Last year, older audiences were very excited about the Nancy Drew movie. Finally, parents could share their childhood heroine with their own brood. It never came be, though. The film was full of pre-pubescent musings and left many parents disappointed. So if you fall into this disgruntled group, rejoice! Kit Kittredge: An American Girl is the film that Nancy Drew should have been. It is an inspiring story of tolerance and empathy with other human beings with a mystery backdrop. 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. It's set in Cincinnati. Kit's family is rather wealthy, but everything changes when Kit's father loses his job at some car dealership. 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. Meanwhile, Kit's mother, Margaret, subleases portions of the house to help pay the mortgage. Several quirky types come to live with them. The residents include: the sultry dance instructor, Miss Dooley (emphasis on Miss), mobile librarian Miss Bond, clever magician Mr. Berk and his assistant-brother, and Kit's classmate, Stirling. 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. Whose footprint do you think it is (hint he's one of the only named hobos). Will is later accused but mysteriously not prosecuted (though he is threatened several times). He isn't the criminal, however, as Kit discovers. In actuality, the magician Mr. Berk, his wimpy brother, and the mobile librarian are the perpetrators. They have swindled money from semi-wealthy houses across the Northeast and have framed the local homeless populations for the crimes. Kit coerces Stirling and her other friend Ruthie to help her bring these clowns to justice. They convince Miss Bond that exploiting public disgust of the homeless for personal gain is unethical, and she helps them subdue the Berk Brothers. 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. It begins as an overly-sentimental drama and finishes as a mystery thriller (sorta). The change is welcomed and allows the film to appeal to a wider audience. Abigail Breslin handles the transition well and channels her character's anger at having her article rejected into locating the stolen money. This change is possible due to Valerie Tripp's screenplay which peppers Breslin's dialog with analytical and humanist phrases. The other characters involved in the crime's undertaking and its solving are not as complex as Kit, so they're free to follow her transition. The screenplay does have a hole it never addresses, though. Kit's father goes to Chicago to find work, but is unable to find any prospects. How does he support himself while there? Maybe Margaret sends him money, but I'm unsure. His character leaves the story and reappears when at the end when his presence isn't necessary.
The opening half of the film is its weakest portion and, to be honest, is probably unappealing to anyone outside of the intended audience. Kit's father and the poverty of her school friends aren't developed within the context of the plot. One must appeal to his/her own understanding of the Great Depression in order to have sympathy for them. It's a bit pretentious. Give me a unique reason to pity the characters, jeez. Seriously though, how many children understand the cultural and economic implications of that time in history? The theft avoids this problem by allowing someone sufficient screen time to acquaint himself/herself with the hobos and care for them. It's an incomplete film but not an intolerable one. An adult will find something admirable in Kit Kittredge: An American Girl. I suspect the adult appeal is the film's underlying message. The vagrants are not inherently evil and they are not entirely responsible for their situation. This movie reminds one of that. 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.
The film chronicles the life of Kit Kittredge, a young girl with a strong interest in journalism. It's set in Cincinnati. Kit's family is rather wealthy, but everything changes when Kit's father loses his job at some car dealership. 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. Meanwhile, Kit's mother, Margaret, subleases portions of the house to help pay the mortgage. Several quirky types come to live with them. The residents include: the sultry dance instructor, Miss Dooley (emphasis on Miss), mobile librarian Miss Bond, clever magician Mr. Berk and his assistant-brother, and Kit's classmate, Stirling. 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. Whose footprint do you think it is (hint he's one of the only named hobos). Will is later accused but mysteriously not prosecuted (though he is threatened several times). He isn't the criminal, however, as Kit discovers. In actuality, the magician Mr. Berk, his wimpy brother, and the mobile librarian are the perpetrators. They have swindled money from semi-wealthy houses across the Northeast and have framed the local homeless populations for the crimes. Kit coerces Stirling and her other friend Ruthie to help her bring these clowns to justice. They convince Miss Bond that exploiting public disgust of the homeless for personal gain is unethical, and she helps them subdue the Berk Brothers. 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. It begins as an overly-sentimental drama and finishes as a mystery thriller (sorta). The change is welcomed and allows the film to appeal to a wider audience. Abigail Breslin handles the transition well and channels her character's anger at having her article rejected into locating the stolen money. This change is possible due to Valerie Tripp's screenplay which peppers Breslin's dialog with analytical and humanist phrases. The other characters involved in the crime's undertaking and its solving are not as complex as Kit, so they're free to follow her transition. The screenplay does have a hole it never addresses, though. Kit's father goes to Chicago to find work, but is unable to find any prospects. How does he support himself while there? Maybe Margaret sends him money, but I'm unsure. His character leaves the story and reappears when at the end when his presence isn't necessary.
The opening half of the film is its weakest portion and, to be honest, is probably unappealing to anyone outside of the intended audience. Kit's father and the poverty of her school friends aren't developed within the context of the plot. One must appeal to his/her own understanding of the Great Depression in order to have sympathy for them. It's a bit pretentious. Give me a unique reason to pity the characters, jeez. Seriously though, how many children understand the cultural and economic implications of that time in history? The theft avoids this problem by allowing someone sufficient screen time to acquaint himself/herself with the hobos and care for them. It's an incomplete film but not an intolerable one. An adult will find something admirable in Kit Kittredge: An American Girl. I suspect the adult appeal is the film's underlying message. The vagrants are not inherently evil and they are not entirely responsible for their situation. This movie reminds one of that. 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.