Customer Reviews

An American Girl: Chrissa Stands Strong

5 star:		(46)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

Last night on HBO I watched the premiere of this American Girl movie. I enjoyed the Kit movie from last year, they are really on a roll now I have to say!! This movie is a MUST see for students from 3rd or 4th grade and up. The movie is about a 5th grade girl who is new to a school and is soon bullied by a click of 3 girls, one in particular named Tara. This is not a sugar coated movie and you see Chrissa's situation go from bad to worse as she struggles to handle it by herself.

I figured this movie would be like every other typical Disney-style movie where Chrissa will eventually get revenge on the "bad guy", you know with some plot where say she makes some elaborate contraption which will embarrass the heck out of Tara and spill green paint on her or whatever and everyone will laugh at Tara and Chrissa will be the hero. That is NOT how this story goes at all, and I am very impressed American Girl (who is in the DOLL business) did not fantasy candy-coat the story. Rather, as you will see, it is shown with much more realism and makes you think about what you would do if you were in Chrissa's (or her parents') situation.

I actually have someone who has been bullying my 10 year old daughter over the past few months and ironically I got a few pointers from this movie last night, it made me think a little different about how to approach the situation. It also reinforced some of my beliefs on what makes someone a bully as well as providing some tips on ways to keep Chrissa staying strong.

Like other viewers, I bet you will be curious to see what bully Tara's parents look like - in every other movie (e.g. Camp Rock) the snobby/mean girl's mother is usually some self-centered witch who is nasty with her daughter and thus the chain continues....in this movie, you never get to see her parents. I think that is a good thing because it really let me focus on the rest of the story. I am seriously considering buying a copy for my local school and/or library to donate it, it was that good. The acting was fantastic and Chrissa is absolutely charming, I would love to have a friend like her for myself or my daughter!

I normally don't write reviews, but was so disappointed to see a negative review on this movie, I had to write. My daughter has seen ALL of the American Girl movies and this is by far her favorite! She has had it for a week, since it came out, and has watched it 3 times already. As much as she loved the other movies, I think this one proved to be more realistic, more timely for young girls, and taught valuable lessons. I definitely recommend this movie, and think it is well worth the money. Even I enjoyed it with her.

Absolutely a wonderful movie. If you have a school age child, any age, you must see this movie. It perfectly portrays the dangers & emotions of school bullies. Great to open a dialogue with your child after watching this movie. Wonderfully written, easy for children to understand at any age. Cannot say enough good things about this great American Girl movie. This should be required viewing in school!!!!!

After reading the reviews by homeschooling mothers, I was pretty leary about this movie but I bought it anyway, and was happily surprised. As I figured, the reviewers I read had taken some comments out of context, or had simply misunderstood. The movie does not portray homeschooling negatively at all. Chrissa considers hs-ing so she doesn't have to face the constant bullying in her classroom. She wants to escape it. But others let her know that's no way to deal with the awful situation she finds herself in - escape doesn't solve any problems. And in fact, as her friends point out, by staying away from school she could find herself falling further behind in her work and letting the bullies win. Yes, her father does say, "I'll bet if you're homeschooled, you can't be on the swim team." And Chrissa replies, "Bet you can, too!" They shake hands as a friendly wager but you don't find out who is right because, of course, Chrissa stays in school. (As a trivial bit of info, some states have laws that allow homeschooled students to participate in public school sports. Some don't.) So, enough about the homeschooling aspect of the movie.

The acting is very true to life and the little girl who plays the lead has a great career ahead of her. Strong supporting adult cast, good cinematography, and an interesting plot keep the movie appealing. The way the parents dealt with Chrissa's problem, a little too late in the game, in my opinion, was very realistic. Or at least, they dealt with it the way it should be dealt with.

I think most kids would benefit from watching this movie and seeing how other kids have handled bullying. It was a relief to know that the script tried to portray how a real kid would feel ("I don't want to be a tattletale!"), and as other reviewers have mentioned, there was no pat resolution, no revenge scene, no concrete answer as to whether Chrissa and Tara became friends. In other words, it was a true-to-life story.

Amazing, though, how many reviewers have said that kids actually bullied like the little girls in the movie at such a young age. How awful.

I have never written a review before. After seeing this movie on HBO, I had to have it. I came to Amazon (best and first place to look for nearly anything), and when I read one review that said they could only give the movie 1 star because of the content, "The bully is relentless and very mean. So, just be warned..." I knew I had to write something.

If you've never seen, or been party to bullying in school, then this movie might seem tough to watch. But my own experience in school was much longer, with much worse events of meanness and cruelty than depicted here. In my estimation, they did a marvelous job of creating scenarios to show the type and depth of stunts children can pull, without making it too traumatic to watch. I was bullied as a new girl for 3 years, 4th to 6th grades. As I watched this movie, it was indeed difficult, but I could not turn away. I thought several times, "I remember how that felt, but what could I do?" As another reviewer reflected, I'd seen other movies address it as comedy, nasty parents and mean kids get their due in the end, and I know in real life, that is NO solution.

When the tide began to turn, and I saw how the insightful adults intervened in Chrissa's life, and gave useful & credible advice, I began to cry. When I saw how she then began to handle the situation, it was the first time in all my 44 years I realized there really had been something that could have been done in my case. There really ARE ways to deal with the issue that are not stupid or demeaning, but truly constructive for ALL parties concerned.

So sure, perhaps you might rent this movie first. But share it with every child or parent you know. You may well never know when some poor child is subjected to this... I never told a soul until I was 30 years old. Any person who is bullied, who bullies, or who sees it happening to others should have this glimpse into the real issues and real options regarding such vicious behavior.

I have to admit that I was pretty disappointed to learn that instead of considering a film for a historical American Girl characters like Kirsten or Addy, the company opted to spotlight one of the contemporary "Girl of the Year" characters. I didn't really understand or appreciate the fact that they were going for something different when there were plenty of good reasons to write a screenplay about the pioneer era, the Civil War, or New Mexico in the 1800's. However, after watching "An American Girl: Chrissa Stands Strong," the decision seems much more validated, and in fact, this is easily the best film that American Girl has done (which says a lot, considering how much I enjoyed last summer's Great Depression-centered story of Kit Kittredge).

There is a reason why school has become an entirely different and more frightening world for children than it was even just ten years ago. There's a reason why entire seminars have been devoted to training teachers how to be proactive with bullying in today's classrooms. The story of Chrissa--through both the movie and its accompanying books--is ideal for children, parents, and educators to watch together. Believe me, whether you're a kid yourself or someone who works with students on a regular basis, the movie will give you plenty to think about, all told through the eyes of a fictional child who is just one of thousands of targeted students in the real world.

Films about the psychology of female cattiness/bullying have grown considerably more common in recent years, with the made-for-TV film "Odd Girl Out" and theatrical semi-classic "Mean Girls" exploring the concept in different formats. These movies can represent either drama, comedy or satire, but any girl who has ever gone through those difficult pre-adolescent and teen years know exactly what they're talking about either way.

With the vast majority of these movies, audiences are shown what happens when a triangle develops from one common love interest, and trouble ensues among the females as the Queen Bee feels threatened. Ah yes, it's almost always over a boy, isn't it? One advantage with American Girl's perspective is that they leave the guys out of the picture (in fact, Chrissa's father, classroom teacher/coach, and older brother are the only primary male characters here), focusing instead on the general superficiality and cruelty of younger girls, specifically those in fourth grade. Make no mistake, folks--there is some full-impact bullying that takes place in elementary school, and as a teacher myself, I have watched it take form as early as kindergarten for some children.

Chrissa Maxwell is a sweet, slightly shy 10-year-old girl, whose family decides to move in with her newly widowed grandmother in the middle of the year. The dark side of fourth grade is evident as Chrissa, who is forced to enter a new school, clashes with a trio of ponytail-flipping prima donnas on the very first day. Hiding Chrissa's valentines, pointing and whispering about her in the cafeteria, and stealing her permission slip for the swim team are clearly premeditated acts of cruelty, despite being difficult to prove, but that all becomes pretty trivial when the queen bees--particularly the mean-spirited Tara--drag an innocent Chrissa into trouble with their teachers, the principal, and their swimming teammates. The story becomes even more interesting as Chrissa struggles to befriend a painfully withdrawn classmate named Gwen, who is more concerned about hiding an embarrassing family secret than learning to trust anyone around her. Another unique twist occurs with Sonali, one of the three mean girls, whose character receives more depth and likability as the movie progresses.

A movie like this can't solve everyone's problems, but because it centers around students even younger than the junior high and high school crowd, it proves to be very relevant and even profound for elementary-aged kids. Chrissa's circumstances are set up in a very believable way (not an easy feat when transferring a story like this to film), allowing viewers to consider how they themselves might handle the same things in their own lives. Instead of just settling for a cutesy, unrealistic little children's flick, the writers portrayed some very real school-related issues in a way that makes sense to children, without undermining the incredible pain that students go through when they feel threatened and alone. The movie also expresses whether keeping quiet and attempting to cope with such problems alone are really even worth the trouble--questions that are more easily answered when we see how Chrissa's silence worsens her situation.

One of the biggest criticisms about this movie seems to stem from the final 10-15 minutes, as we find out how the script has chosen to resolve the problem. Ultimately, it was the best direction that American Girl could take without missing the mark with its intended audience. Before you assume that the ending was too rushed or unrealistic, understand that this really was not the film's intent. It is important to look closely at where Chrissa's story concludes, and how her life is impacted by the choices she makes in the end. Examining the bigger picture will bring a fresher, more honest element to the movie, especially if you watch carefully to find the underlying purpose of it (which doesn't necessarily promote becoming "best buddies" with the classmates who bullied you in the past). It emphasizes how children's school lives can be improved when they make smart decisions and ask for help, and when you think about it, that's one of the best things to share with children who are dealing with these kinds of issues.

Almost everything about this movie seems incredibly well-done and properly scripted. All of the actors do their jobs on the screen, giving the film a lot of heart and substance. Sammi Hanratty--whom I haven't seen since she starred as Lacey Chabert's kid sister on the ABC Family film "Hello Sister, Goodbye Life"--really surprised me with how effectively she was able to carry the title role. With her infectious smile and generous personality, Chrissa won me over as one of the most lovable American Girls, and Hanratty was an excellent choice for a character with qualities that any parent would want in their own children. Adair Tishler is somewhat obnoxious as the ever-nasty Tara, but to be fair to her, she was given a role that is known to be overdone in the media. Even Rachel McAdams laid it on pretty thick with her character in "Mean Girls," not because she was a poor actress (quite the opposite, actually), but because the script called on her to express a "larger than life" maliciousness. And hey, maybe I've just been out of elementary school for too long, and maybe girls exactly like Tara (or worse) really do exist, even if they are rare.

The rest of the cast is very good, and again, Ariela Barer gets one of the best roles in the movie, seeing as her character undergoes several transformations from one scene to the next. Kaitlyn Dever is another adorable, charismatic young actress who skillfully depicted Gwen's unfortunate circumstances in life, despite being a fairly inexperienced actress. I will definitely be watching for her in the future. I also enjoyed the performance of Jennifer Tilly, who had a smaller role as Chrissa's quirky, yet caring art teacher.

More than anything else, though, I loved how Chrissa's family was portrayed. One of the movie's greatest highlights was how a loving home life is often the only thing a child can count on when things are so difficult and unpredictable at school. Chrissa has distinct, positive relationships with everyone in her family and is able to draw comfort through online and telephone conversations with a close friend from her former school. Finding a safe haven at home is a piece of fortune that not every child is afforded, but as parents watch this with their kids, it's just another worthwhile message that is there for the taking.

The film selects certain themes to emphasize more closely, as do all the "school bullying" movies out there, and ultimately, Chrissa's story encourages targeted youngsters to confide in a trusted adult instead of suffering through it by themselves. Many movies of this type tend to send mixed messages to kids by showing them that even if they do finally tell a parent or teacher what's going on, those adults don't really have the power to stop the bullying that goes on behind their backs. It is alarming to think that some of today's children might be being taught to keep quiet and believe that they cannot count on anyone to help them when things get really bad. Fortunately, this movie offers a perfect example of loving and attentive parents, as well as school staff/administration that actually do their jobs instead of just "talking the talk." We also get to see them actually address the problems immediately, without just waiting for it to get better on its own (something that happens way too often). It is empowering to see this, and I give American Girl a lot of credit for putting that out there. Adults can learn just as much from this as the kids, if not more.

The unfortunate problem with the American Girl movies is that, despite being very entertaining and wholesome for young children, their audience isn't as vast as it deserves to be. An attempt was made during the summer of 2008 to change that when Kit's movie was developed for theaters, but in the end, it wasn't much more successful than the straight-to-DVD releases from the past. The company has obviously decided to take a little break from the more historical characters, which may be for the best, since the story of Chrissa arguably has had a more timely and relatable lesson to share with kids. It's been rumored that the next film from American Girl will focus on 1970's-era Julie, whose on-screen tale will be written as a musical. Given the phenomenal success of "Hairspray" and "High School Musical" in recent years, this may be just the thing to help American Girl improve its movies.

I recommend this highly as an entertaining, educational film and powerful source of discussion for children and adults alike. It's absolutely worth purchasing for your DVD collection at home, but you may also consider renting it first, just in case. Stories like this have been told before, sure, but since the problem shows no signs of stopping in our schools, then it's not time to stop delivering the message.

I showed this video to a class of mixed gender fifth-graders, and heard no complaints. In fact, they often ask when we're going to watch it again. I started lending it out to individual students to take home and watch with their families. Over half my students have taken it home and shared it with their families. Students this age tend to easily become involved in bullying, sometimes without even realizing what they are doing. I am hoping this video will help these students see how much damage bullying can do. If this video causes even one person to reflect on his/her actions and realize being mean to others is not such a cool thing to do, it's worth it.

This should have been in theatres. this movie is very important for young ones to see. I would roughly describe it as Charlie Brown meets Degrassi. It's both family friendly and deals with bullying: a serious school issue.

I was very impressed with how well the movie was done and how Chrissa comes up with the courage to stand up to "The Mean Queen Bees" (as Chrissa puts it). Anyone who has had some degree of school bulying should watch this. However, there is a devastating scene so the little ones should watch this with a parent or older sibling. Overall, the movie is a must see for girls and boys (and of course many AG fans).

Theres more to the movie than what the synopsos explains, but I don't want to give away too much of the movie. you'll have to watch it for yourself. take my advice. Go get this move. It will be your money's worth. You will never regret it.

This was a great movie, although I'd have to say not as good as the other AG movies. My 9 and 6 year old daughters loved it!

Chrissa moves to a new town and deals with rejection and bullying - two themes that most children deal with in some capacity. Through the film she learns to be herself and find value in those around her.

This is a charming movie with a positive message for children and young teens. I highly recommend this wholesome movie.