What Katy Did

Katy Carr (Alison Pill) is running wild and her widowed doctor father is too amiable to discipline her. She is ostensibly taking care of her younger siblings but isn't necessarily that good with the responsibility. Aunt Izzie wants to send her away to school. Katy and Ned find a tramp (Dean Stockwell) passed out in the barn. Infirmed cousin Helen (Megan Follows) arrives to stay with the family.

This is based on the 1872 children's book and it has an old fashion feel to it. It's a smallish Canadian production. Alison Pill is able to lift the center of the movie while Megan Follows is a great mentor. The story is difficult at times. The two actors are doing some solid work. This is unlikely fare for the young. It's probably more for older folks.

As a young girl, I read this book and its sequels "What Katy Did at School" and "What Katy Did Next." This is an entertaining little movie that is chiefly of interest for its cast. Many of the actors have gone on to bigger roles. Incidentally, while the IMDb gives the date as "2004" the end credits state it is 1999. It's fun to see Allison Pill, the sophisticated Zelda Fitzgerald of "Midnight in Paris" in this young role as tomboy Katy. And yes, that's a pint-sized Michael Cera in an early appearance as little "Dorry."

The movie simplifies the book somewhat (one fewer Carr sibling; Katy's story is telescoped in time, so that it all seems to happen in one year). The rural setting is lovely and Canadian viewers will enjoy spotting some of the actual locations. The story is sombre in its middle part, perhaps too depressing for young viewers. It will, perhaps, mainly appeal to adults who remember Katy from their childhood.

Megan Follows is why I picked out the movie in the first place. It was her Anne of Green Gables series that lead me to my favorite literary heroine, and this seems to be the same. The backdrop of the Canadian countryside is splendid as in the Anne films, assuming the Ontario countryside. I look forward to reading the books soon. I wish I had found these when I was a girl... a new favorite to discover. I know sometimes movies never do books justice, but at least they open a door to a new literary world... not sure how I missed Katy.

I do feel like they could have done a bit more with character development and historical context. I would think depending on the child and their circumstances, age 8 would be appropriate to share. It does have challenging, realistic themes, but I do believe it might lead to "teachable" moments and good conversation.

If you're a huge fan of the original book story then don't watch this. It cuts out everything that is good about the story, from the powerful years of Katy's recovery to the non-death of a main character, it's like they just didn't care about the original fans. The small good bits are that they seem to capture the good natures of cousin Helen and Papa well but I was really expecting more from a beloved classic.

The movie What Katy Did, is a sweet family movie. However if you are like me and have read the book about 10 times, a childhood classic, then you may be disappointed with the story line. It only very broadly sticks to the story line and some of the book's most important moments are completely changed or left out. If they had just stuck to the original storyline, it would've been an awesome movie, because the book was so beautifully written. I found myself mentally ticking off a check list in my head of all the details that had been changed and it made me feel sad. It is a movie the whole family can watch, and I must say that the character Katy was perfectly typecast for her role. Katie was definitely as I had always imagined her.