Kit Kittredge: An American Girl (2008)

Director:

Patricia Rozema

Writers (WGA):

Ann Peacock (written by)
Valerie Tripp (Kit Kittredge stories)

Release Date:

2 July 2008 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Family | Mystery

Plot:

Set in Cincinnati at the height of the Great Depression, Kit Kittredge, a resourceful young girl, helps her mother run a boardinghouse after her father loses his job.

Plot Keywords:

Great Depression | Cincinnati Ohio | Father | Unemployment | Bookmobile

Awards:

1 win & 3 nominations

Cast

Abigail Breslin	...	Margaret Mildred 'Kit' Kittredge
Julia Ormond	...	Margaret Kittredge
Chris O'Donnell	...	Jack Kittredge
Jane Krakowski	...	Miss May Dooley
Wallace Shawn	...	Mr. Gibson
Max Thieriot	...	Will Shepherd
Willow Smith	...	Countee Garby
Glenne Headly	...	Louise Howard
Zach Mills	...	Stirling Howard IV
Kenneth Welsh	...	Uncle Hendrick
Madison Davenport	...	Ruthie Smithens
Joan Cusack	...	Miss Lucinda Bond
Dylan Smith	...	Freidreich (as Dylan Scott Smith)
Stanley Tucci	...	Jefferson Jasper Berk
Douglas Nyback	...	William 'Billy' Peabody

Also Known As:

Kit Kittredge: An American Girl Mystery (USA) (working title)

Runtime:

101 min

Country:

USA | Canada

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

SDDS | DTS | Dolby Digital

Certification:

USA:G (certificate #44219) | Argentina:Atp | Singapore:G | Netherlands:AL

Filming Locations:

Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Company:

Picturehouse Entertainment

Trivia:

Abigail Breslin wore a blonde wig in her role.

Goofs:

Anachronisms: When Kitt gives the Cincinnati Register Editor her stories to read, they are in a portfolio envelope. When the Editor opens the portfolio, he removes an attached, corded elastic band which was stretched around the portfolio. Corded elastic bands for these types of thin cardboard portfolios did not exist in 1934. These envelopes would be tied with an attached, flattened cloth grosgrain ribbon type of tie.

Quotes:

Kit Kittredge: [very serious] Do you swear allegiance to the Treehuse Club?
Florence Stone: [solemn] I do.
Kit Kittredge: And if the Ninth Street Club asks you to join their club?
Florence Stone: I will laugh in their faces.
Frances Stone: [whispering] Florence! You're *supposed* to say, 'I will decline'!
Florence Stone: Oh.
[very seriously]
Florence Stone: I will decline... and laugh.

Movie Connections:

References It Happened One Night (1934)

Soundtrack:

Don't Fence Me In

a perfect Kit, not a perfect film

I actually rented this for my cousin, who's a huge fan of the American Girl line. Having thoroughly loved "Samantha", "Felicity" and to some degree "Molly" it was with great anticipation that we all sat down to enjoy "Kit". About twenty minutes in I saw some rolling eyes and yawns. It's not that this movie was bad, but for a theatrical release it's rather pallid. There isn't a lot of movement and the story isn't all that interesting. It feels rather like Saturday morning cartoons to me. I'm not the target audience here, but my cousin and her friends are, they were rather bored. Sorry to say.

Abigail Breslin did a splendid job at Kit, no complaints there, she was charming, smart and strong. The supporting players were good, though the always terrific Jane Krakowski didn't get enough to do, her amorous dancer deserved more screen time. Kit's friends were okay, a bit generic. This seemed cut from the same cloth as the misbegotten "Nancy Drew" with Emma Roberts. No fault of Emma, but that movie, though having an excellent story, suffered from a poor approach that turned a plucky heroine into an nerd! Kit's no nerd, but she's stuck in a nerds movie.

This was a real shame because the American Girl series provides young women with good role models and strong moral messages. That doesn't mean the movie had to be so dull!! Originally "Kristen" was set for the big screen and perhaps her pioneer story would have played better. "Kit" is just not that memorable.