Samantha: An American Girl Holiday (2004)

An Exercise In Nonsense

Absolutely Brilliant!

Pretty good movie overall. First half was nothing special but it got better as it went along.

One of the most extraordinary films you will see this year. Take that as you want.

American Girl dolls were a huge staple of my childhood; I collected seven historical dolls and still keep them on display in my room. I have drawers of outfits and accessories, and virtually my entire closet is full of furniture pieces for them. Cookbooks, games, and novels—and now, in the modern era, there are lots of movies to go along with the historical collection! In An American Girl Holiday, Samantha moves in with her grandmother and meets Nellie.If you know about the dolls, you know Samantha is the Victorian doll, whose story takes place at the turn of the century, and Nellie is her impoverished friend. AnneSophia Robb, in her debut film, gives a great performance as Samantha. She's a real doll come to life! Mia Farrow plays her grandmother, and it's easy to imagine her popping right out of the books' illustrations. Of all the American Girl movies, this one is my favorite. Felicity's film is a close second, but this one gives me an extra fuzzy feeling inside because it takes place during Christmas. Dig your dolls out from the attic—or take them down from display in your room—and watch this Christmas American Girl delight!

This is a great story of friendship and helping others. This story helps show how much little things count. People of every gender and age will love this family oriented video. The script is written well and there are great actors and actresses. This story really touches the hearts of everyone. The hard work and practicing really paid off in this marvelous video.There are great choices of plots and scenery. All and actresses actors always work well together. I think that is a big accomplishment. Usually there is at least one mess up in the movie by an actor or actress. that about sums up everything great about this movie(everything).All in all this is pretty much one of the best movies i have seen. But that is just me!!!

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!

I saw this movie and it put such a wonderful feeling in me that I could not stop smiling--seriously, I was smiling like an idiot. I think the acting was superb, and I can be a very harsh judge, because I am serious about acting and I know a lot about it. The actors all did an excellent job. It was a very sweet movie, and I actually taped it on the telly after watching it the first time. The costumes were amazing, and the casting fit perfectly in my mind. Mia Farrow was great as Grandmary, Anna Sophia Robb did a great job as Samantha, and all the other actors were great. But my favorite was Rebecca Mader, who played the role of Aunt Cornelia. She was very lovely and did great. It was the best movie I've seen come out in months, and it really teaches you a lesson and gives you hope to go on and live your dreams. I absolutely loved it!