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Movie Review: Kit Kittredge: An American Girl
‘Kit Kittredge’ fresh and new
By Ella Parker
2theadvocate.com
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“Kit Kittredge: An American Girl” may be about times past, but it is definitely a movie for today, especially with the growing need to pinch pennies. The film turns the struggles and stresses of the Great Depression into a tale highlighting the importance of strength, family, friendship, perseverance and good will.
Directed by Patricia Rozema and written by Ann Peacock, this family-friendly flick is based on the American Girl doll line and the stories by Valerie Tripp. Because of this, the children in the audience may have an idea of what is to come, but there are enough surprises that the storyline remains entertaining.
According to Baton Rouge audience viewer Amanda Kate Blackwell, 9, “The movie is different from the book.”
It does have added characters and events, but Blackwell said she especially liked Kit Kittredge (Abegail Breslin), the 10-year-old protagonist.
Breslin plays an aspiring reporter, who at an early age experiences first-hand some of the losses that accompanied the Great Depression.
Living in Cincinnati in 1934, Kit has to watch foreclosure signs go up in her closest friends’ yards because the bills simply cannot be paid. She has to accept the fact that her dad (Chris O’Donnell) has to move to Chicago in search of work. She has to help her mother (Julia Ormond) turn their house into a ‘boarding quarters,’ taking in paying strangers just to get by. In addition, Kit has to put her reporting dream on hold to do what is needed of her around the house.
Living in the mix of the strangers — all with their wacky quirks — sparks an idea for a “fresh” and “new” article, and Kit tags along with two children, Will Shepherd (Max Thieriot) and Countee (Willow Smith), who are hobos (as the movie calls them) who work in exchange for food. Her friendship with them allows her an insider’s view into the hobo community, learning their lifestyle and ways.
This, combined with her investigative skills, comes in handy when Will becomes the prime suspect in a string of crimes. In a very Nancy Drew-like way and with the help of her good friends Ruthie (Madison Davenport) and Stirling (Zach Mills), Kit begins her quest for the solution of this mystery.
There are laughter and tears as this film blends historical struggles with the mystery — a clever way to keep children intrigued while teaching them about the difficulties of the past and how to remain thankful for what they have. Thus, many morals unfold such as “waste not, want not” and “focus on what you have, not on what you don’t.” However, the main theme of the story is “Don’t let ‘it’ beat you” — the frequent phrase shared by Kit and her father.
Although the movie is filled with lessons, some of the characters’ personalities may be too flat to hold parents’ interest. For example, the mobile librarian (Joan Cusack) who is boarding at the Kittredge’s place is less than appealing, overplaying her eccentric role.
On the up side of matters, incorporating old-fashioned apparel and intertwining black-and-white photography create the illusion of the past. In addition, other characters’ performances make up for the movie’s sometime predictable nature. The first who comes to mind is obviously Breslin — a talented girl who received an Oscar nomination in 2006 for her supporting role in “Little Miss Sunshine.” However, the surprise performance is Ormond, who has a simple and caring demeanor that shines through and demands attention.
Thus, with some captivating characters, motivating morals and simple surprises, “Kit Kittredge” is a story that is fresh and new despite its return to times past, or maybe, because of its return to times past.
