I suggest that the first film made of this is the Angela Lansbury film of 1989.
Half the length of the 2006 film it is more full, diversified and gives a better answer and solution as to why the children are "me, me" kids.
It also flows better than the bloated serial and has aged well.
It's an opinion.
I agree, the 1989 version with Angela Lansbury is better than the Vanessa Redgrave version. Lansbury is very kind and charming, Redgrave is often absent-minded.
It has more beautiful movie locations. I liked the Antonia and the Cosmo characters better.
So I gave it 10 stars.
However, in the Redgrave version (3+ hours) Penelope's WW II past gets explored more in long flashbacks which I enjoyed very much.
I also liked Richard, the US soldier, better in the remake than in the original.
Rated it with 8 stars.
Regarding the movie locations, the 1989 version has more to offer. It has been filmed in Lamorna Cove, Marazion, St. Michael's Mount and St. Ives (always the model for Portkerris in Pilcher's novels) in Cornwall and Lower Slaughter in the Cotswolds (the scene in the beginning when the taxi driver brings Penelope home from the hospital and has to cross a little creek).
I really wonder why so many people rated the remake 7 stars and the original 6.5 stars???