Kit Kittredge - An American Girl – DVD Review

By June L. Nov 12, 2008, 15:37 GMT

Aspiring reporter Kit Kittredge can’t resist bringing home strays, whether it’s Grace, an abandoned basset hound, or Will (Max Thieriot of JUMPER) and Countee (Willow Smith), 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 ...more

I love all the American Girl presentations.  They are fun, well produced and impeccably designed to bring history to life. 

They are well acted and provide a peek at the past in a format the whole family can enjoy as a learning experience.

This latest offering is exceptionally fine work.  Kitt Kittredge, An American Girl is a film you will want to have in your collection for repeated viewings.

Abigail Breslin stars as the clever and courageous Margaret Mabel “Kitt” Kittredge.  Set in the years of the Great Depression, and in Cincinnati when it was a small city, there is evidence of the economic disaster about to hit America.  Along with others in their neighborhood, Kitt’s father loses his job and has to go to Chicago in hopes of finding work. 

Her mother takes in boarders, to try and generate some funds by which the family can live.  From the fascinating stories of these new people that live in her home, Kitt gets the inspiration to write a column for the Cincinnati Daily paper. 

She has always wanted to be a journalist, and her forthright approach impresses the editor, but perhaps not enough to get her words into print.

Drifters and hobos are appearing with regularity, and Kitt befriends Will and County, two youngsters whose lives have been completely shaken up by America’s financial difficulties. 

When Kitt’s mother’s small bit of money is stolen, the neighborhood is ready to point the finger at Will and the other hobos.  Kitt using her investigative and journalistic skills sets out to find the real crook and to clear her friends.

With today’s financial problems so much in the news, it is comforting to see a story of a family surviving during tough times.  The troubled environment is offset by Kitt’s enthusiasm and strength of purpose.

Abigail Breslin is charming as Kitt, making the viewer easily believe in her wit and intelligence and cheer her on in her attempts to help out.  Along the way audiences will learn a lot about hobos and their lifestyle, class “distinction” and snobbery during that time, and have a better understanding of how the country fell into that first great decline. 

The cast is perfect for their roles, and include Julia Ormond, Chris O’Donnell, Glenne Headly, Jane Krakowski, Stanley Tucci, and Wallace Shawn.  Joan Cusack is simply wonderful as the ditzy bookmobile librarian.

Kitt Kittredge is presented on single disc with a choice of full frame or widescreen presentation.  The feature runs 100 minutes, and is subtitled in both English and Spanish. 

Special Features include a gallery of American Girl film trailers, and DVD-ROM PC enhanced features. 

There is also a code included to go online and get a digital download of the film.  This is a film that is sure to become a family favorite. 

Kit Kittredge - An American Girl is now available at Amazon. As of yet, there is not a release date for the UK. Visit the DVD database for more information.