Kit Kittredge: An American Girl (2008)

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.

Director:

Patricia Rozema

Writers:

Ann Peacock, Valerie Tripp (Kit Kittredge stories)

Stars:

Abigail Breslin, Julia Ormond, Joan Cusack

1 win & 5 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Abigail Breslin	...	Kit Kittredge
Julia Ormond	...	Margaret Kittredge
Chris O'Donnell	...	Jack Kittredge
Jane Krakowski	...	Miss Dooley
Wallace Shawn	...	Mr. Gibson
Max Thieriot	...	Will Shepherd
Willow Smith	...	Countee
Glenne Headly	...	Mrs. Howard
Zach Mills	...	Stirling Howard
Kenneth Welsh	...	Uncle Hendrick
Madison Davenport	...	Ruthie Smithens
Joan Cusack	...	Miss Bond
Stanley Tucci	...	Jefferson Berk
Dylan Smith	...	Frederich
Douglas Nyback	...	Billy

Storyline

'Kit Kittredge: An American Mystery' centers around a young girl living in the struggles of the Great Depression. 10 year old Kit lives in a boarding house her parents own in Cincinnati, Ohio. She has a passion for writing, & dreams of having something of hers put in the local paper someday. With the help of her friends, Sterling & Ruthie, will her dream finally come true?

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Plot Keywords:

great depression | girl | ohio | boarding house | 10 year old | 

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Genres:

Drama | Family

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Certificate:

G

Details

Official Sites:

Official site

Country:

USA Canada

Language:

English

Release Date:

2 July 2008 (USA)

Also Known As:

An American Girl Mystery

Filming Locations:

Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Box Office

Budget:

$10,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend:

$220,297 (USA) (20 June 2008)

Gross:

$17,655,201 (USA) (3 October 2008)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Picturehouse Entertainment, New Line Cinema, HBO Films

Technical Specs

Runtime:

101 min

Sound Mix:

SDDS DTS Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Madison Davenport dyed her blonde hair brown for her role as Ruthie Smithens.

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Goofs

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.

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Quotes

Miss Bond: I'm sorry.. we were trying to be like Robin Hood- you know, steal from the rich to give to the poor. But... really, all we were doing was stealing from the rich... and the poor... and keeping it for ourselves. That's what we did, really.

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Connections

Follows An American Girl on the Home Front (2006)

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Soundtracks

"Lullaby of Broadway"
Written by Harry Warren and Al Dubin
Performed by Boshra Alsaadi
Courtesy of Matt Chiaravalle Productions

User Reviews

Grapes of Wrath, Tree Grows in Brooklyn

Kit Kitredge, An American Girl is a classic. This film falls into the category of its a Wonderful Life, Tree Grows in Brooklyn, and Grapes of Wrath. The acting is fine but not formal. The mother of Kit surely deserves an Academy Award. This mom is real and not just another self superior empty mom as played in an empty way in some family films like the mom in Drill bit Taylor. She is the opposite of the mom in Drill Bit Taylor. This mom in Kit Kitredge is wise. She has elegance but is also real in her struggles. This is a mom that anyone could look up to. She reminds me of the strong performances of Andy Griffith. Her final scene was one of the strongest acting moments in film history and I have seen over 8,000 films. She shows the full range of emotion and gives a performance reminding me of Claudette Colbert in the 1944 Since you went Away. The film also has a style similar to the live show Annie.

This film moves at a fast enough pace to keep all ages happy. It reveals the era of the Depression with total respect for the people of the era. My family lived through the depression so I know this is authentic. It is a little like the old Nancy Drew but with tremendous involvement with all the characters. The film takes the high road in which moral decisions are clearly understood. There is also a mystery and it is interesting. All the acting is fine and there are a great variety of actors of all ages.. This film reminds me that movies are not suppose to be aimed at one particular age group in order to improve ticket sales. This is just a good old fashioned movie.

Frank Capra would be proud of this film of the underdog against a series of obstacles. The only sad thing is that it has sold so few tickets. I suspect this film will linger for a long time and rent many DVDs. It is a film that could be shown to people many years from now. I highly recommend this movie. American girl refused to sell out their integrity in order to sell tickets. I hope American Girl makes more films. Great film.