Kit Kittredge: An American Girl
Tags: inspiring, depressing

Plot synopsis:
In June 1934, Kit Kittredge (Abigail Breslin) is determined to become a reporter, and she writes articles on the typewriter in her attic while drama unfolds beneath her. The mortgage on her house is about to be foreclosed because her father lost his car dealership and couldn't keep up with the payments. He has gone to Chicago, Illinois to search for work, and to make some income her mother takes in an odd assortment of boarders, including magician Mr. Berk, dance instructor Miss Dooley, and mobile library driver Miss Bond.
Locally there have been reports of muggings and robberies supposedly committed by hobos. Kit investigates and meets young Will and Countee, who live in a hobo jungle near the Ohio River and Erie Lackawanna Railway. Kit writes a story about the camp and tries to sell it to Mr. Gibson, the mean editor of the Cincinnati newspaper, but he has no interest in the subject. She adopts a dog, her mother buys chickens, and Kit sells their eggs.
Then a locked box containing her mother's treasures is stolen, and a footprint with a star matching the one on Will's boot is discovered, making him the prime suspect. The sheriff goes to find Will and Countee. However, Will and Countee have left the hobo jungle. Kit, Stirling and Ruthie then set out to investigate on the incidents and clear Will's name. It then turns out that Mr. Berk, along with his assistant Frederich and Miss Bond, were actually the ones behind the robberies, framing Will and the rest of the hobos for the crime. Kit then becomes a local hero. They found out that Countee has been pretending to be a boy. On Thanksgiving, the hobos bring food to Kit's mother and Kit's father returns home. Mr. Gibson arrives to show Kit that she is in print in Cincinnati's major daily newspaper.

Review: The characters were believable, the plot interesting, there were humans instead of androids in this movie, there was no sex, violence, or bad language in it, and this old lady LOVED it.
She seemed to get it, and loved the way the story had a good ending where the main character had a personal triumph and a family endured adversity.Take your kids to see this movie.
But what surprised me the most was that Kit's family came face to face with the personal dilemmas of the Depression.
There were also some very interesting characters such as the mobile librarian.I spoke to a mother as she came out of the theater with her 5 year old (who liked it).
film critics,we know what we like and what is a good movie, worth your time and money.
This mom is real and not just another self superior empty mom as played in an empty way in some family films like the mom in Drill bit Taylor.
This film reminds me that movies are not suppose to be aimed at one particular age group in order to improve ticket sales.
Abigail Breslin is headed for Oscar nomination in this move and I would not be surprised to see this movie receive and Oscar nod for best character set.
Yes, Abigail Breslin does maintain a strong presence but without EQUAL interaction with the other characters, the movie would not have played so equal across the scenes.The story is based in 1934, just a few years into the Great Depression.
I've been told stories from people who have lived through the Great Depression and I can tell you that the film comes pretty darn close to reality.Abigail Breslin and her cohorts has this not so secret clubhouse in the family's yard.
As the movie progresses, we see the club forming ideas to help the less fortunate on the street where they live.Movies like Kit Kittredge gives me hope that there are a few Hollywood idea men that are left who can present to the world, movies laced with a healthy dose of 'nice' and topped off with a dollop of a kindred spirit..
It's also about time girls were the focus of movies.
The historical references are very accurate, the story is accurate as to what was happening the the Depression, and children can learn a lot from this movie.
Also, children were respectful to their elders, it's a "clean" movie, but there's a great message and it's about time.
No, it's not going to win any Academy Awards, but it might give kids today an idea of what life was like during a particularly troubling period in American history--just like NOW!!!!
American girls, including older gals like me, will enjoy this one very much, Breslin shines brightly!.
Kit Kittredge (Abigail Breslin) is the only child of a Cincinnati couple in the 1930's.
An aspiring newspaper reporter, Kit spends some time in her room, tapping out her stories on an old typewriter.
Her father (Chris O'Donnell) owns a car dealership and her very pretty mother (Julia Ormond) takes care of their lovely home, where she often hosts garden teas.
But, the Great Depression is gripping the nation and soon Mr. Kittredge is out of work and traveling to Chicago to look for a new job.
Meanwhile, Mrs. Kittredge is forced to take in boarders to make ends meet, including a dancer (Jane Krakowski), a magician (Stanley Tucci), a mobile librarian (Joan Cusack), an uptight mother (Glenne Headley) and her young son.
Also, will Kit see her fondest wish and get published, all the while solving the mystery of who took her family's safety box of money and other costly possessions?
This is a nice, nice film for American families with young girls.
The supporting cast is likewise wonderful, with O'Donnell very fine as the sensitive father and Ormond, especially, doing a terrific turn as the beautiful, courageous mother.
The film looks sensational, from the Kittredge's gorgeous home and grounds to the costumes to the wonderful cinematography.
In short, this is a lovely film for young girls and their families, with abundant laughs, lessons, and love.
Kit Kittredge: An American Girl is a touching story about a young girl (named Kit) who is living during the Great Depression.
The movie follows Kit and her family as they struggle through the tough times of the Great Depression.
It is a very moving movie, with several emotional scenes, especially near the end.This movie introduces viewers personally to the struggles that people had to go through during the time period, and I feel that this is one of the strengths of the movies.
Not only is it touching and moving, but it also educates the viewer on what the time period was really like, giving a personal perspective to an important period of history.In terms of acting, I absolutely loved Abigail Breslin as Kit. She is an amazing actress, and I think this is one of her best performances.
All of the other actors give great performances, as well.This is a wonderful movie that can be enjoyed by anyone, kids and adults alike.
I was able to see this the other day with my child, and I must say I thought it was a decent little family movie.
Just before an hour i happened to see this movie "Kit Kittredge: An American Girl".
I recommend this movie for kids, this is a soft and sweet story which we all have stopped looking back and appreciate the beauty of it.I am surprised the theater was empty, hoping its because of the weekday.
I like the kids role very much, i have seen her previous movies and a big fan of her.
Kit Kittredge-Happy Days Are Here Again Arrive With this Film ****.
A vastly under-rated, marvelous film with Abigail Breslin proving that she will be a quite a star as the years go on.Set in May, 1934 in depression era Cincinnati, the film wonderfully captures the depression period and its effects on the inhabitants of the city.
The story then turns into a stealing caper and as usual, the hobos are blamed until Kit and her brood of friends prove otherwise.
Inspired by a popular doll, this film about a family struggling to make ends meet during the depression of the 1930s is entertaining if formulaic and predictable.
Everybody is so nice and politically correct that it's enough to induce nausea for adult viewers, which is OK because this one is aimed at tweeners and young teens who read the American Girl books.
The first-and only, to date-American Girl movie to be released in theaters!
Fortunately, you can't!Abigail Breslin stars as Kit Kittredge, the ambitious, soon-to-be journalist whose family gets torn apart by the Great Depression.
With a colorful supporting cast including Stanley Tucci, Joan Cusack, Jane Krakowski, Wallace Shawn, and Madison Davenport as Ruthie, everyone brings something extra to the movie.Every girl who owns an American Girl doll, no matter which doll it is or how long ago she got her, probably went to the theaters to see this movie.
It doesn't matter if you don't own Kit; I'm sure your doll will love to watch the movie with you.
She'll recognize how special it is that Hollywood make a theatrical movie about one of her fellow dolls.I have six American Girl dolls and have been enjoying them for twenty years.
For me, it's 3, but it is indeed a good family movie!
It's a sanitized look at life during the depression, with job loss, home loss, and the struggle for a family to make ends meet.
Kit Kittredge (Abigail Breslin) wants to be a reporter for the Register and city editor Mr. Gibson (Wallace Shawn).
He has to go to Chicago to look for work while her mother Margaret (Julia Ormond) rents rooms in the house.
The boarders include Mrs. Howard (Glenne Headly) and her son Stirling, dance instructor Miss Dooley (Jane Krakowski), mobile librarian Miss Bond (Joan Cusack), and magician Jefferson J.
Kit starts writing with the help of Ruthie, Stirling, and hobos Will Shepherd (Max Thieriot) and Countee (Willow Smith).
There are probably too many characters and too much story for a general kids movie.
"Kit Kittredge" began well, and I was impressed by the nice sense of period that the film invoked.
Chris O'Donnell, who plays her father, is quite believable too, as is a nicely understated Max Thieriot in the role of young hobo Will Shepherd.
If you want a truly great American Girl movie, go instead for "Molly: An American Girl on the Home Front," which is outstanding in every respect..
You can't help but think about how disastrous the current situation in Hollywood is when the umpteenth representative of the infamous category "cliché ridden, sugar coated American cute movies" arrives, and you've got to go see it because your niece is crying about itsince the first announcement.
I didn't think Kitt Kittredge: An American Girl could've been an exception to the rule, but I was hoping it kind of would because I thought the atypical scenario, different era and diverse cast could have delivered a rather unique movie.
Kitt Kittredge is about a little girl in Cincinnati trying to become a great journalist during the Depression, while her parents and the US are struggling to get out of the tragic events that were occurring at that time.
Although Kit Kittredge: An American Girl is about ten year-old Kit's (Abigail Breslin) family struggles during the depression, I doubt anyone but six year olds will enjoy it.
It's been a while since I've seen a cliché-ridden, sentimental film like this---most 10 year olds I know would head for the nearest Harry Potter installment for sanity.In her faux Nancy Drew act, Kit investigates a series of robberies in the money-short, foreclosure-ridden neighborhood.
Even award-winning Breslin seems dazed by the pedestrian plot and plodding direction, which leave no tear- possibility unexplored, no stereotype unexploited (benign hobos, shifty magicians, daffy librarians, lovable kids, bumbling adultsthe list goes on).Those hobos: I don't think Woody Guthrie would recognize their clean clothes and pure hearts, much less a compound that looks more like summer camp than hideout.
Her manic, dense librarian could appeal to three year olds.But this considerably older critic isn't buying the schmaltz except that Kit Kittredge: an American Girl is an example of American movie-making at its worst.
Kit's no nerd, but she's stuck in a nerds movie.This was a real shame because the American Girl series provides young women with good role models and strong moral messages.
Life in our story.us the great depression.the importance of such movies is the meaning we have torn off the branding irons flesh that branding iron,our hides...how can we understand another person without the movies we love!
They pretend in silent dreadful terror.Kit Kittredge:an American girl.
Give credit where it is due, and once again Breslin dishes more than a dose of sunshine again over a story that puts the spotlight on one of the darkest times in American History.
Although the film is told from the point of view of a budding writer who happens to be 10 year old, with the help of a consistent and very talented supporting cast, the emotions come through honestly and without much of the unnecessary and over dramatized productions that now pass as drama.Chris O'Donnell is perfectly cast as Kit's father, the perfect prototype of the American family man who is now facing total disaster as his world crumbles around him.
Here is a film where there is strength, humor, and many more emotions shown with restraint and class.Soon, their home becomes a magnet to boarders and other outcasts of society, and we see some of the era's stereotypes beautifully played by first rate actors like Stanley Tucci, Joan Cusack, Glenne Headley, and Jane Krakowski.
There are some intimate scenes where one captures how these people tried to escape the darkness outside by finding strength in each other and humor in whatever little entertainment came their way.The film is short, yet it is full of detail, courtesy of some fine writing, a fantastic production team, and very lovely camera-work.
Very pleasant movie, set in the 1930s depression era..
All the small kids knew was that whenever your family resorted to selling eggs, you were about to lose your home.Cute 11 year old Abigail Breslin is Margaret Mildred Kittredge, 'Kit' for short.
Kit's mom has to resort to taking in boarders to make ends meet and keep the house from foreclosure.
But Kit doesn't believe it and puts her investigative skills, a sort of Nancy Drew approach, to work helping solve the crime.Overall a good movie, entertaining with some good actors.SPOILERS: The crime was a product of the magician, his friend, and the mobile librarian.
It's the Great Depression, and young Kit Kittredge (Abigail Breslin) has a great life.
Soon, however, her world is turned upside down as all her friends suffer bankruptcy and foreclosure, and soon it affects her very family.Her father goes to Chicago to try to find work, and meanwhile her mother opens her home for boarders.
Kit loves the new company, as everyone has a special story to tell, but things go downhill when her friend Will (Max Thieriot), a hobo, is accused of stealing.
Kit and her young friends do some detective work to try and find the real robbers, which leads them on the adventure of their young lives.A poignant, moving, exceptional film...all the more realistic because of what people are going through in their own lives right now..."Kit Kittredge" shows the true meaning of charity, friendship and family.
A truly can't miss family film!.
If I was only a ten year old girl (especially at heart) I would have loved this.
being a middle aged guy I liked it.Its a sweet little movie about Kit who wants to be a reporter and the Depression era troubles and the mystery of a stolen lock box.
For give the lack of details but it was too sweet for me and while I cared enough to leave it on to let it play to the end I was more into wrapping Christmas presents.Recommended for any girl/woman reading this who is still 10 years old at heart.6 out of 10 for old guys like me.
Kit Kittredge: An American Girl is the film that Nancy Drew should have been.
As it is set it the Great Depression, it may have more contemporary significance than intended.The film chronicles the life of Kit Kittredge, a young girl with a strong interest in journalism.
The house is in danger of being foreclosed, so Kit's father, Jack, decides to look for work in Chicago.
Kit's life worsens even more when her article concerning camaraderie in the hobo community is rejected by the local newspaper because it doesn't appeal to societal perceptions about the homeless.
Two young "hobos" named Will and Countee respectively visit the Kittredge house frequently.Several painful scenes of non-plot progression later, the police report a burglary with a single (and extremely obvious footprint) as the only evidence.
The movie ends with a heartwarming feast in celebration of Kit's detective skill and her article's acceptance in the paper, and the hobo's innocence.
Oh, and Miss Dooley finds a man to seduce in G-rated stylized acting.Kit Kittredge: An American Girl is an unusual film.
Kit's father goes to Chicago to find work, but is unable to find any prospects.
An adult will find something admirable in Kit Kittredge: An American Girl.
In an age of cynical adult-laden innuendo in children's films (see Shrek), Kit Kittredge: An American Girl provides a welcome and encouraging divergence..
Abby Breslin: An American Girl..
Kit Kittredge: An American Girl (2008): Dir: Patricia Rozema / Cast: Abigail Breslin, Chris O'Donnell, Julia Ormond, Joan Cusack, Max Thieriot: Charming family film about realizing one's potential.
Set in 1934 during the Great Depression, Kit dreams of being a reporter but after her father loses his job at the bank, her mother opens her home to strangers.
Abigail Breslin is winning as Kit who observes all who arrive but ultimately sets out to clear the hobos of blame.
Kit Kittredge is a 10 year old aspiring journalist who lives in an upper middle-class suburb of Cincinnati in 1934.
Instead of being turned down and not getting her article published until the movie is just about over (and that's the way the plot actually plays out), it might have been more interesting if somehow Kit enlists an adult to get herself published and then her articles become a sensation.
In my 'alternative' scenario, Kit is found out at the end and 'exposed'; she falls from grace but is redeemed after her final article exposes a team of con men who have been preying upon the good members of the community.As it turns out, The Kittredge 'First Act' is replete with politically correct, anachronistic ideas.
The rich kids are equated with the conservative, right-wing Republicans of today.The film's second act begins when Kit's father loses his car dealership (it's interesting that he was still able to have a thriving business as late as 1934!).
Then there's Mr. Berk, played by Stanley Tucci, who wows the kids with his magic tricks (another scene that did not have to go on as long as it did).In addition to the boarders, Kit meets two Hobo children, Will and Countee and decides to investigate the Hobo 'way of life'.
Much too late in the story, the Hobo children are accused of stealing all the boarders' valuables which Kit's mother had placed in what she believed to be a 'safe place'.By Act III, we've finally discovered that Mr. Berk, the magician, his associate and Miss Bond are a bunch of con artists who have been victimizing poor boarding house denizens all over the city.
Instead of becoming an exciting muckraker from the beginning, Kit's new found fame comes a little too late in the storyline.Unfortunately, little Abigail Breslin is once again used by adults for nefarious purposes.