Normally, when you think of a movie based on a line of dolls, you think of miserable dreck like the misshapen mini-tramps of Bratz. But Mattel has a line of dolls called American Girl, designed to represent historically significant eras and actually be somewhat educational.
Now, Academy Award nominee Abigail Breslin is starring in the first film in what is likely to be a series of kid-lit movies, and it's called Kit Kittredge: An American Girl, opening this weekend in limited release. Also boasting a cast that includes Stanley Tucci, Joan Cusack, Glenne Headly, Julia Ormond, Wallace Shawn, Chris O'Donnell and Jane Krakowski, it might actually get some legs under it.
Kit Kittredge is a bright and earnest young aspiring reporter when The Great Depression hits, forcing her father to leave Cincinnati in search of employment, which in turn leaves Kit and her mother Margaret to fend for themselves, taking in boarders and growing and selling vegetables. Kit also has a soft spot for strays, from cats to hobos, and as a result, she gets herself embroiled in a criminal mystery that may eventually leave her family without a home.
Watch the trailer for Kit Kittredge: An American Girl.
Watch the teaser.
Watch another preview.
