooty attitude and wealth of fellow student, Portia, whose acquaintances accept Sabrina but are unaware of her half-witch status. When Sabrina befriends another half-witch Nicole, a girl spurned by the in-group, and the pair aid each other’s transition into witch-hood, the kind-hearted Sabrina learns the perils of slavish conformity in order to belong. Academy rules are that a witch is true to her friends, true to herself and uses magic wisely, themes which the narrative supports through Sabrina’s at school experiences. This film, suitable for children and pitched at teens and pre-teens, has an endearing comic tone that supports the funky neo-feminist values of ‘girl power’.