Savannah Smiles

I remember seeing this movie , when HBO was a new cable station and I adored the film. Such a sweet film , I was mesmerized with Bridgette Anderson , as I too was a little girl at the time - but she was an actress! Unfortunately - I have only had the pleasure of seeing her in just this film - out of all that she has ever done. On that same unfortunate note - I was very upset and saddened to find out that we have lost this shiny star in May of 1997. She was only 21. Great movie for your collection of goods. :)

This was one of my favorite films as a kid, as I often had runaway fantasies of my own (who didn't want to get away from their parents at some point in their childhood?). This movie parallels a more recent, widely popular movie "Monsters, Inc." Think about it: both movies involve two male characters who are friends/co-workers/partners-in-crime. These characters are encountered by a small, cute, little girl from another world (in "Savannah Smiles", the girl is from a world of wealth while the guys are from "the wrong side of the tracks"; and in "Monsters, Inc.", a girl from the human world enters into the monster world). Also, Alvie and Boots are seen as "monsters" (since they are criminals) and are misjudged by others. (It can be argued that Alvie is like Sulley from "Monsters, Inc." since he's the leader and Boots is a lot like Sulley's sidekick Mike). As in both movies, the two main characters do not want the little girl at first and are desperate to get rid of her (for fear of the repercussions)--but they soon grow to love her, ending in a tearful goodbye when the girl is returned home.

Try watching both movies back-to-back and see for yourself the similarities. I'm not implying that the writers of "Monsters, Inc." stole their ideas from "Savannah Smiles", I just thought it was a neat coincidence that they had such similar themes.

Savannah Driscoll (Brigette Andersen)is the 7 year old daughter of wealthy gubernatorial candidate, Richard Driscoll (Chris Robinson). Savannah, feeling terribly lonely and neglected by her self-absorbed parents, dashes a note and runs away. Two small-time crooks, Boots (Donovan Scott) and Alvie (Mark Miller), on the lam after a slapstick-style prison break, steal the car in which Savannah has chosen to hide. Savannah's "run away" note falls out of sight, so the police, with the exception of Lt. Savage (Michael Parks) immediately assume kidnapping. The police call in "ace tracker" Harland Dobbs (Peter Graves, in hilarious deadpan "dimwit detective" role). Meanwhile, Alvie, Boots and Savannah find a hideout. While Boots takes care of Savannah, Alvie, who hates children (and just about everybody else) becomes involved with Doreen (Carol Wayne, Carson's "Matinee Lady"), an attractive, spectacularly built waitress and part-time country singer. Desiring to satisfy Doreen's innocent dreams, Alvie ransoms Savannah. However, Boots' "nurturing instincts" are aroused, and he wants to reform.

Despite some thin spots in the middle, this is a surprisingly powerful movie. As we learn more about Alvie, we come to sympathize with his character, making the "near Ruby Ridge-style" climax of this movie all the more gut wrenching. I can barely think about this film without choking up. The cast is uniformly outstanding, most notable being Mark Miller (father of Penelope Ann), Pat Morita, Carol Wayne and Michael Parks (a character similar to THE X FILES Muldar). Brigette Andersen (granddaughter of child star Jackie Coogan) is adorable. Tragically, Andersen died from a drug and alcohol overdose at age 22.

The late porn star, Savannah, took her stage name from this movie, an admittedly "dubious" distinction. Apparently SAVANNAH SMILES has affected a lot of people. If you DO show it to your children, WATCH it with them. You may look at the world in a slighter brighter way when you are done.

Not hardly! This movie absolutely hurts to watch! Not in a bad way though as in it's not a bad movie. it is just so hard to watch that it hurts your heart to see it. each time you watch it, you are constantly wanting the ending to change.

Imagine seeing this movie when you are seven years old. it is almost traumatising. The movie is so powerful that it gets inside you and doesn't let go. I haven't seen it in years simply because it hurts to see it. It's the most heartbreaking movie ever made. I have never gotten through it without crying my eyes out. The moment that note flies under the bed, you're done for. It grabs you and pulls on every emotion that you didn't know existed.

I love this movie; it's just too bad I can't watch it but once every couple of years.

I watched this little gem of a film on UK television last night and enjoyed it immensely.I can only agree with what everyone else said and thoroughly recommend seeing this if You get a chance,I know I'll have to buy the DVD or Video of this film if I can find it. What a tragedy that the girl who played Savannah died at such a young age.