Samantha: An American Girl Holiday (2004)

The story about Samantha Parkington, a privileged girl, who lives with her grandmother played by the wonderful Mia Farrow in Mount Bedford, New York along the Hudson River in the Hudson River Valley about a couple of hours north of New York City. In the beginning, Samantha is playing with Eddie Ryland, her neighbor and nemesis who enjoys bullying people into giving him money. Samantha befriends Eddie's new maids, young sisters--Nellie, Bridget, and Jenny whose mother died. Their father moved them to the country. Instead of working in terrible factories, they work in the Ryland estate in the Hudson River Valley. While Nellie is working there, Samantha and her become close friends despite their obvious differences. When Samantha's Uncle Gardner comes home, he announces his engagement to Cornelia Pitt, a woman's right to vote activist, and he plans to bring Samantha to live with them in New York City. Wherever Samantha goes, adventure follows. I don't know how similar this is to the books but it's an okay film. The acting is okay. The child actors are wonderful in their roles. The film reminds of an old Shirley Temple movie. It's for a family audience!

This is a heartwarming, make you sad, happy, angry movie. Samantha, an orphan, lives with her grandmother. Samantha is taught to be a proper Victorian era lady, but Samantha is also a 10 year old girl who loves her uncle dearly. Samantha's life goes spinning in unexpected directions when she befriends the three girls living next door. The thing is, the three girls (10, 8, and 3) are maids. It is 1904 and there is no such thing as child labor laws. Samantha takes it upon herself (at risk) to teach the oldest girl how to read. The two girls become inseparable, but then another crisis arrives. Samantha's very much beloved uncle is going to marry.Samantha is unhappy about the upcoming marriage, but eventually comes around. Then, after the uncle returns from his honeymoon, Samantha goes to live with the uncle, and her new aunt. Soon after, the father of her three friends dies and the girls are sent to an orphanage. The head of the orphanage is a corrupt spinster who operates the orphanage like a prison. Samantha rescues her three friends and hides them in her attic. The oldest girl goes to get a job, then the middle child gets deathly ill. Samantha gets an eyeful when she goes to the factory to get her friend and she sees children younger than herself maimed by machines. Samantha then causes a stir at school when she makes it her mission in life to get children out of factories and treated better in orphanages.AnnaSophia Robb is believable in her role and carries the movie well. If you have a heart, you will get a lump in your throat several times during this wonderful family movie. Hug your children, hold them tight, and love this movie.

Obviously, the target audience for a movie like this is young girls who love the American Girls Collection. But within that, it is a thoroughly enjoyable treat, made specifically for kids but not at all the sort of movie that will drive grown-ups crazy.The story is sweet and simple, but heartwarming, about a rich little girl named Samantha growing up in 1904. The script takes the various adventures from the Samantha books in the American Girls Collection, from Samantha's friendship with servant girl Nellie to the wedding of Uncle Gard and Aunt Cornelia to Samantha's speaking contest at her school in New York City, and blends them together in a very satisfying way- sure to please any girl who has the doll or has read the books! And perhaps what makes this "kid's movie" more appealing to the entire family is the inclusion of the historic happenings of 1904 America, when the motor car was an exciting new invention and the Suffrage movement had begun. This is, of course, the basis of the American Girls Collection and it's a wonderful way to bone up on your history and be entertained at the same time (hey, I didn't know that's when showers were invented!).AnnaSophia Robb, who plays the title role, is quite a familiar face to family audiences, having starred as Opal in Because of Winn-Dixie and as the infamous gum-chewing, girl-turned-blueberry Violet Beauregarde in Tim Burton's Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. AnnaSophia is a very talented young actress, and she plays the role of Samantha with a nice combination of sweetness and spunk (and she's cute without being cutesy, which is always a relief for the grown-ups). In fact, most of the cast is stellar, and Jordan Bridges (son of Beau Bridges) plays fun-loving Uncle Gard with a blend of charm and realism. Surprisingly enough, Mia Farrow, who plays Samantha's proper Grandmary and is undoubtedly the most famous performer in the lineup, is a trifle stilted and seems to be upstaged by the rest of the troop.The fact that there are only two or three males in the entire show indicates that this is not really a boy's movie (I'm a grown-up boy, so I have permission to watch these kinds of movies and not be embarrassed anymore). Still, this is terrific family entertainment, for girls who love the American Girls, and for anyone who loves to walk away from a movie feeling good!

First of all, I have always been more of a fan of Kirsten, and have been all the way back when there were only three American Girls to love. I've never been much interested in an over privileged little girl preaching on behalf of the lower classes, which in short is Samantha. So you combine the preachy quality of Samantha with a poorly written script, and mediocre actors like Mia Farrow and Jordan Bridges, you get Samantha: An American Girl Holiday.Was anyone else annoyed by how Samantha's bangs were cut uneven throughout the entire movie? This isn't an important criticism I know, but just something that bugged me.In conclusion, this movie doesn't stand well on its own. You would have to like Samantha to enjoy this movie. It is just sort of there. It isn't "classic holiday movie" material, and is forgettable. Overall I was very disappointed in this movie.