An American Girl Adventure (2005)

In Colonial America, shortly before the American Revolution, a young girl tries to rescue a horse from an abusive owner.

Director:

Nadia Tass

Writers:

Anna Sandor (teleplay), Valerie Tripp ("Felicity" stories from "The American Girl Collection")

Stars:

Shailene Woodley, Kevin Zegers, David Gardner

3 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Shailene Woodley	...	Felicity Merriman
Kevin Zegers	...	Ben Davidson
David Gardner	...	Grandfather
John Schneider	...	Mr. Edward Merriman
Marcia Gay Harden	...	Mrs. Martha Merriman
Bruce Beaton	...	Mr. Cole
Peter Cockett
Harry Crane
Jean Daigle
Craig Eldridge
Robinne Fanfair	...	Rose
Rothaford Gray	...	Marcus
Lynne Griffin	...	Lady Templeton
Katie Henney	...	Elizabeth Cole
Juliet Holland-Rose	...	Annabelle Cole

Storyline

When Felicity meets Penny, a beautiful copper - colored mare, she knows with all her heart that she must free Penny from her cruel owner. Felicity desperately wishes for that same sureness of heart about the rumors of revolution swirling through Williamsburg. Felicity's father believes that the colonies should be free from England's rule, but her beloved grandfather and her best friend Elizabeth both support the king. With fiercely conflicting loyalties dividing the colonists, something as simple as a cup of tea could divide Felicity from her best friend forever. As Christmas draws near, Felicity struggles to hold her family and friends close, and to find ways for love and friendship to rise above the growing conflicts.

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Plot Keywords:

loyalty | friendship | tea | grandfather | colony | 

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Genres:

Drama | Family

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Certificate:

Not Rated

Did You Know?

Trivia

Shailene Woodley was 14 when she did the movie.

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Goofs

Williamsburg, where Felicity supposedly was shot, has no curving streets. It is a straight blocked layout.

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Quotes

[after learning that her horse, Penny, is pregnant]
Felicity Merriman: I'm going to have a foal!

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Connections

Followed by An American Girl on the Home Front (2006)

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Soundtracks

Lillibullero
(uncredited)
Traditional
Fife tune as militia marches

User Reviews

An enjoyable adventure!

This second American Girl movie is every bit as charming as last year's Samantha: An American Girl Holiday. If you are interested in sitting down with your family and watching a handsomely made movie without having to worry about when the next bad word and inappropriate joke is going to come up (two things that plague much of the modern family fare), then this movie is just for you.

We are taken back to 1775 Virginia, when the Revolutionary War is on the brink, and tension between Patriots and Loyalists is mounting. As it is with all the American Girl stories, these historic events are seen through the eyes of a young girl, Felicity, who is tired of having to be proper and longs to be independent. She falls in love with a wild horse owned by a cruel farmer, befriends Loyalist Elizabeth Cole, and most importantly, learns what it means to have courage in a changing world.

As with Samantha, much of the movie is taken straight from the original American Girl stories, which is sure to delight young fans of Felicity and the American Girl Collection. But the stunning scenery, and lavish, authentic costumes, not to mention all the historical references, make it thoroughly entertaining for the grown-ups in the audience, as well.

The young stars of this movie are so good, they almost upstage the adults, although everybody does a nice job of combining sweetness with believability. Shailene Woodley does a fantastic job as Felicity, and Katie Henney gives Elizabeth Cole a nice British accent (Miss Henney is our tour guide through the American Girl Place on the Samantha DVD Special Features). And has anyone ever heard of Geza Kovacs? He makes quite a scene in the relatively minor role of the cruel Jiggy Nye.

Great family fun, and a truly enjoyable adventure!

Details

Official Sites:

Official site

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

29 November 2005 (USA)

Also Known As:

An American Girl Adventure

Filming Locations:

Graydon Hall Manor, 185 Graydon Hall Drive, Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Box Office

Budget:

$6,800,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Revolution Studios, Red Om Films, American Girl

Technical Specs

Runtime:

85 min

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1