White Hats

Kit Kitteredge reminds me of the heyday of The Wonderful World of Disney. Back in the 80s, my Sunday nights were devoted to live-action Disney movies, week after week.

In these movies, kids were usually the heroes. A simplistic good vs. evil framework reigned supreme. The good guys (children and nice adults) needed to accomplish some task. The bad guys (bullies and mean adults) opposed them, either actively and maliciously or passively just by being there. The children, through resourcefulness, prevail over those who oppose them. Every time. Everyone lives happily ever after.

These stories do serve a purpose, reassuring their audience of children that all is indeed right with the world, and equipping children with the mindset required to fight oppression and tyranny. Children may be small, the lesson goes, but they can also be capable of great and mighty things.

Kit Kittredge is of the same mold as these classic Disney movies (themselves based on simple fairy tale premises). Kit is a young girl who dreams of being a successful reporter and is bold enough to ask the newspaper editor for a job despite her age. At the beginning of the movie, she's rejected.

Kit is our hero, along with her band of young friends. The "Great" Depression is hitting hard and times are tough for everyone. Kit's father, after getting laid off, leaves town to find work in Chicago. Kit's mother transforms their home into a boarding house as a way to make money. The guests that show up range from a magician to a dance instructor to a "mobile" librarian. A couple of friendly hobo kids are usually hanging around the house working on odd jobs in exchange for food.

The main problem of the depression is established and all of the characters are introduced. Added to the mix is a mystery. Several robberies have taken place in the area and the hobos are being blamed. Kit's own house is eventually robbed and the two friendly hobo boys are framed for the crime. Kit must prove their innocence.

Of course she does.

She saves the hobo community.
She gets a well-paying job as a kid reporter for the local newspaper.
The true villains are punished (one even reforms for the sake of the children).
The dance instructor finds a man.
Finally, Dad Kittredge returns home.

I was groaning at so much of the plot and character development early on. I thought that I would be suffering through to the end. It was all so tired and predictable. The laughs were usually cheap and corny.

But, somewhere in the middle (I think when the guest start arriving), I let down my defenses and allowed myself to be charmed. I opened myself up and allowed the film to work its persistent joy on me. By the end, I was smiling at least as much as Mildred was. And I felt good. And I felt that the world was good.

At the very least, Kit Kittredge proved to be a perfect palate cleanser after Funny Games.