Samantha: An American Girl Holiday
| Samantha: An American Girl Holiday | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Also known as | An American Girl Holiday |
| Written by |
Anna Sandor Valerie Tripp |
| Directed by | Nadia Tass[1] |
| Starring |
AnnaSophia Robb Mia Farrow[2] Kelsey Lewis Jordan Bridges Rebecca Mader |
| Distributor |
New Line Cinema Warner Bros. |
| Release | |
| Original network | The WB |
| Original release | November 23, 2004 |
Samantha: An American Girl Holiday is a 2004[1] television film, based on the American Girl children's books written by Susan S. Adler and Valerie Tripp. The film follows young, wealthy Samantha Parkington's adventures with three poor orphan girls.[3] Shot in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, the 86-minute film features lavish period costumes and settings, and was nominated for three awards, winning one.
Samantha is the first in the series of An American Girl films.
Plot
Young Samantha Parkington lives with her grandmother, "Grandmary" Edwards, in a world of wealth and privilege in fictional Mount Bedford on the Hudson River in New York State in 1904. Nellie, a servant girl about Samantha's age, moves into the house next-door with her father and two younger sisters. Samantha is an unspoiled young girl without class biases or prejudices and takes an instant liking to Nellie, teaching her to read and sharing Nellie's household tasks such as carpet beating, darning, and other small jobs. Samantha and Nellie become fast friends. The girls turn to each other in happiness and sorrow, adventure and danger, and grow as close as sisters.
After Nellie's father dies, she and her little sisters are sent to a dismal orphanage run by a thieving matron. Samantha rescues the girls and hides them at home. Nellie secretly takes a job in a factory to support her little sisters. Samantha tracks her down and brings her home, then bravely speaks out against the cruelty of child labor at her school. Eventually, Samantha's Uncle Gard and his new wife Cornelia adopt the three little orphans. The film ends with the girls happily enjoying a Christmas sleigh ride through cotton candy-like drifts of snow. A sub-plot involves Samantha "letting-go" of her beloved bachelor Uncle Gard when he brings home his future bride.
Awards and nominations
The film won the 2005 Young Artist Award Best Performance in a TV Movie, Miniseries or Special – Supporting Young Actress for Olivia Ballantyne.[4] It was also nominated for the 2005 Young Artist Award Best Family Television Movie or Special, and another nomination for the 2005 Young Artist Award Best Performance in a TV Movie, Miniseries or Special – Leading Young Actress for AnnaSophia Robb.
Cast
- AnnaSophia Robb: Samantha Parkington
- Kelsey Lewis: Nellie O'Malley
- Mia Farrow: Mary Edwards
- Jordan Bridges: Gardner Edwards
- Rebecca Mader: Cornelia Edwards
- Olivia Ballantyne: Jenny O'Malley
- Hannah Endicott-Douglas: Bridget O'Malley
- Michael Kanev: Eddie Ryland
- Karen Eyo: School Principal
- Keir Gilchrist: Factory Boy
- Shary Guthrie: Teacher
- Jackie Brown: Factory Lady
- Shae Norris: Agatha
- Clare Stone: Emma
- Nancy E.L. Ward: Lillian
- Janine Theriault: Beatrice
References
- 1 2 "Samantha: An American Girl Holiday". iTunes. Apple, Inc. Retrieved September 2, 2013.
- ↑ "Samantha: An American Girl Holiday". TV Guide. Retrieved September 2, 2013.
- ↑ "Samantha: An American Girl Holiday – DVD Review". About.com. Retrieved September 2, 2013.
- ↑ "Young Artist Awards 2005". Who's Dated Who?. Retrieved September 2, 2013.