| Audience: | 4th - 6th Grades |
| MPAA Rating: | G |
| Profanity: | None |
| Nudity/Sex: | None |
| Alcohol/Drugs: | None |
| Violence/Scariness: | Some tension and peril, references to Depression-era troubles including poverty and homelessness |
| Diversity Issues: | A theme of the movie |
| Movie Release Date: | July 2, 2008 |
"Kit Kittredge" is remarkable for what it is and just as remarkable for what it is not. It is wholesome but it is not sugary. It is family-friendly but it does not gloss over economic realities and family stress. It is true to the spirit of the 1930's but respectful of all we have learned since that era about respect and tolerance for differences of race and gender. And it is a good movie with important lessons but it is not one bit dull or preachy. Three cheers for Kit and for producer Julia Roberts for making this movie everything the devoted fans of the American Girls series hope for.
Abigail Breslin (of Little Miss Sunshine
But Kit will soon have bigger challenges than being underestimated by a grumpy newspaper editor. All around her, families are struggling because of the economic problems. Fathers are losing their jobs and her friends are losing their homes. Kit's own beloved daddy (Chris O'Donnell) has to leave to try to find work in Chicago. And she and her mother (Julia Ormond) have to open up their home to boarders to make ends meet.
Some of the people around her become fearful and suspicious but Kit and her mother maintain their sense of optimism and generosity, sharing what little they have. A courageous pair of young hobos insist on working for the food they get from Kit's mother and they introduce Kit to a community of homeless people who help each other any way they can.
Kit enjoys the boarders, especially a lively dancer ("30 Rock's" Jane Krakowski), and a friendly magician (Stanley Tucci). She takes comfort in some small distinctions -- unlike her friends, she has not lost her house or had to sell eggs or wear dresses made from a flour sack. And her father has promised to keep writing. But then things get tougher. And they get toughest of all when every penny her family has is stolen and it looks like the thief is her friend.
Like all American Girls, Kit Saves the Day(American Girls Collection)
Producer Julia Roberts (yes, that Julia Roberts) and director Patricia Rozema have given this story a lot of class, respecting its story and its audience. Breslin, one of the most likable young actresses working today, is ideally cast as Kit and she is more than up to the considerable challenges of carrying this story. Whether laughing with her friends in her tree house, worrying about her father, or chasing after a bad guy, she is always completely in the moment and ably supported by a superb cast of adults and children. Audiences will respond to Kit and to the resonance of the issues she faces with the economic challenges of audiences watching her seven decades after the 1930's, a meaningful reminder that a little spunk and a lot of loyalty are always a good thing.
Parents should know that this film has a gently handled but frank depiction of themes of Depression-era struggles including foreclosure and homelessness and some mild peril and tension.
Family discussion: How did Kit decide whom she should trust? Do you agree with the choice Will made to protect Countee? How do different people in this movie respond to problems? Which ways are most -- and least -- effective? Talk to family members who lived during the Depression about their experiences.
If you like this, try: The American Girl Movie Collection 
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I am convinced that Abigail Breslin will be the next "Jody Foster". I hope the real Ms Foster can find a way to mentor Ms Breslin, coaching her about ways to avoid the traps that so easily catch child stars, corrupting and corroding their talents (as with Tatum O'Neil and so many others). Is is great the Ms Robets saw in Ms Breslin the talent for this role, but Ms Roberts does not qualify as a child star (though she was fairly young when she did "Mystic Pizza").
Foster and Breslin co-starred in "Nim's Island" and I understand they loved working together. Foster is certainly the best possible role model for a young performer.
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