Samantha: An American Girl Holiday is a 2004 television film, based on the American Girl children's books written by Valerie Tripp. The film follows young, wealthy Samantha Parkington's adventures with three poor orphan girls. After many trials, the orphans find a permanent home with Samantha and her family. Shot in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, the 86 minute film features lavish period costumes and settings, and was nominated for three awards, winning one.
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 circa 1904. Nellie, a young servant girl about Samantha's age, moves into the house next-door with her father and two younger sisters. Samantha is an unspoiled, liberal 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. 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.
Cast
- AnnaSophia Robb as Samantha Parkington, a girl about 10 years old living in wealth and privilege
- Mia Farrow as "Grandmary" Edwards, Samantha's grandmother
- Jordan Bridges as Gard, Samantha's uncle and Grandmary's son
- Rebecca Mader as Cornelia, uncle Gard's wife
- Kelsey Lewis as Nellie O'Malley, a poor servant girl
- Hannah Endicott-Douglas as Bridget O'Malley, Nellie's sister
- Olivia Ballantyne as Jenny O'Malley, Nellie's sister
- Michael Kanev as Eddie Ryland, Samantha's bullying neighbor
- Jackie Brown as Factory Lady
- Keir Gilchrist as Factory Boy
- Karen Eyo as School Principal
- Shary Guthrie as Teacher
- Shae Norris as Agatha
- Clare Stone as Emma
Awards and nominations
The film won the 2005 Young Artist Award Best Performance in a TV Movie, Miniseries or Special - Supporting Young Actress: Olivia Ballantyne. 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: AnnaSophia Robb.
External links
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