DVD: Kit Kittredge, An American Girl
‘Kit Kittredge’ star Abigail Breslin
One young girl makes a difference in heartwarming family film - 3 Stars ***
By Gabrielle Pantera
HOLLYWOOD, CA (Hollywood Today) 11/18/2008 - “Kit Kittredge just wants more than anything else to become a reporter,” says ‘Kit Kittredge’ star Abigail Breslin. “That helps when she tries to solve the mystery, because she writes down everything that could maybe be a clue…like somebody had a tattoo or they were wearing boots or they had dark hair.”
This is a family movie that little girls will love, especially those already in love with the American Girl books. There are stores around the country that carry books, dolls and have tea parties. For young boys there’s enough mystery that it will keep them guessing.
Kit Kittredge is based on the popular American Girl book series. As the 1920s depression sets in, Kit sees what’s going on around her and wants to do something. When a mystery comes to light she follows her reporter’s instinct and in the process shows she really has what it take to be a reporter and she helps others too.
“I showed my grandma the doll and the outfit that I wore and she told me that it was kind of like the clothes she used to wear when she was younger,” says Breslin.
“Abigail Breslin is a very keen observer and a feeling person, like Kit,” says director Patricia Rozema. “And quite daring, in her own quiet way. There’s something admirable about Abigail that’s a lot like the character of Kit Kittredge.”
Patricia Rozema directed ‘Mansfield Park’, and ‘The Chronicles Of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch And The Wardrobe’.
“We did this feature on a very, very, very tight little schedule with a lot of limitations,” says Rozema. “Every shot had to be completely constructed. You couldn’t just shoot from any angle, because, oh my goodness, there was a satellite dish or something else that would be out of the period.”
Rozema shot the movie like a television show, using three cameras at once. “If we got that magic moment, it was covered on every side, and we didn’t have to repeat it and repeat it to get it each time,” says Rozema. “The kids didn’t have to think about continuity as much, they didn’t have to remember ‘Oh, I had the fork up to my mouth on this line.’ If the moment was fresh and free, and we caught the spark, we had it on camera at different angles instantaneously.”
“The whole enterprise has been so full of unabashed goodwill,” says Rozema. “It’s very hard to be really bitter or angry or blaming with little kids around. Their faces teach you things. They teach you things. We think we bring them up; they bring us up.”
“The kids in the movie all brought a passion for American Girl and they took the work very seriously,” says Rozema. “It was an absolute joy for the entire cast and crew and I think they’ll all be very happy when they see themselves in the movie.”
“I really wanted to do something for my daughter and it’s a great script, says Chris O’Donnell who portrays Kit’s father. “It’s a great American tale of a time that was really tough in our country, the Depression, and you get a chance to see how families stuck together. Today we’re just super-consumers, and people are buying, buying, buying. But it wasn’t always like this. It really puts things in perspective.”
O’Donnell is best known for the role of Robin in ‘Batman Forever’ and starring opposite Al Pacino in ‘Scent Of A Woman’.
“Talent attracts talent,” says O’Donnell. “When a cast like this gets put together, people start to say, ‘I want to be a part of that, too. Abigail’s as mature as any adult actor I’ve ever worked with, so that’s been fantastic. And Patricia Rozema, the director, stays real focused. She keeps people in good spirits and she really listens. I think it’s real easy as a director to sit back and watch the monitor, but she’s always listening. She pays attention and makes sure you hit all the right beats in a scene.”
“Chris O’Donnell is the quintessential American male,” says Julia Ormond who plays Kit’s mother. “Not just in looks, but also in his stoic determination. “He has these very moving scenes where he’s struggling to hold it together, to protect the family from what he’s really going through. It’s kind of a tricky balance of a 1930s male who perhaps would have a different approach to somebody today, but nevertheless really a touching moment for anybody who feels a responsibility of providing for their family.”
“Abigail is really remarkable,” says Ormond. “She’s in virtually every single scene. For anyone, but especially a child actor, it’s an incredible amount of pressure. She has an openness that’s completely right for Kit and an easy access to an emotional range that is really quite extraordinary. She also has an incredible comprehension of how things work…camera needs, marks, all those sorts of things.”
Julia is best know for her roles in ‘Legends Of The Fall’, ‘Sabrina’ and ‘First Knight’.
“Kids will instantly love the mystery of it,” says Stanley Tucci, who plays an itinerant magician. “It’s a wonderful story to be told through a child’s eyes. The story is always pertinent, because there’s always poverty no matter how wealthy a country we are. The moral is everybody pitches in together and does what they have to do to help each other as a community to get through the tough times.”
Tucci is best known for his role in ‘Devil Wears Prada’.
Julia Roberts and her production company Red Om Films Executive produced three other American Girl stories. Samantha: An American Girl Holiday, Felicity: An American Girl Adventure and Molly: An American Girl on the Homefront.
Kit KittredgeActors: Abigail Breslin, Stanley Tucci, Joan Cusack, Julia Ormond, Chris O’Donnell
Directors: Patricia Rozema
Writers: Ann Peacock, Valerie Tripp
Producers: Julia Roberts, Marisa Yeres
Format: Color, Full Screen, Widescreen, NTSC
Number of discs: 1
Rating: G
New Line Cinema
DVD Release Date: October 28, 2008
Duration: 100 minutes