Rozema delivers an elegantly spry children's tale about nostalgic hardship and growing pains in the overly sentimental but uniquely inspiring Kit Kittredge.
Kit Kittredge: An American Girl (2008)
Tomatometer
How does the Tomatometer work ![]()
Reviews Counted:98
Fresh:77
Rotten:21
Average Rating:6.7/10
Consensus: Refreshingly sweet and sincere, Kit's doll-and-book-inspired do-good mystery may be geared towards the tween girl but will please audiences of all ages.
Genre: Childrens
US Box Office: $17,533,514
Synopsis:
In the first feature film based on the hugely popular American Girl® book series, Oscar® nominee Abigail Breslin (Little Miss Sunshine) stars as a resourceful young girl whose bravery, compassion...
In the first feature film based on the hugely popular American Girl® book series, Oscar® nominee Abigail Breslin (Little Miss Sunshine) stars as a resourceful young girl whose bravery, compassion and determination help her solve a mystery that saves her family’s home during the Great Depression. Kit Kittredge: An American Girl is directed by Patricia Rozema (Mansfield Park) from a screenplay by Ann Peacock (The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe). The film’s all-star ensemble cast includes two-time Oscar nominee Joan Cusack (In & Out, Working Girl), Glenne Headly (Dirty Rotten Scoundrels), Tony Award winner and Golden Globe nominee Jane Krakowski (“Ally McBeal”), Golden Globe nominee Chris O’Donnell (Batman & Robin), Julia Ormond (Legends of the Fall), Wallace Shawn (The Princess Bride) and two-time Golden Globe winner Stanley Tucci (The Devil Wears Prada).
Aspiring reporter Kit Kittredge can’t resist bringing home strays, whether it’s Grace, an abandoned basset hound or Will and Countee, a pair of young hobos willing to trade work for meals. Bright, inquisitive and generous, Kit is a natural born leader. But her happy childhood is abruptly interrupted when her father (Chris O’Donnell) loses his car dealership and must leave Cincinnati to look for work. Kit and her mother Margaret (Julia Ormond) are left to manage on their own, growing vegetables, selling eggs and even taking in an assortment of boarders including an itinerant magician (Stanley Tucci), a vivacious dance instructor on the prowl for a husband (Jane Krakowski) and a zany mobile librarian (Joan Cusack).
When a crime spree sweeps Cincinnati, all signs point to the local “hobo jungle,” where Will and Countee live with a group of their impoverished companions. Kit, who always has her antennae out for a good news story, convinces her new friends to take her to see the hobo camp for herself and writes an article that creates a sympathetic portrait of the camp’s residents. But when Kit’s mother and their boarders become the latest victims in a string of robberies, Kit’s loyalties are tested. Will is accused of the crimes and, with all of their savings gone, the Kittredges face losing their house to foreclosure. Determined to recover the stolen money and believing Will is innocent, Kit recruits her friends Ruthie (Madison Davenport) and Stirling (Zach Mills) to help her track down the real culprit. Together they uncover a plot that goes far beyond Cincinnati!
--© Picturehouse
[More]
Starring: Abigail Breslin, Stanley Tucci, Julia Ormond, Joan Cusack
Starring: Abigail Breslin, Stanley Tucci, Julia Ormond, Joan Cusack, Glenne Headly, Jane Krakowski, Chris O'Donnell, Wallace Shawn, Madison Davenport, Zach Mills, Willow Smith, Max Thieriot
Director: Patricia Rozema
Director: Patricia Rozema
Screenwriter: Ann Peacock
Producer: Elaine Goldsmith-Thomas, Lisa Gillan, Ellen L. Brothers, Julie Goldstein
Composer: Joseph Vitarelli
Studio: Picturehouse
Reviews for Kit Kittredge: An American Girl
Kit Kittredge: An American Girl appears poised to incite the kind of box-office frenzy more commonly associated with characters named Hannah and Harry.
It's not only fresh and unassuming, but a film that serves, very nicely, the severely underserved audience of young girls.
Though predictable and unabashedly sentimental, the film is a warmly appealing tale of a bright girl bravely navigating tough times.
It's fun, fast-paced, educational entertainment that's fit for the whole family -- American boys included.
Kit Kittredge is a gentle-spirited movie that also acknowledges the fact that we can't -- and shouldn't -- protect kids from everything.
One of the 10 best American movies released so far this year, Kit Kittredge: An American Girl is the surprisingly satisfying first theatrical film inspired by a long-running series of historically themed dolls.
While the script feels a little stiff and moralistic at times, it's hard to fault a film with such an intelligent, good-hearted heroine.
It appeals to kids while evoking genuine emotion without excessive sentimentality.
The first feature film based on the highly popular American Girl book series -- there have already been three made-for-television American Girl movies -- plays out like a sweet-souled Nancy Drew mystery.
No great shakes, but if it brings a few smiles to the younger audience members and some instant additions to their dollhouses, it will have achieved everything it set out to do.
But then, Kit, written by Ann Peacock and directed by Patricia Rozema, is that rare all-ages movie that never talks down to its audience and isn't afraid to use history to illuminate current times.
Why do so many family films think their young audiences are imbecilic?
Considering that it is inspired by one of the dolls in the American Girl product line, Kit Kittredge: An American Girl is some kind of a miracle: an actually good movie.
Quick -- name three subjects you think would result in a surefire family film hit. If you said The Great Depression, hobo culture, and the social pariah realities of both, you'll love this movie.
This is the kind of girls' film that the dads out there won't mind taking their daughters to and, I say, will enjoy it as well.
Kit Kittredge is hopelessly vanilla entertainment, and while it's sure to please some matinee attendees, it's going to feel like a demonic endurance ritual to the less inclined.
Latest News for Kit Kittredge: An American Girl
October 27, 2008:
RT on DVD: Zombie Strippers, Meet Kit Kittredge!
For the week leading up to All Hallow's Eve, there's a surprising dearth of new horror releases hitting DVD. Rest assured, though, titillation and scares can be found in a trio... More...
October 22, 2008:
A gem of a girl power tale for audiences of all genders, big and small, about a diminutive pre-feminist with a nose for news and an aversion to glass ceilings and the word 'no'. ![]()
More...
July 06, 2008:
Box Office Guru Wrapup: Hancock shows some attitude at the box office
Despite a critical panning, Hancock scores at the Box Office. More...
July 04, 2008:
Review Revue: Kit Kittredge Edges Hancock in Battle for Critics' Hearts
This week, box office dynamo Will Smith goes head to head with tweener tyke Abigail Breslin. But is Hancock's reluctant superhero routine any match for the intrepid adventures... More...
More Movies
| Tomatometer Percentage | Movie | Date |
|---|---|---|
| 89% 89% | Sherlock Holmes | 26/12 |
| 39% 39% | The Lovely Bones | 26/12 |
| 100% 100% | The French Kissers | 26/12 |
| 83% 83% | Bright Star | 26/12 |
| 80% 80% | Nowhere Boy | 26/12 |
| | Alvin and the Chipmunk… | 26/12 |
| | Did You Hear About the… | 26/12 |
| 05% 05% | Old Dogs | 26/12 |
What’s Hot On RT
Other News
Sponsored Links
Around The Network
- Kit Kittredge: An American Girl at Rotten Tomatoes
- Kit Kittredge: An American Girl at IGN
- Kit Kittredge: An American Girl at AskMen
Fresh Links
Featured

Techland examines the visual splendor of Peter Jackson's upcoming film.

Hollywood.com ponders whether or not an animated film could win Best Picture.

Get all the latest movie updates, reviews, interviews and features here.
Competitions

We're giving away a bunch of stuff from the upcoming Squeakquel.

We're giving away five copies of Tarantino's hit, with thanks to Universal. That's a bingo.



Top Critic


