KIT KITTREDGE: AN AMERICAN GIRL
US, 2008, 100 minutes, Colour.
Abigail Bresland, Julia Ormond, Chris O’ Donnell, Stanley Tucci, Joan Cusack, Glenne Headley, Jane Krakowski, Max Theriot.
Directed by Patricia Rozema.
If you are not in the know about the American stories of Kit Kittredge by Valerie Tripp, you might well wonder what you are in for if you decided to try out this film – after all the Canadian director has made some interesting films including I Heard the Mermaids Singing and Mansfield Park. Who is Kit Kittredge? Is she a superheroine in the tradition of Spiderman...? Is this a piece of US propaganda and public relations? Actually not.
This is a Depression story for a girls' audience (and for families where the boys might prefer to stay home or go into another cinema at the multiplex). However, it is very nicely told, has a very strong cast and, while sweet in an American way, it is a good story about values and learning values.
It is Cincinnati, 1934, the Depression still hurting with banks foreclosing on homes, even of the relatively well-off, and people taking snobbish attitudes to the increasing number of hobos on the trains and in their own townships on the edge of the city. Those with money have little tolerance: the attitude that people should be able to find jobs themselves, keep them or pull themselves up by their bootstraps.
Kit is 10, a Pulitzer Prize winner in the making as she types out topical stories and hounds the editor of the local paper. She is played by that very versatile of child actors, Abigail Breslin, which means that this quite precocious Kit is more than credible. Her charming and kind mother is played by Julia Ormond and Chris O' Donnell is her father. The family falls on hard unemployment times and mother takes in a range of boarders (played by Glenne Headley, Jane Krakowski, Stanley Tucci and Joan Cusack). This is not how Kit imagined life to be and she has to learn about poverty and soup kitchens, about kindness to hobo children looking for jobs, about sharing her house and possessions.
The drama steps up when there are some robberies and the young boy is accused because the hobos are easy scapegoats. But reporter Kit becomes a new Nancy Drew and the robberies are solved and the hobos absolved.
It is a surprisingly nice and nicely told story.
1.A piece of Americana, American history, the depression, the social past, racism, snobbery? A clash of good and evil?
2.The title, the focus on Kit, ten years, enterprising, in the family, her friends, ambitions, her disappointments, learning, achievement?
3.The target audience for the film – readers of the stories, a young girls’ audience, family audience, adults?
4.Cincinnati in 1934? Kit’s voice-over, the introduction to the city, the suburbs, the effects of the depression, the wealthy and their snobbery, the hobos? School, banks, homes? Hobo Town? The surrounding woods? The musical score, the 30s songs, the focus on the depression, ‘Money’, ‘Side by Side’, ‘Ain’t We Got Fun’?
5.Kit and her typewriter, the article, the Chicago World’s Fair? Going to the Register, the assistant and his chatting with her, his imitating Mr Gibson, reactions? Mr Gibson and his temper? Kit’s visits, wanting to write fresh articles, forcing Mr Gibson to read? The final hobo story, being in print? Mr Gibson coming to the house? Grumpiness turning to cheer?
6.Kit’s parents, her father, his job selling cars, prosperous, losing his job, at the soup kitchen, going to Chicago to search for work, the farewell to Kit, promise to return, his absence, not writing? Kit demanding a promise? Kit’s mother, good woman, with the society women, their chatter? Their wealth? Seeing Will and the little boy, giving them the job, giving them food, welcoming them into the house? Kit and wanting the dog, her resistance but agreeing? The increasing poverty, dividing the house, taking in boarders, the continual hard work, saving money, having to sell eggs, the dresses from the sacks? The prospect of moving? Losing their money because of the robbery? Giving the boots to Will? The relief when the money was found?
7.The children at school, their harshness? The reaction of the teacher? The soup kitchen and the visit, Kit seeing her father? The attitude of Stanley’s mother, her snobbery? Stanley and the influence? His absent father? The children and their storytelling, imagination? Ruthie and her rich family, intervening for the Kittredges?
8.Will, the background of his Texas story, his family going to California, his riding the rails? The little child, audiences thinking it was a boy, their work together? Will and the boots? Their being used against him? The friendship between the two young people, Will and his protection? The visit to the hobo township? Later Will being accused, his disappearance? The revelation of the little boy as a little girl? Will’s being vindicated?
9.The hobos, their language, the main American snobbery towards them? The visitor to the Kittredges’ table? Stanley’s mother? The attitude that the poverty was their own fault, that they should help themselves? The effect of the sequence of the visit to the hobo village? The symbols on people’s fences and the language? The sharing in the village? Jeffrey and his pursuit into the village? Their banding together to protect the children? Their coming for the Thanksgiving Dinner, the mother inviting them to stay?
10.The background of Stanley and his mother, the absent father, the aristocracy, their having to board? The young woman, her dancing lessons, her continually dancing, her friendliness? The attraction to Mr Gibson? on his visit? The librarian, her seeming absent-mindedness, her reckless driving? Her being part of the magic trick and levitation with Jeffrey? Jeffrey and his cousin coming, the monkey? Her giving the books to people, Robin Hood, helping the little girl to read? Will and Robin Hood and his adventures – and audiences thinking that he might have been robbing the rich to help the poor?
11.The robberies, the discussions about wealth, the information for Jeffrey, the flashbacks showing the truth, the revelation about the people to blame?
12.Kit, the adventure, her hiding in the car? Ruthie and Stanley and the others coming with the librarian? Jeffrey and his cousin searching for the box, digging it up? The children taking the box, the chase?
13.The explanation, the flashbacks? The librarian and her being sorry, her change of heart, turning against Jeffrey? Their being arrested?
14.The importance of the money, the treasures, the poor being exploited? The hobos as the scapegoat?
15.Kit, ten years old, mature, yet her childish ways, sensible, learning from experience, the good example of her mother?
16.The happy reunion with her father, Thanksgiving?
17.A feelgood piece of Americana? Sentiment? The best of American optimism?
