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Samantha: An American Girl Holiday
Warner Bros. // Unrated // November 30, 2004
List Price: $19.97 [Buy now and save at Amazon]
The Movie
Television shows based on toys has become such an ingrained part of our national landscape that we barely notice it anymore. In fact, it's almost surprising to learn that a new Saturday morning show isn't derived from a toy. But, how often do we see a "TV Movie of the Week" which was inspired by a toy? And on top of that, one which was has Julia Roberts attached to it? That's the case with Samantha: An American Girl Holiday, a historical drama taken from the line of upscale "American Girl" dolls.
Samantha: An American Girl Holiday is set in 1904 and opens in Mount Bedford, New York. There, we met Samantha (Annasophia Robb), a young girl who lives with her Grandmother (Mia Farrow), whom she calls "Grandmary", due to the tragic death of her parents. Grandmary is nice, but firm and Samantha is expected to follow all of the rules of a proper young lady. Samantha is delighted when her neighbors get new servants, as one of the girls, Nellie (Kelsey Lewis), is her age and they become fast friends. Samantha is also happy when her Uncle Gard (Jordan Bridges) returns from Europe with his fiancée Cornelia (Rebecca Mader). From there, Samantha's life becomes quite busy, as she prepares for Uncle Gard's wedding and then moves to New York City, where she finds even bigger adventures.
I had my doubts about Samantha: An American Girl Holiday, as the first 15 minutes of the film are quite slow and not very inspiring. But, as the story progressed, the film became much more engaging. The character of Samantha is quite precocious, although not terribly annoying, and she does begin to grow on the viewer. The story is pleasant enough and attempts to gave an accurate portrayal of what life was like, for the haves and have-nots, in 1904.
The film is based on a series of "Samantha" stories from "The American Girls Collection" and this gives the movie an episodic feel which can be quite frustrating at times. For example, Samantha's nemesis appears to be a mean boy named Eddie Ryland, but he comes and goes throughout the movie and we never get a handle on exactly what their relationship is. (Perhaps if I'd read the books, I'd get it...) Also it must be said that the film is somewhat unbalanced. While the movie does depict life in 1904, as mentioned above, it sugar-coats many of the details of Samantha's life. In short, Samantha is a poor little rich girl who never wants for the necessities of life, nor for love from her family. Even when she breaks the law (!), everything works out for the best. Sure, it makes for an entertaining film, but is this the kind of role model that we want for our daughters?
Video
Samantha: An American Girl Holiday frolics onto DVD courtesy of Warner Home Video. The film was originally made for television, but I cannot say for sure if it was broadcast in widescreen. For this DVD release, the film is framed at 4:3, but the DVD box states that it has been modified from its original version. Whatever the case, the image looks very good, as it's sharp and clear, showing no grain or defects from the source material. The image has a nice amount of depth and the colors look very nice. The picture does display some mild artifacting, but edge-enhancement is kept in check.
Audio
The DVD features a Dolby Surround Stereo audio track. This track offers clear dialogue with no distortion. The stereo effects are quite good (and mostly noticeable when Samantha is playing outside) and we experience some surround sound when Samantha reaches New York City. The audio is serviceable, but quite lackluster.
Extras
Surprisingly, for a TV-movie, the Samantha: An American Girl Holiday DVD contains a few extras. However, they aren't very impressive. "American Girl: A Tour Experience" (5 minutes) takes us on a tour of The American Girl Place in New York City, which is a store and museum for American Girl dolls. This really feels like a commercial for the attraction, as the camera simply glides throughout the premises. "Mount Bedford: A Victorian Wedding" (6 minutes) features Eve Faulkner, a Victorian bridal historian, who explains the customs and traditions, illustrating her points with historical photos. "Imagine Performance" (2 minutes) is a brief live on-stage performance from The American Girl Place.
I'm sure that fans of the American Girl dolls, and the Samantha doll and books in particular, will be delighted by Samantha: An American Girl Holiday. For all others, the movie is fairly good family entertainment, as long as young ones know to take the proceedings with a grain of salt.
Television shows based on toys has become such an ingrained part of our national landscape that we barely notice it anymore. In fact, it's almost surprising to learn that a new Saturday morning show isn't derived from a toy. But, how often do we see a "TV Movie of the Week" which was inspired by a toy? And on top of that, one which was has Julia Roberts attached to it? That's the case with Samantha: An American Girl Holiday, a historical drama taken from the line of upscale "American Girl" dolls.
Samantha: An American Girl Holiday is set in 1904 and opens in Mount Bedford, New York. There, we met Samantha (Annasophia Robb), a young girl who lives with her Grandmother (Mia Farrow), whom she calls "Grandmary", due to the tragic death of her parents. Grandmary is nice, but firm and Samantha is expected to follow all of the rules of a proper young lady. Samantha is delighted when her neighbors get new servants, as one of the girls, Nellie (Kelsey Lewis), is her age and they become fast friends. Samantha is also happy when her Uncle Gard (Jordan Bridges) returns from Europe with his fiancée Cornelia (Rebecca Mader). From there, Samantha's life becomes quite busy, as she prepares for Uncle Gard's wedding and then moves to New York City, where she finds even bigger adventures.
I had my doubts about Samantha: An American Girl Holiday, as the first 15 minutes of the film are quite slow and not very inspiring. But, as the story progressed, the film became much more engaging. The character of Samantha is quite precocious, although not terribly annoying, and she does begin to grow on the viewer. The story is pleasant enough and attempts to gave an accurate portrayal of what life was like, for the haves and have-nots, in 1904.
The film is based on a series of "Samantha" stories from "The American Girls Collection" and this gives the movie an episodic feel which can be quite frustrating at times. For example, Samantha's nemesis appears to be a mean boy named Eddie Ryland, but he comes and goes throughout the movie and we never get a handle on exactly what their relationship is. (Perhaps if I'd read the books, I'd get it...) Also it must be said that the film is somewhat unbalanced. While the movie does depict life in 1904, as mentioned above, it sugar-coats many of the details of Samantha's life. In short, Samantha is a poor little rich girl who never wants for the necessities of life, nor for love from her family. Even when she breaks the law (!), everything works out for the best. Sure, it makes for an entertaining film, but is this the kind of role model that we want for our daughters?
Video
Samantha: An American Girl Holiday frolics onto DVD courtesy of Warner Home Video. The film was originally made for television, but I cannot say for sure if it was broadcast in widescreen. For this DVD release, the film is framed at 4:3, but the DVD box states that it has been modified from its original version. Whatever the case, the image looks very good, as it's sharp and clear, showing no grain or defects from the source material. The image has a nice amount of depth and the colors look very nice. The picture does display some mild artifacting, but edge-enhancement is kept in check.
Audio
The DVD features a Dolby Surround Stereo audio track. This track offers clear dialogue with no distortion. The stereo effects are quite good (and mostly noticeable when Samantha is playing outside) and we experience some surround sound when Samantha reaches New York City. The audio is serviceable, but quite lackluster.
Extras
Surprisingly, for a TV-movie, the Samantha: An American Girl Holiday DVD contains a few extras. However, they aren't very impressive. "American Girl: A Tour Experience" (5 minutes) takes us on a tour of The American Girl Place in New York City, which is a store and museum for American Girl dolls. This really feels like a commercial for the attraction, as the camera simply glides throughout the premises. "Mount Bedford: A Victorian Wedding" (6 minutes) features Eve Faulkner, a Victorian bridal historian, who explains the customs and traditions, illustrating her points with historical photos. "Imagine Performance" (2 minutes) is a brief live on-stage performance from The American Girl Place.
I'm sure that fans of the American Girl dolls, and the Samantha doll and books in particular, will be delighted by Samantha: An American Girl Holiday. For all others, the movie is fairly good family entertainment, as long as young ones know to take the proceedings with a grain of salt.
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