Pollyanna seems to be part of the American cultural canon but I was unfamiliar with the story before I watched this film. What a load of schmaltz! No idea whether or how far the picture does justice to the book on which it is based, but the 'Pollyanna' adaptation with Mary Pickford is heavy going. Like in many other films Pickford plays a pre-adolescent girl, but there is no other film where she is so relentlessy 'glad' or so mercilessly determined to spread her saccharine-coated good cheer. It is only toward the end of the film that her character shows a hint of complexity, but even then (admittedly after a brief bout of self-doubt) the sheer will to be 'glad' pulls her through. The acting - Pickford's as well as that of the supporting cast - is decent enough, but the plot is unevenly paced and tends to drag. There are many Pickford-films that I admire a lot, but this one? 'Pollyanna' is not her worst picture, but it does not remotely have the quality of her best work.
Review of Pollyanna
