Parents' Guide to Samantha: An American Girl Holiday

SAMANTHA: AN AMERICAN GIRL HOLIDAY beautifully brings to life both New York in the year 1904 and one of the dolls from the American Girl collection. Originally airing on TV, this story is a poignant portrait of a girl trying to make a difference. The obvious class difference between Samantha and her neighbors is handled skillfully in this movie, and Samantha understands how she can make a positive difference in the lives of those less fortunate. Indeed, the movie portrays Samantha as a role model for young girls. However, she is also a believable character who sometimes uses poor judgment, as when she convinces Nellie to sneak out for a turn-of-the-century sleepover in the boathouse, or when she nobly tries to rescue the three sisters from a grim orphanage.

The film also provides an interesting history lesson about this era by incorporating elements such as the opening of New York City's subway system and even the advent of bathroom showers. The movie has a strong social conscience, as well, evident in how Cornelia is portrayed as a suffragette working for a woman's right to vote, or how a sweatshop is depicted as a harsh environment that abuses the child-laborers it employs. Samantha becomes a "crusader" in her own right, organizing a coat drive for orphans and speaking out about the negative aspects of industrialization in a climactic speech contest.