Thirtysomethings will probably remember the eighties TV version with Patsy Kensit, but this is the classic adaptation of Eleanor H Porter’s novel for little girls (and they’ll love it). Cute-as-a-button Hayley Mills stars as the missionary’s daughter who seems permanently cheerful, even though she’s now an orphan. Sent to live with her dour Aunt Polly (Wyman) in a small town, Pollyanna is determined to bring joy to everyone she meets there, whether they like it or not.
Like the book on which it is based, Pollyanna has a very moral heart and some adults (and older kids) may find the heavily Christian sentiment laid on a bit too thick. But little girls will love the optimistic and sunny Pollyanna, and if a few viewers learn her ‘glad game’ (in which she teaches her friends to find something to be glad about in any situation), it wouldn’t be a bad thing!
Is Pollyanna suitable for kids? Here are our parents’ notes...
None.
If you like this, why not try: Anne Of Green Gables, Madeline, The Parent Trap 1961, Annie, Whistle Down The Wind,