Molly: An American Girl on the Home Front (2006) (TV)

User Rating:

6.8/10   

Director:

Joyce Chopra

Writers (WGA):

Anna Sandor (teleplay)
Valerie Tripp ("Molly" stories from the "American Girl Collection")

Release Date:

26 November 2006 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Family | War

Plot:

Molly is a girl living in the year 1944 and WWII has brought many changes to Molly's life. An English girl comes to live with Molly's family to escape the bombings. They slowly become good friends.

Plot Keywords:

Girl | Friend | School | Young Girl | Soldier

Awards:

1 win & 2 nominations

Cast

David Aaron Baker	...	Dr. James McIntire
Steve Carey	...	Military Messenger
Andrew Chalmers	...	Richard 'Ricky' McIntire
Genevieve Farrell	...	Jill McIntire
Hannah Fleming	...	Susan Shapiro
Tory Green	...	Emily Bennett
Geri Hall	...	Mrs. Taft
Josette Halpert	...	Alison Hargate
Cameron Lewis	...	Dwight Koloski
Sarah Manninen	...	Charlotte Campbell
Landon Norris	...	Tim Rutledge
Sarah Orenstein	...	Gladys Gilford
Molly Ringwald	...	Mrs. Helen McIntire
Maya Ritter	...	Molly McIntire
Eliza Jane Scott	...	Miss la vonad
Jason Spevack	...	Jimmy - Boy Speller
Alex Steele	...	Jane
Amy Stewart	...	Eleanor
Bill Timoney	...	Newsreel narrator (voice)
Audrey Twitchell	...	Background voice
Samantha Somer Wilson	...	Linda Rinaldi

Directed by
Joyce Chopra

Writing credits (WGA)
Anna Sandor		(teleplay)
Valerie Tripp		("Molly" stories from the "American Girl Collection")

Produced by
Nancy Bennett	....	executive producer
Ellen L. Brothers	....	executive producer
Lisa Roberts Gillan	....	executive producer
Elaine Goldsmith-Thomas	....	executive producer
Terry Gould	....	producer
Stephanie Langhoff	....	producer
Deborah Schindler	....	executive producer
Marisa Yeres	....	executive producer

Original Music by
Chris Hajian

Cinematography by
Rodney Charters		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
David Ray

Casting by
Tina Gerussi
Todd M. Thaler

Costume Design by
Trysha Bakker

Makeup Department
Alessondra Bastianoni	....	assistant makeup artist
Cliona Furey	....	head of hair department
Marie Nardella	....	makeup department head
Rita Pacitto	....	second assistant hair stylist

Production Management
Shannon Fogarty	....	post-production supervisor

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Jennifer Zabawa	....	daily assistant director

Art Department
Tanya Hart	....	properties buyer
Arlene Lott	....	first assistant art director
Tasayu Tasnaphun	....	digital artist

Sound Department
Ryan Collison	....	foley engineer
Thomas Hayek	....	sound recordist
Matthew McKenzie	....	adr recordist
Jay Peck	....	foley artist

Visual Effects by
Linda Beck	....	visual effects producer
Ian Britton	....	compositor
Soo Chi Chang	....	compositor
Tavia Charlton	....	visual effects producer
Gabriel Gornell	....	visual effects producer
Lucien Harriot	....	visual effects post supervisor
Ariel Joson	....	digital artist
Brian Lui	....	compositor
Andrew Nguyen	....	matte painter
Anthony Paterson	....	visual effects supervisor
Joel Skeete	....	compositor
Kiri Stenberg	....	compositor

Camera and Electrical Department
Bob Harper	....	key grip
Marcel Janisse	....	assistant camera
Mike Ohorodnyk	....	dolly grip: "b" camera
Brooke Palmer	....	still photographer
John Sztejnmiler	....	generator operator
Franco Tata	....	gaffer

Casting Department
Philip Huffman	....	casting associate
Todd Sherry	....	casting assistant: Los Angeles

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Sylvie Bonniere	....	assistant costume designer
Loreen Lightfoot	....	costume cutter

Editorial Department
Jennifer Davidoff Cook	....	first assistant editor
Frederick R. Northrup	....	post-production coordinator

Music Department
Dan Evans Farkas	....	music editor
Joe Fischer	....	music manager

Other crew
Laurel Bresnahan	....	studio teacher
Daniel Godwin	....	production assistant
Tricia Lee	....	production assistant
Julia Lenardon	....	dialect coach
Marnie Mason	....	production accountant
Sean Oliver	....	adr loop group
Amy Wright	....	choreographer

Production Companies

• American Girl
• Disney Channel
• Red Om Films
• Revolution Studios
• Warner Bros. Television

Distributors

• Disney Channel (2006) (USA) (TV) (original airing)
• Net5 (2008) (Netherlands) (TV) (first national airing)
• Warner Home Video (2006) (USA) (DVD)

Other Companies

• Hand Prop  props supplied by

Also Known As:

Molly: An American Girl Victory (USA) (working title)

Runtime:

USA:85 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Certification:

Netherlands:AL

Filming Locations:

Unionville, Ontario, Canada

Company:

American Girl

Goofs:

Continuity: After a dance class, Alison asks Molly if Emily would come over for some tea. When Alison taps Molly's shoulder, she uses her left hand. When the view switches to Molly, she's using her right hand.

Movie Connections:

References Girl Crazy (1943)

Hands down the worst American girl movie of all

Due to having two daughters who are obsessive followers of the historical American girl dolls, I've read all the books and watched all the movies. I thought that the Samantha and the Felicity movies were exceptionally well done - true to the books and meaningful in presenting the time they represented for children. The same cannot be said for the Molly movie. This depressing and disjointed movie had little in common with the books and did little to illustrate the time period represented. The writing was just terrible - it made Molly look like a snotty, whining brat, had random cultural things dropped in just for effect(the jitterbug contest on the village green?), and was slow as molasses. I was truly dumbfounded at the poor quality of this film after the other two. Less focus on Molly being miserable and the constant deaths and more focus on the bravery and efforts of those on the homefront and what they were doing to assist the war effort and make due with what they had would have helped. More explanation was needed for children to understand - why would there be a scrap metal drive, or socks and blankets knitted, or rationing? None of it was explained, just dropped in the scenes in passing. The saccharin ending rang very false(I'm not saying what). That being said, the character of Emily and how her story was addressed was, I thought excellent and well handled. The acting was fine, if lacking in passion, but that was the problem with the film and script in general.