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78
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45
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71
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67
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Zombieland
Stars indicate the most critically-acclaimed movies.
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86
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71
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44
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75
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65
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xx
White on Rice
59
William Kunstler: Disturbing the Universe
74
Woman in Berlin, A
43
Women in Trouble
69
Yoo-Hoo, Mrs. Goldberg
Stars indicate the most critically-acclaimed movies.
Kit Kittredge: An American Girl
Generally favorable reviews
Based on 27 critic reviews
How did we calculate this?
Based on 15 votes
Read user comments
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Movie Info
Genre(s): Comedy | Drama | Mystery
Written by:
Valerie Tripp (Kit Kittredge stories)
Ann Peacock
Directed by: Patricia Rozema
Release Date:
Theatrical: June 20, 2008
DVD: October 28, 2008
Running Time: minutes, Color
Origin: USA
Summary
RATING: G
Starring Abigail Breslin, Joan Cusack, Glenne Headly, Jane Krakowski, Chris O'Donnell, Julia Ormond, Wallace Shawn, and Stanley Tucci,
Bright, inquisitive and generous, Kit is a natural born leader. But her happy childhood is abruptly interrupted when her father loses his care dealership and must leave to Cincinnati to look for work. Kit and her mother Margaret are left to manage on their own, growing vegetables, selling eggs and even taking an assortment of boarders. When Kit’s mother and the boarders become the latest victims in a string of robberies, the Kittredges face losing their house to foreclosure. Determined to recover the stolen money, Kit recruits her friends to help her track down the culprit. Together they uncover plot that goes gar be yond Cincinnati. (Picturehouse)
Also On The Web: Internet Movie Database Official Studio Site
What The Critics Said
All critic scores are converted to a 100-point scale. If a critic does not indicate a score, we assign a score based on the general impression given by the text of the review. Learn more...
Christian Science Monitor Peter Rainer
Preteen girls – and not just those who are already American Girl fanatics – should be entranced. And why not? Not many movies for that audience are as respectful as is this one.
Read Full Review >New York Post Lou Lumenick
One of the 10 best American movies released so far this year, Kit Kittredge: An American Girl is the surprisingly satisfying first theatrical film inspired by a long-running series of historically themed dolls.
Read Full Review >Chicago Sun-Times Roger Ebert
Just about perfect for its target audience, and more than that. It has a great look, engaging performances, real substance and even a few whispers of political ideas, all surrounding the freshness and charm of Abigail Breslin, who was 11 when it was filmed.
Read Full Review >Variety Lael Loewenstein
Anchored by a fine performance from Abigail Breslin, this wholesome, engaging entertainment offers something for viewers ages 7 to 107.
Read Full Review >TV Guide Ken Fox
It's fun, fast-paced, educational entertainment that's fit for the whole family -- American boys included.
Read Full Review >San Francisco Chronicle Ruthe Stein
Much as she did in "Little Miss Sunshine," Breslin imbues Kit with joy.
Read Full Review >Boston Globe Ty Burr
The period ambience, comforting yet urgent, is the best part of Kit Kittredge - that and Breslin, who never once gets actressy.
Read Full Review >Miami Herald Rene Rodriguez
A thoroughly satisfying and engaging children's picture that never forgets those kids probably didn't get to the theater by themselves.
Read Full Review >Chicago Reader Andrea Gronvall
A crime wave gives the heroine a mystery to solve and provides most of the comedy, but the film is stronger in its dramatic stretches.
Read Full Review >The New York Times Jeannette Catsoulis
In Kit’s world the absent father (a familiar theme from girls' novels including "Little Women" and "A Little Princess") is an epidemic, and the picture makes this the impetus for children's resourcefulness and emotional development.
Read Full Review >Wall Street Journal Joe Morgenstern
It's not only fresh and unassuming, but a film that serves, very nicely, the severely underserved audience of young girls.
Read Full Review >Los Angeles Times Michael Ordona
This can be strong stuff for kids, but the film's humanistic approach preaches tolerance and hope.
Read Full Review >Seattle Post-Intelligencer Paula Nechak
It's an unashamedly old-fashioned and richly visualized evocation of a time when values were key, trust in your neighbor complete, and a way of life that should be simple is made unfathomably complex because of economic hardship.
Read Full Review >Philadelphia Inquirer Carrie Rickey
While the film starring Abigail Breslin as a resourceful 10-year-old is faithful to the Kit books, it's pokey where it should be perky.
Read Full Review >The Globe and Mail (Toronto) Rick Groen
Sure, this is marginal, but it's precisely in the margins that the movie excels.
Read Full Review >Charlotte Observer Lawrence Toppman
Has its heart in the right place and its head shoved well down into a box of clichés.
Read Full Review >USA Today Claudia Puig
This sweetly enjoyable family film stars the endearing Abigail Breslin as Kit. And, refreshingly, it's actually about something -- the Great Depression -- and tackles such serious issues as prejudice, poverty and homelessness.
Read Full Review >Chicago Tribune Jessica Reaves
Strictly a kids' movie--brimming with easy-to-swallow life lessons.
Read Full Review >Village Voice Ella Taylor
Based on several American Girl stories about a 1930s cub reporter in Cincinnati, this dull theatrical debut especially disappoints because I'm usually fond of square, sepia-toned, period-costumed kids' movies (like Fly Away Home) that go nowhere at the box office.
Read Full Review >Salon.com Stephanie Zacharek
Roughly speaking, the characters in Kit Kittredge may be stereotypes, but they're stereotypes with soul. And they live in a very real place.
Read Full Review >New York Daily News Elizabeth Weitzman
It's certainly been a while since we've seen a movie this resolutely old-fashioned. But while the script feels a little stiff and moralistic at times, it's hard to fault a film with such an intelligent, good-hearted heroine.
Read Full Review >Baltimore Sun Michael Sragow
With all the good will in the world, I couldn't warm up to Kit Kittredge. The movie is like a 1930s or 1940s short about Americans pulling together, stretched out to feature length.
Read Full Review >The Onion (A.V. Club) Scott Tobias
By the time it reaches an action-packed finale that's choreographed like an ancient Keystone Kops short, Kit Kittredge has cornered the market on bland.
Read Full Review >Austin Chronicle Kimberley Jones
Kit Kittredge is a dutiful bore. Still, I couldn't help but wonder if, in the face of all-out market collapse, it might serve a dual purpose as primer for kiddies on economic depression – because food stamps always taste better with a side order of spunk. Or is it pluck?
Read Full Review >Washington Post Stephen Hunter
The director, Patricia Rozema, has a rare talent: She gets third-rate performances out of first-rate performers with almost startling efficiency. All are bland, some hardly exist at all, and as performance, the whole thing seems a waste.
Read Full Review >What Our Users Said
The average user rating for this movie is 8.6 (out of 10) based on 15 User Votes
Note: User votes are NOT included in the Metascore calculation.
Pamela W. gave it a9:
Absolutely adorable, even for grown ups!
Jay H. gave it a7:
A very sweet and entertaining film, Abigail Breslin is terrific, Julia Ormond as well. It's a feel good and fun film. Nice attention to period detail, sensitively directed. Quite good.
Rebecca M. gave it a10:
Great movie, adults and children, realistic to a point, no bad language, etc. great acting.
Tpny B. gave it an8:
What a pleasant surprise this one turned out to be. Feeling obligated to take my three granddaughters to see it, I enjoyed it at least as much as they did. Abigail Breslin, no surprise here, delivers a lovely and effective performance that was well supported by an excellent cast. (I should have taken my grandson as well; this is more than "a picture for girls.")
Rose D gave it a9:
What a fun time! This movie was a great treat for parents, grandparents and kids. The story itself was honest and open, giving kids a great glimpse into the past. It was funny, sweet, touching and exciting - and our whole theater clapped at the end. This is no whacked out, imaginary fluff, this is actually storytelling. A perfect summer treat!
Kathryn C. gave it a10:
This is a great movie to take all children to for a really good history lesson and a wonderful time of sharing what the "good old days" used to be about. I had to explain the typewriter and the record player to my granddaughter. Wonderful movie. We are going again with more friends.
Sherry S. gave it a10:
As a mother and teacher, I found this movie to be one of the best combinations of entertainment, education, character building and inspiration that I've seen. I was awed at the deep questions my 7 year old was asking about the depression, poverty, homelessness and honesty on the way home from the show. Wow! I didn't know she was ready to discuss these serious issues. Congratulations to the director, writers and actors of Kitt Kittredge. This movie is sure to be a classic. I've read some of the negative reviews of this movie. It is unfortunate that some indivuduals just don't get it. Apparently they don't have experiences with children or grandparents. This movie is pure, heartwarming, and tells a story that people my age as well as children need to hear. Let's not forget the struggles that individuals who lived in this time period lived through. The theatre I sat in had just as many elderly couples as young girls. This movie had a different meaning for them than my girls no doubt. Let's face it, there aren't many movies that can positively touch the lives of people from ages 6 to 86. Definately a classic.
