Kit Kittredge: An American Girl (2008)
Kit Kittredge: An American Girl 
NETFLIX SYNOPSIS: Featuring a star-studded cast that includes Julia Ormond and Stanley Tucci, this Depression-era drama follows aspiring young journalist Kit Kittredge (Abigail Breslin), whose ingenuity and courage help save her family’s house. With Kit’s father (Chris O’Donnell) away looking for a job, her mother (Ormond) takes in boarders to make ends meet — and when the family savings are stolen during a series of robberies, Kit sets about finding the thief.
REVIEW: Lovely, nostalgic children’s film that’s lots of fun, but also has some serious underlying themes about prejudice. The story is set during the Depression in the 30’s when Kit’s family must take in boarders in order to keep from going under. The boarders are an eclectic group of oddballs but they are not ridiculed, even though they sometimes do ridiculous things; the film respects their eccentricities, it doesn’t look down on them or mock them. Some of their relationships to each other in these desperate times are quite touching w/o blatantly tugging at the heartstrings, as do so many kid’s movies. The darker themes are handled w/a light touch and it never bogs down as a “message movie” for kids. The simple mystery that takes up the entire last act is presented as mostly slapstick and reminded me of the Hardy Boy mysteries I used to read as a kid. Abigail Breslin, hot child-actress of the moment, is charming as always, and is perfect as Kit. A funny, sweet film for kids and parents.
3 stars
Harold
