Samantha: An American Girl Holiday (2004)

This is How Movies Should Be Made

Sorry, this movie sucks

In truth, there is barely enough story here to make a film.

if their story seems completely bonkers, almost like a feverish work of fiction, you ain't heard nothing yet.

I liked "Samantha: An American Girl Holiday" very much indeed. It is a rather gentle tale but one that is not afraid to tackle such issues as family loyalty, class divisions, women's suffrage, and child labor. The title character, Samantha Parkington, is played by AnnaSophia Robb, and she is absolutely wonderful, with an expressive face and an honest approach to her craft that leads us, the viewers, to believe wholeheartedly in her on-screen portrayal. Samantha seems utterly real, and that of course is the highest compliment to which any actor can aspire. There are no weaknesses in the cast, and special accolades should go to Kelsey Lewis, who plays Samantha's best friend, Nellie O'Malley, and to Jordan Bridges, who plays Uncle Gard. Direction and cinematography are splendid throughout, with an effective sense of period (1904). The musical score is lovely, supportive of the action, and (most important of all) non-intrusive, never calling attention to itself. You will enjoy this film from beginning to end.

The story about Samantha Parkington, a privileged girl, who lives with her grandmother played by the wonderful Mia Farrow in Mount Bedford, New York along the Hudson River in the Hudson River Valley about a couple of hours north of New York City. In the beginning, Samantha is playing with Eddie Ryland, her neighbor and nemesis who enjoys bullying people into giving him money. Samantha befriends Eddie's new maids, young sisters--Nellie, Bridget, and Jenny whose mother died. Their father moved them to the country. Instead of working in terrible factories, they work in the Ryland estate in the Hudson River Valley. While Nellie is working there, Samantha and her become close friends despite their obvious differences. When Samantha's Uncle Gardner comes home, he announces his engagement to Cornelia Pitt, a woman's right to vote activist, and he plans to bring Samantha to live with them in New York City. Wherever Samantha goes, adventure follows. I don't know how similar this is to the books but it's an okay film. The acting is okay. The child actors are wonderful in their roles. The film reminds of an old Shirley Temple movie. It's for a family audience!

Spoiler Alert! The most horrible movie I ever saw! Annasophia is not the best actress to play Samantha. I could do better! Nellie's actress was just as horrible. Perfect, huh! Perfectly awful is more like it. Such a disappointment. They didn't even show the part when she goes to Piney Point, Grandmary's summer getaway. And what about Samatha's birthday party, huh, where's that?! I'm a true American Girl fan since I was 9 years old, I've read all the books, and the movie stinks. I was especially disappointed in Nellie's actress. Her acting was horrible, and she wasn't as serious as Nellie in the books. The way she smiled looked like Nellie was a dork. That made me angry, because Nellie is Irish, like me, and Irish don't smile like a dork. Horrible! Awful! Most disappointing movie ever! It will win no award, I'm sure. The only award it'll win will be the most awful movie of the millennium!

I was surprised when I heard this was being made into a movie. My sister read the American Girls books when she was a kid, and I never expected them to make a movie out of them. But all things considered, I thought the WB did a good job.First of all, Annasophia Robb is a cute little kid, and at twelve years old, she has the potential to be a talented actress. She did a great job in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and looked as if she had fun while doing it. In the movie, Annasophia plays Samantha Parkington, a ten-year-old girl living in New York in 1904. The acts of the film are divided into the four seasons. In the spring, she makes friends with the servant girls living next door. In the summer, she meets her uncle's new wife. In the fall, she moves in with her aunt and uncle in the city, and then helps her three friends escape from an orphan home. In the winter, everyone lives happily ever after.The orphanage reminded me of a federal prison, and the warden, er, manager reminded me of Carol Burnett in Annie. I also liked the movie's message about helping the needy. That's what made it a family movie.So maybe it wasn't Emmy worthy, but if you have kids, or you just like cute movies, you'll like this movie.