ada the leading man is my tpye

Executscan Expected more

GarnettTeenage The film was still a fun one that will make you laugh and have you leaving the theater feeling like you just stole something valuable and got away with it.

Portia Hilton Blistering performances.

SnoopyStyle It's the depth of the Great Depression in 1934 Cincinnati. Kit Kittredge (Abigail Breslin) wants to be a reporter for the Register and city editor Mr. Gibson (Wallace Shawn). Ruthie Smithens (Madison Davenport), Frances Stone, and Florence Stone are fellow members of the Treehouse Club. The Stones get foreclosed and the sisters have to move away. Ruthie's dad is the banker. Kit is donating to the soup kitchen when she sees her father Jack (Chris O'Donnell) as one of the unemployed. 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. Berk (Stanley Tucci). Kit starts writing with the help of Ruthie, Stirling, and hobos Will Shepherd (Max Thieriot) and Countee (Willow Smith). When Ruthie's home gets robbed while her family is on vacation, Will becomes a prime suspect. Margaret's lockbox and all of the family's money gets stolen. Jefferson claims it to be Will.Abigail Breslin is great and her character is a real heroine. There are probably too many characters and too much story for a general kids movie. It's nevertheless a good old fashion coming-of-age adventure with some good messages for the little ones. It's one of the better family fare.

doctorsmoothlove 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.

cklarson-1 As a writer of women's history, including World War II, this is one of the few films I've seen which really informs. The settings and clothing were accurate. The mix of people was also true to life. But what surprised me the most was that Kit's family came face to face with the personal dilemmas of the Depression. She was not just a child "voyeur", "do-gooder", or "little careerist" removed from the economic and social pressures which is what I had expected. There were a number of very authentic scenes and interchanges. 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). She commented that the movie will give youth of today a view of hardship that most don't understand in our now affluent nation. As a child of Depression-era parents that's the truth: both of my parents' families lost wealth due to small town bank failures. My uncle, instead of going to college, had to join the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCCs).With that said, however, as a movie I thought the acting uneven. Some of the dialogue seemed a little canned and some words were too contemporary (e.g., Kit: "I was focused on"). But some of that could also just be my first over-reactive impression. I'd have to see it again, to let it all sink in, for as a total historical package it was a lot to absorb, because you have to assess it at several different levels.But, whether or not you think this is a good or bad movie, in movie terms, this is an important movie for children to see. It is generally fact-based, has depth, and is as authentic a movie as a wholesome, "uplifting" one for 10-year-olds can be. The American Girl phenomenon is true manna from heaven for those of us interested in giving women a place in history.

Amy Adler 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 arriving on the Kittredge's doorstep are two young hobos, teenager Will (Max Thieriot) and pre-teen County (Willow Smith). These latter two youngsters will do any odd jobs in exchange for food and Mrs. K. welcomes them over the objections of neighbors. But, will the Kittredge family save their home? 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. Breslin is enchanting in the title role, exhibiting her sweet spunk and contagious enthusiasm at all times. 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. All of the other supporting cast members previously mentioned, along with Wallace Shawn as a stuffy newspaper editor, fulfill their roles handily, too, with special mention extended to young Willow Smith for her nice interpretation of the part of a young drifter with a big secret. The film looks sensational, from the Kittredge's gorgeous home and grounds to the costumes to the wonderful cinematography. As to the script, it is a nice combination of history, intrigue, and the triumph of the human spirit, especially the hope and new possibilities that children bring into the world. Even though the direction could have been a bit snappier, the film rolls along nicely, too. In short, this is a lovely film for young girls and their families, with abundant laughs, lessons, and love. Do skedaddle over to the nearest theater and make time for Kit and company. Then, head to the library as well, for the books which inspired the film are very, very fine indeed.