Today on admin's Disney recs: I watched Pollyanna, and it was pretty good! I didn't watch it in one sitting though, so I might not have the best assessment of it I could have. But it's well-directed, well-acted, and very sweet. It's good in all the ways good Disney movies of Walt era are: super well-paced, fantastic shot composition, likable characters, good music (in this case, just the score because it's not a musical), and an earnest, emotional story.
It's basically like It's a Wonderful Life but with a little girl protagonist (the concept of one person's positive impact on a community, and the community rallying behind said person when they hit their lowest point). Obviously, I would never say this is a better movie than It's a Wonderful Life (a movie I regard very highly), but I actually do think Pollyanna does a better job of fleshing out the community. It's a Wonderful Life focuses more on the individual while Pollyanna focuses more on the individual's impact, while still creating an interesting and likable protagonist. It doesn't have the proper dramatic lows that It's a Wonderful Life has nor does it take the time to marinate in the big low point before the denouement, which does lessen its overall emotional impact. But Pollyanna still really tugged at my heartstrings :'). It's a very uplifting watch, and I do appreciate how the ending, while positive, still has a note of ambiguity to it.
And although it doesn't have the dramatic lows or hurdles of It's a Wonderful Life, it doesn't make it all sunshine and rainbows either. Almost everyone is rude to Pollyanna when they first meet her, and it's made clear through the script and Hayley Mills' fantastic performance that being optimistic does require effort and perserverance.
There are so many famous Old Hollywood actors in this film, wow. I love Jane Wyman, Nancy Olsen, and Donald Crisp in everything I see them in. Agnes Moorehead, Karl Malden, Adolphe Menjou are great in this as well. And also, MOOCHIE! I always enjoy Kevin Corcoran in any Disney project. The only weak link acting-wise in the ensemble cast is Richard Egan (his performance is pretty wooden).
What's so interesting is that it very much looks like a film from the 1950s/1960s in its lighting, composition, and color. But it has such a 1940s sense of structure and acting style. That's part of what makes it feel like a Disney movie. I don't want to call it anachronistic or old-fashioned because I think 40s films are much better generally speaking than 50s/60s films. But it does give the film an interesting nostalgic quality you have a hard time finding in most 60s films. The Sound of Music (my all-time favorite film) feels nostalgic for similar reasons (having content that feels older than the way it looks).
Those are just a couple of thoughts I had. But check it out for yourself! It makes me sad that Disney hasn't been able to make movies like this in more than 50 years.
