Felicity: An American Girl Adventure

I watched this movie as a child more than ten years ago. The terrible fake-crying in the "you're free, Penny!" scene has stuck with me since then, so I decided to watch it again for nostalgia. Mistake. It was extremely painful to endure. Not a single character in this movie has any depth or development. The dialog is predictable and boring. Everyone speaks in aphorisms. Felicity is a brat-- her actions are not justified, yet everyone rewards her, time after time?? With the horse, the dress... Bleh. The horse girl themes are unbearable, as are the patriot vs. loyalist themes. And why is Ben 15 when the actor is 20? Overall, do not watch this movie, even for nostalgia. Even Molly is better than this. You're freeeeeeeee! -sobs-

I was very impressed with this movie. Actually, I was a little surprised (now I feel ashamed to admit that!) that the American Girls movies are such quality films! So many books that are turned into movies made for TV and such are not very good (and not true to the books at all), for example, the Dear America series.

However, I personally was an avid American Girls fan when I was younger, and Felicity was my first doll and the first series I finished. I appreciated how much American Girls taught me about historical times from the eyes of young girls... perhaps they are not always completely historically accurate in the nitty-gritty details (as one user commented on the black lace on her dress and how Felicity has a non-family, apprentice as an escort), but I think the main ideas are present. She is an inspiring character, and always has been to me. I hope girls will appreciate this work of art as much as I did! However... as a warning to anyone who is a dedicated reader like I was... the movie's plot does not follow the books chronologically. All the important events are included in the movie, and nothing new is added, but things are diced up and mixed around. It confused me a little, but I understand it was for movie continuity. Anyone who has not read the book will not think twice about the sequence, and I'm sure even those who have will be able to forgive the writers!

In 1775 Williamsburg, Virginia, Felicity Merriman is turning 10 and learning to be a proper young lady, which is what girls did in those days. But Felicity longs to be so much more. And she gets several chances in this movie to make her world better, not just sit back and let the men and the grownups do everything.

Felicity's father, who runs a store, is a patriot who believes the colonies are being mistreated, but her grandfather who has a plantation near Yorktown, is loyal to the king, and the family gets into some disagreements over this. Felicity's best friend is Elizabeth, whose parents are loyalists. Elizabeth's uptight sister is Annabelle. Ben is an apprentice in the store, but he wants to join the fighting even though he is 15. Nan is Felicity's younger sister, and Rose is the family's black servant.

Felicity falls in love with a wild horse being mistreated by tanner Jiggy Nye, who was a nice man until he lost his wife. Felicity names the horse Penny.

Eventually, Felicity shows herself to be quite mature and quite capable of getting things done, improving the lives of those around her, and, by the film's end, showing what Christmas is really about.

This is a fine film for children of all ages with no offensive content. The acting seems a little uptight, but that's common for films depicting the Revolutionary War era. The story makes it clear that even a little girl can accomplish a great deal, though Felicity seems a little too heroic to be realistic.

Shailene Woodley does quite a good job as the film's hero. Marcia Gay Harden also impresses as the devoted but conservative mother. I also loved to hate Juliet Holland-Rose as Annabelle. Geza Kovacs shows a wide range as Jiggy Nye. I think everyone in a leading role does a good job.

The dancing looked quite good as well. I know nothing about the minuet or other dances of the time, but the choreography looked good to me.

If you're a little girl or anyone who likes warm holiday fare, this is the movie for you.

We have all three of the "American Girl" movies currently available and this one is my favorite. The plot may sound a bit corny, but it's a captivating story and the cast is wonderful.

Felicity lives in a difficult era -- her father and grandfather, though they live in the same house, are on opposite sides of the issue of American independence. All the adults seem to have strong feelings one way or the other about the war and undertones of uncertainty are everywhere, making it confusing for Felicity and her friend Elizabeth.

Intertwined with this question of American freedom is Felicity's strong commitment to free an oppressed horse from its abusive owner. She is a bit disobedient at times, but you can't help admiring her determination to do what's right, especially given that she lived in a time when a girl's "education" was limited to lessons in dance and tea-service.

The historical value and the human themes make this a fascinating movie for the whole family.

In the 1770s, a 10-year old independent upper-class girl named Felicity (Shailene Woodley) is living in Williamsburg, Virginia and handling the many challenges life brings to her: taming a stubborn horse, taking care of the family when the mother is ill and choosing sides when tensions rise between the loyalists and the patriots in the American Revolution.

Like Samantha: An American Girl Holiday (the previous installment in the An American Girl series), the film is technically well created: the costumes, music, scenery and photography are all well above the average TV movie level. The story, however, is less diverse and the overwhelming righteousness of Felicity starts getting uninteresting soon. There are also some excruciatingly cheesy moments in the film. Even so, the target audience (young girls and their families) can expect to like the movie alright.