Overrated and overhyped

Memorable, crazy movie

It's funny, it's tense, it features two great performances from two actors and the director expertly creates a web of odd tension where you actually don't know what is happening for the majority of the run time.

All of these films share one commonality, that being a kind of emotional center that humanizes a cast of monsters.

Both Hollister & O'Toole agree that Pollyanna is timeless, filled with lessons that are relevant today (community is larger than any one individual). Then there is the Lincoln Quote about looking for the good in someone that turned out to not be from Lincoln at all.And, can we discuss the rich collection of actors brought together, each with an character trait that, when brought all together, make up all of us as individuals?Check out our podcast review.http://www.screenthoughts.net/pollyanna-review/

This Disney movie charms me now as much as it did...when I watched it -- Sunday Nights (in two parts surely) on "The Wonderful World of Disney" - on TV years ago!Read the other reviews to get details. It's a fine family movie, but unless you "need" some gratuitous scenes, the story will reach anyone!"Pollyanna" is a fine adaptation of "Pollyanna" the novel, a huge 1913 bestseller. This film represents...Walt Disney at his best...with quality actors (wow...just put the top 10 actors' names into IMDb and see how IMPRESSIVE each actor is!!!) The story's essence is captured well in a quality script...and a believable young "Pollyanna" in Hayley Mills. (Note...her father was a great actor also - Sir John Mills.) Am GLAD that Hayley Mills got a special child's Oscar. She deserved it.So Pollyanna wins over her town...and young "tween" Hayley Mills tames Aunt Polly (Jane Wyman), as well as Karl Malden, Adolphe Menjou, Donald Crisp, and many, many other fine actors.

A saccharine movie that is willing to turn all the screws in order to get an "awww" from the audience. The ending is a shameless attempt to tug heartstrings and offers no resolution. There are several entertaining scenes with a grumpy Agnes Moorehead, best known as the imperious mother from the TV show "Bewitched," and Adolphe Menjou is also entertaining as another local curmudgeon. The cynical attitudes of these characters provide welcome relief from all the rainbows and sunshine that Pollyanna force-feeds people. Karl Malden, better known for any number of classic films from "On the Waterfront" (1954) to "Patton" (1970), does a fine job in the role of the town priest.

A little orphan named Pollyanna (Hayley Mills with her English accent intact) goes to live with her strict (but sweet) Aunt Polly (Jane Wyman). She's so nauseatingly sweet that all the mean old people in the town find warmth, love and happiness through her. Yuck! Even for Disney this is syrupy.This is a typical live action Disney film. Everybody talks in a G rated way, all the mean (but secretly nice) adults end up being sweet and kind and all the kids are ridiculously cute and "lovable". The story itself is just ridiculous--even for Disney. A little orphan spreading peace and love all around. Sheesh! The acting is pretty bad too. Talented actors like Wyman, Richard Egan and Karl Malden (as a priest!) can do little with the lousy dialogue. Mills is terrible also --but she was only 14 when she did this. Only Agnes Moorehead manages a performance. The film also moves VERY slow--it runs over 2 hours! Also the last 20 minutes are so unbelievably manipulative I actually felt like throwing something heavy at the TV! Too long, too sweet and too unbelievable. This gets a 2 for Moorehead alone.