Matthew Cuthbert and his sister Marilla decide to have an orphan boy come to live with them on their farm, to aid with the manual labor that must be done.  The orphanage makes a mistake and instead sends a young girl, Anne Shirley, to live with the two.  They agree to keep her on a trial basis, as long as she does not cause too much trouble.  Throughout the film, Anne’s imagination and spirit cause quite a bit of trouble, but Matthew and Marilla eventually realize how much richer their lives are with Anne at their home, and it is decided that she will permanently stay with them.