13. Pollyanna (1960), dir. David Swift

[strange_complex]

One of those films I didn't really 'watch', so much as be in the room while it was on. My attention was primarily focussed on writing Doctor Who reviews on my laptop - but the plot is hardly difficult to follow, so I think I can be said to have seen the film as well.

The main reason I let it play, rather than switching to some other channel, is that the Pollyanna phenomenon is a cultural trope, and I wanted to be clear what it was all about. I pretty much knew it revolved around cheesy sentimentalism, and that's true. The version I watched was a Disney film, and it's no surprise they picked it up, as it oozes with favourite Disney themes such as patriotism, sugary piety and chaste romance.

Above all, though, Pollyannaism is about the Power of Optimism. Pollyanna, a little blonde orphan, wins the hearts of a small town by always looking for the bright side in everything (the 'glad game'). Then, when she is paralysed in an accident and loses her sunny outlook, they give it right back to her by coming to show their support and appreciation for all she's done for them. Wrongs are Righted, the miserable and misanthropic become kind and loving human beings, and all is right with the world.

It's easy to be cynical, and I think you'd be hard-pressed to find even a child nowadays who would swallow this film entirely. But there's a place for stuff like this, and I hope that never ceases entirely to be the case. And at least I'll now be able to 'get' all those references which used to puzzle me.

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Comments

[kernowgirl.livejournal.com]

I only have a vague memory of the film, but I had the book (still do somewhere) which I seem to recall being superior to the film. Even as a child, I recognised it as an Anne of Green Gables rip-off but considerably more twee. I still liked it, but never really took to Pollyanna as a character.

[strange-complex.livejournal.com]

Indeed - and there's a What Katy Did element in there too, because of Pollyanna's accident. I've no idea which order the three come in chronologically, though.

[kernowgirl.livejournal.com]

Just checked on Wikipedia. Katy is 1872, Anne is 1908 and Pollyanna is 1913. So yes, I think definite use of themes from other popular girls books.

[strange-complex.livejournal.com]

Ah - thanks for checking that out. Yes, then - it's like the logical extreme that those other books were going towards.