Starring Abigail Breslin, Chris O’Donnell. Written by Ann Peacock,
based on stories by Valerie Tripp. Directed By Patricia Rozema. (G) 100min. Opens July 4.
Kit Kittredge is a contemporary movie trying desperately to be from another time. Beyond the Depression-era period setting, the style and structure of the movie is that of an old Hollywood family melodrama, complete with all of the stock characters and cookie-cutter plotting. The filmmakers were clearly trying to make an earnest message movie for children and while the script is refreshingly irony-free, the sentiments are so obvious that it is hard to see the story working for all but the youngest of audiences.
Little Miss Sunshine’s relentlessly cute Abigail Breslin stars as an impossibly articulate titular 9-year-old wannabe reporter whose family is struggling through the Great Depression. Her parents are forced to take in lodgers and as a result she learns that the Depression was bad, everyone struggled, but we can all persevere by working hard, making friends, not be judgmental and so forth. It’s all obvious stuff that can only end with a tearful family hug and a childhood journalism career. Things perk up for a bit when Stanley Tucci, Joan Cusack and Jane Krakowski move into Kit’s house as eccentrically humorous lodgers. However, this thread soon transforms into a mystery plot that is about as predictable and believable as a sup-par episode of Scooby Doo.
Director Patricia Rozema does a wonderful job creating a believable world of 1930s Americana, photographed in a lush picture-book aesthetic. Unfortunately, she isn’t as interested in storytelling, leading to a movie that is episodic and filled with narrative holes and leaps in logic. The cast do the best they can with the material, but the one-dimensional characters don’t leave much room for memorable performances. That said, the movie does have its heart in the right place and follows the stupid grown-ups/smart kids model closely enough to appeal to child audiences. Sadly, the adults who take them to the movie will probably regret the decision.